19

The difference between the levy and the disburse-
ments, was made up from the arrearages, due on
account of the Public School Tax for other years. As
there remains due and uncollected school taxes for the
past four years, to the amount of $262,308.37, it will
thus be seen, that to enable the treasury officers to make
the payments, which they have made on this account,
there have been paid into the treasury, on account of
Public School Tax arrearages, and which were due
prior to that time, a fraction less, than a half a million
of dollars.

A GLANCE AT THE PAST.

As my official relations to this department are draw-
ing to a close, and this being my final report of the
fiscal affairs of the State, a brief review of the work
done during my incumbency of the office of Comptrol-
ler will not, I hope, be considered out of pla.ce.

In making this review, I do not propose to go out of
my way to make comparisons with other administra-
tions of the office of Comptroller, except so far as may
be necessary to show what progress or improvement
has been made ; nor shall I attempt to give more than
a plain statement of the work which has been done,
and of what has been accomplished under my admin-
istration.

When I entered office on the 22d day of January,
1884, I found a sinking fund of $411,209.18 in bonds, and
the sum of $13,858.66 in cash, standing to the credit of
the sinking funds, and which were distributed as fol-
lows, to wit :

To the General Sinking Fund account .................. $191,190 48

For the redemption of the Treasury Relief Loan.......... 233,877 36

And making a total Sinking Fund in bonds and cash of....$425,067 84

This was all the sinking fund the State had at that
time. The Maryland Defence Loan of $3,326,750.66 had
run for fifteen years, and the tax of five and a-half
cents had been collected as authorized by Chap. 235 of

9.