The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1864-01-16
Governors Message.

Genaemes 81 The sSeSus and House
Representatives Y
lam happy to be able to coneratulai
you upon the prosperity Of our State :
During the last two years our people hav
enjoyed their usual good health and hay
secured reasonably abundant harvests. :
Labor has been well rewarded, and III
products of the labor have brought remu
nerative prices. The educational interest
Of the State are as prosperous as ever; an
peace and good order within our borders
although on one or two occasions some
what imperiled, have been maintained.
Let us render thanks to God for thes
blessings vouchsafed US during the exist
ence of desolating war, that has 3,
scourgcd large portion Of our land.
FINANCES.
Our State finances have. neve. befor,
been in more healthy condition. Gu
entire. State debt is only S622,295 rs
consisting of loan from the School Fune
1922, 1896 rs; loan of 1858 $500 900, anc
war loan Of 1861 $500, 900. Ofthe $500,
600 war bonds authorized to be sold
$500. 900 remain on hand--none have
been offered since the $500, 900 were sold
and it is believed no further sales will be
necessary.
The report of the State Auditor shows
that the moneys now in the Treasury, the
delinquent taxes, the amount estimated
to be due from the United States, and the
taxes for 1868 and 1854, are sufficient to
pay the estimated expenditures for the
next two years, the outstanding Warrants
on the Treasury, and our entire State
debt, leaving balance in favor of the
Treasury of about 100000
Provisions should be made for the re-
demption Of the bonds issued in 1858 and
1862 as they fall due. / recommend
that sufficient sum be set aside, annual
", for this purpose, and invested, with its
limitations. in United States or other
good stocks. In my Judgment the amount
due the School Fund should be permit
ted TO remain as permanent debt to the
State. The State is trustee OF this fund
and liable for all losses thereto; and there
can be no safer mode Of investing this
amount of the fund, than the present.
The report of the Auditor still shows a
large amount of delinquent taxes. So
much of this as is due upon real estate
will be finally paid but it is thought .
very considerable portion of the Delinquent
cy is due upon personal property by per-
sons not owning any real estate, much OF
which will be lost.
Under our revenue law real estate is
assessed biennially, and personal property
The assessments are made be-
tween the LIST of January and the lst of
April; the levy is made in September,
and the taxes become delinquent on the
Ist of February Of the nexsyear. Itthus
happens that persons may bring into the
State for sale, or may buy within the
State, large amounts Of person.l property.
which are assessed to them for taxation /:
may keep and use the same, within the
State, more than year. and finally dis
pose of it before the tax becomes delin-
quent and il such persons do not own
real estate in the same county in which
the personal property was assessed, there
is no means Of compelling the payment Of
the taxes due. This defect in the law
should be remeded in justice to the State
and to the owners Of real estate VINO al
ready bear their full share of the public
burdens.
| renew the following recommendations,
made by me to the Ninth General Assem-
bly,:
I'm order to make the revenue Of the
State more certain, recommend that the
County Treasurers be required By law TO
paw the State Treasurer, at fixed times,
certain proportions of the amount of rev.
enue due to the Safe, until the entire
sum for each year is paid. whether the
County Treasurers have received the en-
tire amount of State tax or not. At pres
ent the State is holly helpless az 10 its
revenue. 1t has 10 depend wholly upon
the officers of the counties for its eollec-
ton and transmission, and If the county
officers are inefficient the State is remedi-
less. Each county is now liable by law
to the State for the amount of State tax
assessed in it, Blu, this liability wiihou.
any means of making it effective, IS use
less. If the counties were required to
paw the revenue due to the State, wheth-
er collected or not, then the County Su-
pervisors would be stimulated to require
of the Treasurer strict performance Of
his duties; and if, in addition. you should
so change the present law as to give
County Treasures in lieu of salary pei
cent. on the amount of money collected
and disbursed, or provide for township
collectors, to be paid in the same way
our taxes would, in my opinion, lie more
punctually paid.
| also recommend that it be made The
duty of the Board of Supervisors of eacl
county to employ competent accountan
once in each year to examine the accounts
of each comfy officer, and state an &C
count between each and his county, ant
between officer and officer; aud also tina
County Treasurers, and all other person
who receive public moneys, be prohibited
under severe penalties, from using then
in any way, or placing them with other
to be used, for their private benefit
There is due this State from the Unite
States for expenses incurred by the Stat
4 ,~nan, ard con