The Muskogee cimeter. [volume] (Muskogee, Indian Territory, Okla.) 1901-19??, 1916-11-25
ALa5AlA. ARKANSAS MISSISSIPPI, GEORGIA AND TEMNES.
SEE FORCED TO SHOULDER s25OOOCoO IN DEBTS
BECAUSE Of DRY" LAW
THREE CONDUCT BUSINESS ON CREDIT
lanes G. Rice After Personal Investigation Writes Article for
Iemphis Herald Depicting the Bad Effects of Liquor
Statutes When Not Supported BY Public Sentiment

appropriations because they could not
be met by the treasury. He even We
toed appropriations for biennial 70.
po.ts OF state officials and some appro.
priations to charitable institutions Of
tho state. The state Is now running
its affairs on what some of the officials
call q ruinous credit system" When
. department issues a voucher ne do.
fn!;o information can be given as to
when that particular voucher san be
paid.
Georgia wes forced TO sell bonds TO
the amount Of S3,500.0O0 a year ago to
pay doicits In her revenues. The IL.
sue was taken by q wealthy citizen OF
Atlanta after the governor had tr.od TO
sell tho bonds In New York Tho 70.
cent legislature OF Georgia made ap-
prorriat!ons OF 100000 In excess OF
tho estimated revenue for the year.
Georgia has run behind. therefore. In
recent years about s4,o00,O00.
Mississippi In a Dsp'orable Condition.
Tho state OF Mississippi has deficit
In It's revenues OF about 81 1856, 900 to be
coveredccme wayat the end OF tho pres.
ent biennial period. The auditor com.
plains that credit system upon which
the state is forced to conduct It's bust.
ness, is costing the people great deal
OF money. He also says that many Of
the counties suffered their warrants to
deprec!ate in value" until they are at Q
discount Of from Is to 20 per cent.
Public school teachers In many coun.
ties are forced to stand a loss Of
$4,000 out Of warrant for 500, 40.
cording 10 the state auditor. There
has been depreciation OF taxable
property In Mississippi In the past two
years OF S2l.000,000. This deprec.a.
tion, says the state auditor, takes
about Sl25,000 year out of the treas.
ury. The last legislature in Missis.
sippi made appropriations OF about
100000 In excess OF revenue. State
officials are asking that bonds be IL.
sued In sufficient amount to pay all
accumulated obligations OF the state,
but the legislature does not respond
to the appeal. improvements In public
schools Is very much handicapped by
those conditions, and a number OF the
charitable institutions OF tho state are
suffering for money. q
Tennsssee's Bonded Debt Increased.
The last legislature OF the state OF
Tennessee found deficit In revenues
OF $l,0s3,000. This has been convert.
ed into bonds and Is now a part OF the
bonded debt OF state. II was caused In
large measure, II not entirely, by the
operations OF prohibition law. II 10
part OF the fiscal history OF Tonnes.
see that before prohibition was adopt.
ed the state was reducing its bonded
debt by s25o.o0o. or more, a year.
Practically nothing has been paid ON
tho debt under prohibition administra.
tions. The larger cities of the state.
and many Of the counties, have sui.
fered losses almost beyond compute
tion by this policy.
How much the same policy of do.
struction has increased tho bonded and
floating debts Of the cities Of the South
can not be definitely given until the
government takes another census; but
1t 10 safe to assume that the incrsasS
in the cities has been % much % n
the states Estimating upon this basis,
the i've Southern States under discus.
sion. together with their cities and
counties. have been forced to shoulder
debts to the amount OF $25. .000.0 il
the past six years. These arc debts
that could not have accumulated under
senvble. constructive laws and admin.
istrations.