El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1919-01-15
.STATEOFT EXA5NEARLY EXHAUSTS
ITS POWER To COLLECT TAXES
Governor Warns Legislature If Appropriations Are Not
Cut For Running Expenses, There viii Be Nothing
To Appropriate For Special Work; He Wants
the Present Taxation System of State Modified.

dietary. making a total OF s22.760.S1O,
there would be only S5,000.00O avail
able for all other purposes for the two
years at the maximum tax rate pro-
vided in the constitution By as much
as those estimates are reduced in your
appropriation bills will the funds be
available for other legislative OBJ
Jects, such as education. buildings,
etc, and by as much as your appropri-
atoms are reduced in all particulars
VIII the tax rate be lowered
@AH appropriation Of one mil
Hon dollars requires an addition
Of cents to the state tax rate.
The expenses Of the state have
grown TO alarming proportions in re-
cent years and in my judgment you
can perform no more beneficial serV-
ice than 10 reduce the expenditures
to the lowest possible level the public
service viii permit
The states Wealth.
The value Of property n the state,
according TO the report Of the state
tax commissioner. assessed for taxa
ton for 1917-191S was S2.Sll.144, 26S,
on which there was levied an I'D va
loren tax for general revenue pur-
poses Of IS cents, a state school tax
Of 20 cents and state pension tax
Of five cents OF the 500 valuation
The assessment OF intangible val
ues Of all moneys, credits. stocks,
bonds. notes, etc, for the year,
amounted to S17e. so1,6s2.
The total physical valuation OF
railway, bridge and ferry companies
amounted TO S331,311,76l, and the to-
tai intangible property valuation OF
these railway, bridge and ferry COM
panies was S150.365.90 $685. making their
true value s4s1, 675.s67.
Proposes Tax Changes.
BY reference to the annual re-
port OF the controller, you viii notice
several suggestions proposing amend
ments 20 the tax laws OF the state
previously published in The Her
add I recommend these suggestions
70 the legislature CThe changes rec
commended include a law to assess all
lands, cattle, etc. in given locality
alike and proposes that the state
raise its money from income taxa
ton and let the counties do as they
please about raising their own
funds.")
Earnings on Z. s. Investments.
The governor refers at length TO
the things accomplished by the called
session OF the 35th legislature. Re
ferring TO the measure providing for
the Investment Of state funds in
United States securities he says:
The state has realized in interest
on investment in United States treas
ury certificates s1S0.536-91- At one
time the state had SS,O00.0O0 invest
ed IN these treasury certificates. The
present amount OF S3.200,00O is the
smallest invested since the act be-
came effective. but an additional So
10000 has been reiuvested for ma
turity in April, on which there IS now
some accrued interest not accounted
for in the statement above
I'm addition to the investment In
United States treasury certificates,
certain funds Of the various state in
situations have been invested IN Lib
srty bonds, TO the total amount Of
s54.750. The interest earned on Lib
erty bonds TO date. since their pur-
chase, is s1,16166."
state Department Pays.
Particular attention is invited 20
the report OF the secretary OF state,
where the net earnings CT the bien-
mum amounted to s1.443, 344.55.
Referring to the selective service
organization. the governor says there
was a total registration in Texas OF
9sS.o6S, or practically 100000 men
Texas has slightly less than per
cent OF the population o. the United
States" says he. Under draft calls.
we have furnished s3,072 white men
and 2S.11e negroes, a total OF 111,19O
men furnished through the draft pro-
cess. By enlistment and voluntary
induction we have furnished an ad-
ditional 1853 men who were in the
draft age These figures do not in
ciude any men in the new national
guard organization within the draft
aga. To these figures should be add
ed those registrants who have Joined
the navy and marine CORDS and those
regfstrants who have enlisted In the
army since March. 1913. ] feel conf
dent that a conservative estimate is