The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1869-01-09
Governors Message.


legislature OF this state on Monday, is SO i'm
mensely disproportioned in length to its in
terest and public importance, that rather than
cucumber our columns with so much rubbish,
we prefer to give what of value it contains, in
the form of brief synopsis.
The Governor commences by piously return
ing thanks to Providence for blessing the ma
ton with peace and prosperity, and then pro-
ceeds in two column tam about the materi-
al growth and development of our state
Such is our productive increase, says the Gov,
that Eve cover the lakes and rivers and cram
the freight cars to carry off the surplus pro-
ducts of our soil" to such An extent that new
channels are needed for our commerce. In
deed We must have them, says the Governor,
for "CAicago demands them" Thus speaketh
the Governor: '' A'~f
who trade at her mart and swell the wave of
commerce from the mountains to the lakes, de-
| mands that this commerce shall have larger and
freer channels to flow through. I still hope that
| congress may look favorsbly upon this project of
| widening and deepening the Illinois and Mich.
gan canal, and improving the navigation of the
Illinois river the only neglected link that untes
the waters of the Mississippi and the lakes, and
st. Lawrence with the ocean. Commerce crav-
ingly demands that these improvements be
| made.
w hen Congress learns that g Chicago de-
mands" the enlargement ofOur canal the APP
preparation will doubtless be made forwithly.
The Governor next gives us column or two
of statistics of our state debt, the substance of
which we gave in an editorial last week. The
| gist Of it is that, on the list of Dec. 1866
onr state debt was $685., 1924, and on the
LIST oflast Dec. it was s5,999, 4635S, showing
reduction in two years of $4,000, 1850. The
bulk of the remaining indebtedness of the
state falls due form 1871 to 1880, and the Gov
thinks after next year, will be abundantly
provided for without taxation by the receipts
from the canal and Illinois Central RR.
The state treasury finds itself singulary
embarrassed by greater revenue from taxa
ton than was anticipated owing to the great
increase of the assessment, and this increaes
he says, % ~sas t1'' 90. Pcs
believe to be mainly attributed to the law of
1867, creating state board for the ca utilization
of assessments. For many years the greatest in
equality was apparent in the returns of assessors
from the various counties of the state in the val
uss fixed upon taxable property. The rule laid
down by the law for valxing property was, to a
great extent, overriddsn by custom, I regret to
say not yet overcome. Many counties in the
state, from the observance of this custom, which
left each assessor to fix values Substantially after
his own notion of things, some more, and others
less, than their just proportion of the burden of
taxation. ~
The law of equalization was recommended to
and passed by the general assembly with the
view of correcting this evil, and in the hope
that something like an approach to the real val
ne OF property might be obtained in assessments
for taxation The first has been substantially /
realized, and in the greatly Increased returns of
the last two years. is plain much has been gain
ed toward the attainment of the second object
The Governor leaving the subject of state
debt and revenue, seconds the state board of
Equalization in the recommendation that a
bureau of statistics be organized,-
Embracing the annual products of all cereals,
mines, manufactures; the general state of agri-
culture; the social Statistics such as births, |
marriage, deaths, pauperism, religion, education |
the distribution of lands among holders; relative
growth of the counties; railway statistics pop.
nlRti0n of counties, cities and towns; the COM |
mercial business and the railroad and market fa.
ciliries OF each county the direction taken by
the productions of each county. and the cost Of
transportation of such productions to market
and other statistical information"
Of our public schools the Governor says i
very little, contenting himself by 'recom-
mendng to your favorable attention the re-
port OF the superintendent of pub lie instruc-
ton" under whose charge, during the past two
years, school fund of sc, 43O,ss1 was distrib-
utcd, in the education Of 7O7, $50 children who
actually attended the public schools, and !
we're instructed by 1907 teachers, male and
female.
The Governor gives the details Of the Or
ganizstion of the Industrial University, antic- !
pates the ''most satisfactory results from it,
and thinks 1t ought TO be fostered by liberal
Legislation.
Quite lengthy chapter of the message is
devoted to praising the charitable institutions
OF the state, to which, two years ago, an ap
preparation of 1894, 900 was made, and which,
for the next two years, must have $40O,O 900 !
while he thinks another hospital ought to be