Evening star., 1932-12-11
MISSISSIPPI Halls
/ SALES TAX RESULT
Anticipated Receipts Exceed
ed Every Month Since Enact
ment Last May.
Special Dispatch to The Star.

Special Dispatch to The Star.
JACKSON, Miss, December 10
Mississippi has attained financial Sc
curity and the sales tax Is largely re-
sponsible.
The State budget is balanced. Mis-
sissippi bonds are finding ready mar
ket and, despite dire prophecies, her
citizens are buying at home.
Business is good II the steadily climb
ing return from the sales levy is any
indication.
Mississippi has balanced the budget
In IL months with some $4,000 to
spare.
The announcement was made this
week by Chairman ALI H. Stone Of
the State Tax Commission. Success
of the States emergency revenue pro-
gram is. an old story, dating from the
: first month of its existence.
Estimate Receipts Exceeded.
The 2 per cent gross sales tax has
exceeded estimated returns every
month since it went into effect last
May November receipts were $260,8l4
against an estimated S166,000.
The sales tax is the backbone of the
emergency revenue program enacted by
the 1882 Legislature. The program COM
bines eight special taxes, the sales
tax. the income tax, franchise amuse-
ment, tobacco and malt tax, Statewide
privilege, registration license, and in
heritance taxes.
The emergency revenue program has
made it possible for the State treas
ury to receive $9,820,175.79 in revenue
during the first IL months OF 1882.
The 1882 Legislature drew up
budget of $9,770,000 for the II months.
Mississippi's income Is greater than
the cost Of government for one Of the
few times In history.
Taxable Property Shrinks.
: This has been accomplished in the
face of q $100,000 900 shrinkage in the
assessed valuation of taxable property.
The treasury deficit In January was
nearly $8,000,000
How it happened is best known to Gov.
Martin Sennett Conner. Gov. Conner
proposed the emergency revenue pro-
gram and pushed it through the Legis-
lature in the face Of strenuous opposi-
tion.
More than six months ago a mob
stormed the State Capitol to protest
enactment of the sales tax. 1t overflowed
into the Governors Office and demanded
an audience with the executive, which
was refused.
IOOay, MlSSlSSlpplanS are paying tIle
sales tax with smile.
The sales tax is within ! per cent
Of the 1882 estimate set up by the
Legislature with nearly two months COL
lections yet to be counted.
Other Measures Successful
The gross sales levy has rolled $1,270,-
682 into the State treasury, against an
estimated 81 800, 900. Others of the spe-
cial revenue measures have been equally
successful
Mississippi was the second State in
the Union to outlaw liquor, but the COM
bined stamp taxes on malt AMI tobacco
yielded S714,802 from May l to Decem-
Der /, against an estimated S755 900 for
the period ending January /, 1888.
The income tax is just $43, 900 short OF
the 100000 total fixed by the Legisla-
ture The Statewide privilege tax has
yielded S313,277.
The combined yield Of the eight spe-
cial taxes, including the sales tax, up
to and including December was ST.
696,649 The total includes collections
OF sI01, ,169 during the first seven days |
of December.
Advalorem taxes accounted for most
of the SO ,82o,175 collected by the State
during the first IL months of the year,
but the special taxes provided the wide
margin that balanced the budget with
q surplus.