REPORT OF THE COMPTROLLER OF THE TREASURY, xv

or a decrease of $4,639.176.00. The counties show a gain of
865,900.00, while the shrinkage in Baltimore City is shown
to be $4,705,130.00, attributable possibly to the errors in
the new assessment of the year previous. Notwithstanding-
this shrinkage, there is yet a gain of $02,798,389.00, under
the new or " Bankard " assessment over the basis of 189G,
as made under the provisions of the assesment of 1876.

PUBLIC.SCHOOL TAX.

Statement " L " exhibits the levy, receipts and dis-
bursements by counties on' account of the Public School
Tax for the fiscal year 1898. The balance on hand October
1, 1897 and the receipts during the-year, aggregate the un-
precedented sum of $1,100,304.90, while the disbursements
amount to $827,366,71, leaving a balance of $338,938.25 on
hand October 1, 1898 for future distributions. The amounts
distributed to Public Schools for the past five years may
be instructive by comparison :

$827,366.71 in 1898,
496,224.69" 1897,

591,753.00 " 1890,
601,088.04 " 1895,
600,294.57 4i 1894.

The large gain in 1808 was owing to the increased
basis and prompt collections by this Department.

Two changes were made by the last Legislature in the
distribution of this tax. The appropriation to the State
Normal School (white) was increased from 810,500.00 to
$20,000.00 pear year, while the amount to colored schools
was increased from $125,000.00, possibly $100,000.00, de-
pending upon the amount collected, to the fixed sum of
81.50,000,00, regardless of collections.

FREE BOOKS.

In Statement " M " is shown the levy, receipts and
disbursements on account of this fund, the receipts amount-
ing to $136,433.10, being the amount of the 2 cents of the
171 cents tax and the disbursements as fixed by statute,
$150,000.00, leaving a deficit of $134,384.98 as a net pay-
ment from the Treasury during the three years .of the
operation of the law. During this time the counties and
Baltimore City have so wisely expended this money that in
many instances the sums received are more than adequate
for the purposes mentioned.

RECEIPTS IN DETAIL.

In Tables Nos. 1 to 12, inclusive, are fully set forth in
detail the itemized receipts into the Treasury during the