Year: 1873

OF - l5ieo. aDd sgj go SccrusI iateres, thereon


EsAL AND APPARENT DEFICESCIEs -DIsTINCTIoSs WITH


OUT DlIFLI,LNCE.


Successive Controller have usually regarded large
part Of this deficiency apparent" rather than real"
aud have insisted deducung from 1t the tax balances
due from county treasurers. TIE taxes payable into
the Treasury in April and the fact that nearly half the
state remains ia the hands OF the county
late the 3Oh OF September another dscreditable
Of the financial system administered Of late
years by the Legislature II will, Of course be conceded
that all the ought 10 be paid into the Treasury OF
the before the 1st Of October but the other
hand view Of the strict provisions Of the Constitution
ia regard to the c!oaton OF floating debt IL seems equal
iy indisputabe that the Treasury ought to. contain
money enough the of October satisfy all de-
mands which may be made 1t from that date up to
the lst of April following, when the taxes for the
ing year begin 70 be received. SuppOsng all the taxes
OF the year have been paid In before the 1st OF OcO
ber and Treasury be empty that day, what is
the TeasurertO DO Tor money from the LIST Of October TO
the lat of April following Els only resources under
the Constitution the power to borrow for temporary
purposes 100000 and the miscellaneous receipts Of the
General Fund. and the two combined would be found
insufficient carry the GOvernuent at the rate Of
expenditure which has prevailed since the war. As


matter OF fact however from 1867 down TO the present
time the Of the County OF have not been
payable until the 1st OF December In section Of chap
ter 60 Of the OF 1861 may DO (OuBd the following
provision


And all taxes due from the City and County Of New
York ahing unpaid the lst day OF December in
the State from that date, at tho rate authorized 10 he
charged other counties by section Of chapter 1913 Of the
laws OF 1868.


Thus the County Of New the last six years has
been allowed TO use without interest for six months Of
each year several million dollars belonging TO the State,
aud which the state needed. Similar provisions were


made for the benefit Of Albany and Erie Counties the
taxes due counties being suffered to he in


the hands Of the county treasurer unt the lat OF Sep
tember And here credit must be given TO Controller
Hopps and Senators D. p Wood and Lowery for intro
ducpg clause into the Supply bill OF this year. repeal
jng the enactment OF 1867 in relation 20 the County OF
New York and declaring that "every county shall pay
s quota OF state taxes the statereasury the one
half before the 18th day OF April and the other
half before the 1st day Of May IN each and every
year thereafter" IL doubtful II even this will prove
effective. The county treasurers many OF them, fnd
il profitable the money belonging 10 the State for
their private benefit At this very session OF this very
Reform Legislature stringent bin TO compel the prompt
payment OF taxes into the State Treasury which had
passed the Senate, lost D the Assembly, being killed
by agents the county treasurers and furthermore
u IS supposed that money was used 10 do the
business. Up TO the 18th OF June only about
O. 10000 OF the 100000 for deficiencies in the Gen
Arai Fund and Canal Fund levied by the Legislature Of
1s2 had been paid into the Treasury Outside Of the
County OF Kings this tax very generally levied and
collected. and the money being in the hands Of the
county their duty to pay 1t over tolthe
STATE notwithstanding the decision Of the Court OF APP
pesls declaring the act unconstitutional Disregardng
the difficulties which viii beset any attempt to make the
county pay up promptly overlooking the ne
cesses Of the Treasury from Sept 30 TO April TO- and,
supposing the State Treasury 10 be financially sound
when destitute Of funds, the following table will show
The variations from solvency the 3oth Of September
in each Of The years from 1861 to 1873 inclusive The
second column gives the apparent deficiency as be-
fore stated the third the amounts due from county
treurers for taxes paid in and the fourth the
by which the taxes due exceed fall short OF the de