Communication

To the Editor of the Ann Arbok Couribr : Dear Sir,- By publishing the following Statement you wotikl confer i l'avsr on me, as well as on the most of your readers. Being repeatedly asked the cause of the high taxation of 1883, and as it seems Supervisors are held respousible for the same by the majority of Uxpayers, besides being expected to be omniscient, I would for the benefit of the public explain somewhat the conditiou of our State tax, by referring to the approprlations made by the Honorable Body of our last Legislatura for different purposes (üvinr only the appiopriations made for 1S83, omitting all prior as well as future appropriatious), as foiind In the public acts of 1883, giviug the nuinber of act and its heading : Act No. 1, for the repair of the Michigan Soldiers' and Sallors' Monument at Detroit $ 50 00 Act No. 30. for the Plirrpnt. an-"' and for building, etc, for the Michlgau School for the Blind, 8!3,1."O 00 Act No. 40, for the support of insane soldiers at the Michigan Asylum 1,225 00 Aet No. 50, for an additional power boiler at the Eastern Asylum at Pontiac 2,50 00 Act Xo. 51, for the Pioneer Society of the State of Michigan 2,500 00 Act No. 61, for the support of the Reform School _ 4.",000 00 Act No. 86, for the current expenses of the State Normal School, 28,118 00 Act Xo. 88, for painting and penciling the front all of the teníale department and ereeting intlrmaryat the Michigan Asylum for tlie Insane IL', 100 0J Act No. !Ki, for eertain expenses of Hm Uiiivaruity of Mlehiüan r.ïOil 00 Act No. 10-3, for the support of the State Agricultural College, for the erection and repair of buildings ;;2,178 00 Act No. 101, for grading the grounds of the State Normal School 7,700 00 Act No. 105, for the State Industrial Home for Girls 65,8-36 61 Act No. 113, for the iustitution for educating the Deaf and Dumh, 61,373 00 Act No. Hl, for the Board of Fish Commissioners 20,001 00 Act No. 181, for pavlng Cooper St., in the city of Jackson, front of lands owne.d by the State 3,300 00 Act Xo. 163, lor necessary improveraentat the State House of Cor - rectlon at Ionia 7,200 00 Act Xo. 161, for the animal report of the Superintendente of the Pooi-, etc 150 00 Act No. 182, to aid in maintainiiif; the flre and pólice departmenta In the city of Lansing 756 oit Act No. 190, for the locatlon and erection of au Asvlum lor saae Crimináis 80,000 W Act No. 196, for tbe expenses of the State Ortloers and Hint e Government _ (10,375 92 Or a total of tlfiS5,W6 53 Art "Mn I.'ifl. ovPüliugB hni-oftn oflubor and industrial statistics and defining the powers and duties of the sanie, the expenses of which will be additioiiul #5,000,000. Sec. 2. The duties of such bureau shall be to collcct til the mannor liereinufter provided, assort, systemize, print, and present in animal reporta to the governor, on or before the lirst day of February, eighteen hundred and eighty-four, and annually thereafter, statistical details relating to all departments or labor in ,his State, includiiig the penal institutions thereof, particularly concerning the hours of labor, the iiuruber of laboréis and mechanics employed, the nnmber of ap[rentices in each trade, with the nativity jf sueh laboréis, uiechanics, and ippreutices, wages earned, the savings trom the same, the culture, moral and mental, witti age, and tex, of laborers employed, the number and cliaracler of accident, the sauitary condition of institutious where labor is employed, as well as the iullupix-c of tlio iMivoittl kiixjs or labor, and the use of ïntoxicating liquors upon the health, and mental condition of tbc laborcr, the restrietions, if any, which are put upon Rpf1 uutluua Tniicii iuiiciuiireii, me proportion of inarried laborers and mechanica, who live in reuted houses with the average animal rental of same, the averijje uumber of inembers in the families of married laborers and mechanics, the value of property owned by laborers and uiechanics, together with the value of property owned by such laborers or mechanics (if tbreign born), upon their arrival iu tbia country, and the length of time they have resided here, the subjects of COÖperatioOi strikes, or other labor diftïculties, trades unions, and other labor org:inizutions, and tüeir effects upon labor and capital, wlth such other matter relating to the commercWI, industrial.and sauitary conditiou of tbe laboring elaMM, and permanent pros])erity of the respective industries of the State, as such bureau niay be able lo gather, aoeompanied by such recommendations relating thereto, as the bureau shall deern proper. I will also give Act. 118, Sec. 1, Information of salaries of State offlcer. Sec. 1. That tbere be and the same is hereby appropriated out of any moneys in the treasury to the credit of' the general fund, not otherwise appropriated, the followiug suins for the salaries of the State ofiicers for the year eighteen hundred and eiglity-three, and each year thereafter: For governor, one thousaml dollars; for the salaries of the justices of the supreme court, four thousand dollars each; for the salaries of the judges of the circuit couits, and the judge of the recorder's court of tbe city of Detroit, two thousand five hundred dollars each; for tlie salary of the auditor general, two I thousand dollars; for the salaries of the 1 State treasurer, secretary of the board of agriculture, and superintendent of public instruction, one thousand dollars each; for the salaries of the commisuioner of the State land office, the secretary of State, and attorney general, eight hundred dollars each ; for the salary of the State librarían, one thousand dollars; for the salary of the deputy State treasurer, and deputy auditor general, oue thousand eight bundred dollars eacli ; for the salaries of the deputy secretary of State, and thé cfepnty commlssioner of the State bind ollice, one ttaousaud eijrlit hnndred dollars eaeh; for the salary of tho deputy superindent of public instruction, one thousand eight bundred dollars; for the salary of the governor's private secretary, sixtce himilred dolíais; for the salary of the cashier, book-keeper, and chief clerk of the State treasurer's office, the book-keeper and chief clerk of the auditor general's office, the bóok-keeper, lraiiilitsman, and ehiel clerk of the State land ollice, and for the chief clerk of the secretary of State's olliee, twelve huiulred dollars each; for the salary of tlie assistant book-keeper, and private secretary of the auditor general's ollice, and three clerks of the secretary of State's office, eleven hundred dollars each; for such additioiml clerks in the auditor reneral's ottice, State land olliee, State treaMircr'.s oltiee, office ol the seeretary of State, the office of the State board 'of health, and the olïice of the superintendent of public instruction, as niay be necessary, not exceeding at the rate of one thousand dollars each per anniini, for the time employed ; for the salary of the clerk of the attorney general, one thousand dollars: l'ivvided, That f said attorney general shall iind it necessary to eniploy inore than one clerk, a suin not exceeding live hundred dollars ncUlltlonul 1s appropriated; said lilteen hundred dollars to be used for clerks' salaries at bis diseretion. Each of the circuit jiulges shall receive a salary at the rate of ;-J,50ü afler the QlOt duy of JoullKi), I 't. .,11 uT nlljll I respectfully submit to the Public. The above statement I hope will enlighten the tax payers somewhat, why the taxes were hijrh and relieve the supervisors of soiue censuring bnrden. Supervisor of theTownshipof Pittsfleid.