Rensselaer Republican, Volume 27, Number 14, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 29 November 1894 — RETIRING ATTORNEY-GENERAL. [ARTICLE]

RETIRING ATTORNEY-GENERAL.

Blnnniul Redort of Alonzo Greene Smith. Alonzo Greene Smith, retiring Attor-ney-General of Indiana, filed his biennial report with Gov. Matthews. Wednesday. Nov, 21. It is a printed book of 394 pages, and contains facts and figures “too numerous to mention.” There is an extensive review of the litigation under the management of the department, in which detailed reference is made to the important coses, such as the Indianapolis-Uniou railway tax case, the Tolleston Club case, the school revenue law, those suits pending in the Court of Claims and those disposed of in the last two years. The Govornor is advised to recommend that the General Assembly revise the tax law. so that it will clearly provide for the addition of interest upon the penalties with reference to delinquent taxes. Mr. Smith congratulates the State upon the result of the tax-suits, involving $7,000,009, and states that he might have legally claimed 12 per cent for collecting the same, but he was “determined from the beginning that these taxes- should be collected with the least possible Cost to the people, he

j claimed nothing for his services, not evex his expenses, and the fabulous amounts involved in that great controversy were covered into the - public treasury undiminished in volume, and so far as the At-torney-General is concerned, without the cost of a cent to the State. The Attor-ney-General asserts that he voluntarily forfeited" to the treasury fees of $840,000 The Attorney-General says that every city 1., the State, with one or two exceptions, receives a much greater part of the State revenue than It pays into the State for tuition purposes. Sixty-five cities received from the State school revenue foi tuition in 1893 over $200,030 more than they paid in. Reference is made to the of Indianapolis in which it is shown that the city has been taxed $169,480.81 and has received from the StatesU4,Blß.6o; of local school taxes was utilized in other parts of the State for the support of schools; The total collections by the Attorney-General for the past two years have been $541,242.55, After deducting from this sum the percent, allowed by the State he has paid into the State and county treasuries the following: Unclaimed balances in estates...? IK Liquor licenses 1,748 9? State and school revenue 136.349 (M Unclaimed fees .. 4,596 2f Jury fee 5.............,... .... .... 2,(Mr? It State tuition revenue.... 164.135 4( Fines,. 31.835 41 Common school fund 5.993 8? Congressional school fund 10,796 41 Tuition revenue, 35.534 9: Common school interest 2.274 9< County school revenue 50,747 6; Congressional school interest... 10,489 12 Permanent endowment fund.... 15,705 2? Total .8476,293 51 These amounts show the Attorney-Gen-eral’s collections from Oct. 31,1893, to Oct. 31,1894, after the deduction of 12 per cent.. Which goes into the pocket of the officia making the collections. It can be seen that in addition to his salary of $5,003 (for two years), Mr. Smith has received $64,949.04 in the last two years.