The Muskogee cimeter. [volume] (Muskogee, Indian Territory, Okla.) 1901-19??, 1916-11-11
ALhBaiIA ARKANSAS MISSISSIPPI GEORGIA AND TENNES.
SEE FORCED TO SHOULDER S25,oco00O IN DEBTS
BECAUSE or "DRY' LAW
THREE CONDUCT BUSINESS ON CREDIT
James G. Rice Alter Personal Investigation Writes Article for
iemphis Herald, Depicting ihe Fad Effects of AntLiquor
Statutes When 'ict Supported BY Public Sentiment

appropriations because they could not
be met by the treasury. He even We.
tocl appropriations for biennial re.
pc..8 OF state o.lcialB and souo on9ro-
pr.ltjonJ to charitable Institutions OF
lhe state. The state 10 now running
its ai'air. on what some OF the officials
call "a ruinous credit system" when
q department issues n vodch.r no do.
ln!,e information can be given as to
when that particular voucher can be
Iaid.
Georgia was forced 10 sell bonds to
the amount CT S},500,0D0 q year ago 10
pay deficits in her revenues. Tho Is
sue was taken by q wealthy citizen Of
Atlanta after the governor had tried to
sell the bonds in New York. Tho re-
cent legislature OF Georgia made ap-
proprlations Of SJOO,O)) in excess OF
the estimated revenue for the year
Georgia has run behind. therefore. IN
recent years about SiOO00J0.
misg,Jsippi in a Dap.orablc Condition.
ho state OF Mississippi has a deficit
inits revenues OF about 81 $50, 600 10 be
coyeTedscme wayat the end OF the pres
ent biennial period The auditor COM
plains that credit system upon wh.ci
the state Is forced to conduct It's hugi.
ness, Is costlnS the people a great deal
Of money. He also says that many Of
the counties suffered their warrants 70
depreciate In value" until tlcy arc at a
I discount of from 10 to 20 per cent.
I "a f,,
sizes are forced to stand n loss Of
$1,000 out OF warrant for Sl0J, ac-
cordinG to the state auditor. There
has been depreciation of taxable
| property in Mississippi in the past Two
years OF S2l000,000. This deprecia.
| ton, says the state auditor, takes
| about $1c5,000 year out OF the treas.
| ury. The last legislature in Mlssls.
| sippi made appropriations OF about
| 100000 in excess OF revenue. State
I officials are asking that bonds be Is.
/ sued in sufficient amount to pay all
/ accumulated obligations OF the state,
but the legislature does not respond
to thc appeal Improyements in public
, schools is very much handicapped by
these conditions, and number of the
charitable institutions OF the state are
| suffering for money.
| Te1ncssee's Bonded Debt increased.
The last legislature Of the state OF
Tomes3ee found deficit in rayelrcs
of Sl,023,000. This has been conyert-
ed into bonds and IL now n part OF the
| bonded debt OF state. 1t was caused In
, large measure, il not entirely, by tho
operations OF a prohibition law 1t In
q part Of the fiscal history OF Tennes.
sec that before prohibition was adopt
ed the state was reducing It's bonded
debt by S250,000, or more, year.
| Practically nothing has been paid on
the debt under prohibition admlnistra.
tons. The larger cities OF the state.
and many Of the counties, have suf.
tered losses almost beyond compata.
ticn by this policy.
How much the same policy OF de.
| struction has increased the bonded and
floating debts of the cities OF the South
can not be definitely given until the
! government takes another census; but
ii Is safe to assume that the increase
in the cities has be0n as much az In
the states. Estimating upon this basis.
the five Southern States under discus
sion, together with their cities and
counties. have boen forced to shoulder
debts to the amount OF S25 900 in
The past six years. These are debts
that could not have accumulated under
sensible, constructive laws and admin
lstrations.