The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1936-01-17

neeOS no new sources OF revenue
and the present sources are ample
to take care of every need of
state government" State Comp
troller j. NJ. Lee told the Com
mittee of 100, an organization of
winter residents of Florida, at a
meeting at their clubhouse on Mi
ami Beach Tuesday night when
taxation was the principal topic
of half dozen prominent autheri-
ties invited to address the gath
| ering.
The state comptroller cited fig
ures to back up the assertion and
showed by up-to-minute statistics
of tax revenues that Florida's in
come from present tax sources
has been growing by leaps and
bounds and that efficient admin
istration of the tax laws, aggres-
sive enforcement of collections
and a fair deal for all taxpayers
large and small alike-is pro-
ducing several million dollars more
revenue per year now than was
produced during the fiscal year
ending June 80, 1888, when the
then new comptroller found the
state with $387.47 in the general
treasury of the state and unpaid
bills, notes and other obligations
totaling more than $1,000,O00.
Has Balance
An outstanding feature of
Comptroller Lees figures as cited
to the gathering was the fact that
the states Confederate pension
fund now has a balance on hand
of $1,047,021 with steadily in
creasing income every month suf-
ficient to pile up a surplus by next
June 80, sufficiently large to. per-
nit the state to reduce the state
millage by at least approximately
three mills, or more than half.
Colonel Lees only qualification
for his declaration that no new
sources were necessary was the
statement: ''Unless il is found adj
visable to change the entire sys-
tenn of state finance. That is to
say, any new measures should be
as substitutes for present sources
of revenue"
Offers Solution
The comptroller's solution for
the problem of paying the states
way with existing sources is-in
! addition to continue efficient adj
ministration of collections-mere-
ly a question of undermining the
system of appropriating, spending
and disbursing. "Why the pres
ent system is so old and antiquat-
ed that we sometimes have to dig
far back into history to find out
just how to spend some of the
! money that is collected from the
heavily burdened taxpayers"
Going into his figures Comp
troller Lee said the pension and
balance June 80, 1888, was $780,
900, and on December 81. 1885,
it was s1.047,02 and the follow
ing sources show comparative col
lections for the 1928 and
1934-35 fiscal years were:
General Revenue: S5,676, 1856
! $685. 1928;
Utility tax 1882 and 1885
figures): $120,816-$490,120:
Documentary Stamps: $751;
S5S-$S97,2 31;
General Licenses: 1927, 393-
s559,671;
Gasoline Taxes: s14,137,O59-
$17,246,74B;
Intangible tax levies: $51, 985-
s24e.s12;
Estate Taxes: sS57,72S-s1,-
| 0s7.237;
General Inspection Fund:
S494, 647-s691, 766;
/ Bus and Truck Mileage: $685.
062-$139,O95;
Racing Commission: 763,259-
1,403.s25;
"In the face of such a showing
does Florida need more sources
of money? New sources of rev.
enues? No! A thousand times
no" Comptroller Lee declared.
! "What Florida needs more than
| anything else is a few hours of
consecrated, sober thought on
the part of every citizen and es.
pecially the business men--hours
of thought of such duration and
sincerity as viii produce through
future legislatures guarantee of
one hundred percent collections
from all alikH upon some fair and
equitable basis and above all give
us an entirely new sound and safe
system of expenditure of such
revenue.
why the present system is so
old and antiquated that we some
times have to dig far back into
history to find out just how to
spend some of the money that is
produced.
what Florida needs is the re-
N ~ n 49, a -