The Aberdeen weekly. [volume] (Aberdeen, Miss.) 1878-1933, 1919-07-11

make a careful study of this ques-
ton, and report their findings
and recommendations to the Leg
islature of 1918. This Commit
tee consisted of Senators. among
whom was Lieut.. Gov. Lee Rus
sell, my candidate for Governor.
as Mr.. Lowe calls him, and Is
members of the House. among
whom we find the name of Hon.
Oscar G. Johnston. whom we un-
derstand and doubt not, is Mr..
loves candidate for Governor.
During the 2 intervening years.
this Committee Investigated,
studied and considered these
matters, and made a report to the
Legislature of 1918. We under
stand they sent copy of this re-
port to every Board of Superyi-
sOrs of the State; and ifMr. Lowe
has not yet read it. we recon-
mend that he do so; and he will
find that this Committee. of
which his candidate, Oscar Johr.
ston, was a member Uhough he
was not a candidate for Governor
AT That Time). criticized Boards
of Supervisors much more Sc
verely than we ever did. We
recommend to him that he might
retaliate on Mr.. Oscar Johnston
for this severe criticism by dis
cussing HIS inconsistency be-
tween THEN and NOW, as Mr..
Lowe has such an aversion, it
seems. to people being incon-
sistent. or ever changing their
minds. He might also call Mr..
JohnstOn's attention to his an
nOuncement at another time of
being in favor of a centralized
State Tax Commission.
Among other things, this Com
mittee. on pages 5 and 6 says:
I'VE studied the problems of
taxation and revenue of EVERY
STATE IN THE UNION"
We kept constantly before us
the primary fact that we were
dealing with Mississippi prob
lens in behalf OF Mississippi
Taxpayers.
Then, on pages 9 and 10. after
stating that almost every State
in the Union. within the past few
years, has created a tax COM
MISSION" etc., it says:
Your Committee has made
careful study of our fiscal sys-
tenn as it EXISTED in 1916,
and of the results obtained by
the legislation of that year.
We find that the system, BE-
FORE the legislation OF 1916,
was defective in four general
respects:
First 1t furnished an IN
ADEQUATE state income upon
millage rate that should have
been sufficient. For the fiscal
year 1914, the states ordinary
receipts were $3,S73, ,264.31.
and it's ordinary disbursements
were 81, ,254, ,620.S6. a DEFI-
CIT of 1881 1866, notwith-
standing the bond issue of
$3.50, 10000 authorized in
1914, prior to the beginning of
the 1914-1915 fiscal year. The
State Auditors report to the
Legislature of 1915 showed
that the deficiency of the states
income for the biennial period
ending October l, 1915. igur-
ing ordinary expenditures
against ordinary receipts, was
1891, 1928. The next report
of that official shows that the
ordinary disbursements were
$531 .66O.7O in excess of ordi-
nary receipts for the fiscal
year ending October l. 1915.
(a). The increase in our
population and the Natural
Progressive Broadening of Our
Governmental Activities. have
Greatly Augmented the Ex-
pense of operating the State
government. No Thinking Per
son Would Advise a Return to
Former Conditions, With pop
ulation steadily increasing our
Colleges. Asylums. Hospitals
and All Other State institutions
haye begun to overflow, and
much larger support funds are
required. In fact, as Missis-
sippi continues to progress and
her population to increase, we
may never expect to reduce the
sum total of our state expendi-
lures.
(b). Deficits have been fur
ther increased by reduction
in some sources of state reve-
nue.. despite the fact that the
past few years have shown
great Development in the ma
terial prosperity of our people.
For example. there was a re-
duction OF $40. 781. 736. 90 in the
total assessed valuation in 1915
from what it was in 1914"
On page IL. it says:
End. Our System of Tax
alton was not Equitable. "And,