Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes Co., O. [Ohio]) 1870-1895, 1871-01-05
Governors Message
Feilow Citizens Of the General
A Seo.aaGTn.

Fellow Citizens Of the General
assembly:
The official reports, which the law
requires to be annually made to the
Governor, show that the affairs OF
the various departments ofthe state
Government and of the State Insti-
tutions have been conducted during
the past year in satisfactory man
ner. l shall not attempt to give a
synopsis of the facts and figures
which the reports contain. The
most important parts of them have
been spread before the people
of the State by the newspa-
per press, and the details which may
be desired with view to legislation
can be best obtained from the re-
ports themselves.
1 also refrain from making many
recommendations, believing that too
frequent changes of the laws and too
much legislation are serious evils, L
respectfully suggest that upon many
subjects it may be well to defer leg
islation until the people have acted
upon the question of calling Con-
stitutional Convention. If such a
convention shall be called, tits not
improbable that the General Assem-
bly, will be clothed with powers es-
sentially different from those con-
ferred by the present fundamental
law in respect to the Judiciary,
Railroads, Intemperance and many
other important subjects, and that
the Legislature itself will be so con-
stituted as to secure to minorities a
fairer representation than they now
enjoy.
| FINANCES.
The balance in the State Treasury
on the 18th of Nov, 1868, was $43S.-
060 IA; the receipts during the year
were $4, 399,932 So; making the to-
tai amount of available funds in
the Treasury during the year $4,-
S37,992 81.
The disbursements during the
year have been $4,071, ,954 81; leav.
ing balance in the Treasury Nov.
18th, 1870, of $766,O3S 10.
The estimates of the Auditor oi
State for the current year are as fol
lows:
Estimated receipts from all sources
including balances, $780, ,205 10:
estimated disbursements for all pur-
poses, $5,163,976 OIL; leaving an es
timated balance in the Treasury
Nov, Is, 1870, of $506,2 09.
THE PUBLIC DEBT.
The public funded debt of the
State on the 10Th of November, 1869.
after deducting the amount invested
in loans not yet due, was $9,S55,
93S-27 During the last year there
has been redeemed of the various
loans and invested in loans not yet
due, the sum of $123, ,S50.36, leaving
the total debt due November Is
1870, $9,732,077.91.
The Fund Commissioners were
prepared to pay off larger amount
of the debt than has been actually
discharged during the the year, but
none of the bonds of the State were
due, and some of the holders de-
manded ten or twelve per cent. pre-
MUM, and others refused to surren-
der their bonds at any price.
TAXATION.
Tpe constant and rapid increase
of taxation demands consideration.
The following table, showing the
taxation for different purposes in
1870, and the increase OF
taxation in ten years, sufficiently ex-
hibits the nature and extent of the
evil:
AMOUNT OF TAXES LEvIED-1S7O.
County taxes, $1,975,OSS Il;
bridge taxes, 81, 1,474,14S IS; poor
taxes, $657,116 AZ; building taxes,
$733,960 73; road taxes, 81, ,l99, ,767-
26; railroad taxes, $461,S ,S4S 72;
township taxes, 734,5s5 65; town
ship and sub-district and district
school-taxes, $4,96O,77I 81; other
special taxes. $1,152,335 %; city
and town taxes, $5,447,766 96; de-
linquent taxes, S667,1SS SO. Other
than State taxes, $19,4 4,57S 2S;
State taxes, $4,666,242 90. Total,
$24, 4,13O,S20 81. Increase over 1860,
$I3,39O,164 05.
This table shows that in ten years
the State taxes have increased thir-
ty-tnree per cent, and that local
taxes have increased almost one
hundred and seventy per cent; in
other words, that less than one
tenth of the increase has been in
State taxes, and more than nine
tenths in local taxes.
The increase of local taxation has
been far greater than the growth Of
the State in business, population, OF
wealth. 1t is not to be doubted that
this burden has grown to dimensions
which seriously threaten the pros.
perity of the State.
No full and exact statement can
be made from the official reports as
to the amount annually collected
from the property holders of the
State in the form of special assess,
ments for what are termed local i'm
provements, but it is certain that
this burden is also great and rapidly
growing.
The Auditor of State reports cases
in which such assessments have been
made, amounting to half of the cash
value of the property on which they
were levied, and, in one case, which
he refers to, the assessment was
double the value of the property.
In respect to these evils it is un-
doubtedly easier to find fault than
to provide a remedy. No single
measure will remove them. Prob
ably no system of measures which
the General Assembly can adopt will
Of themselves accomplish what is
desired. A complete reform is i'm
possible, unless the City, County,
and other officers are disposed and
thoroughly competent to do the
work of cutting off every unneces-
sary expenditure.
Much, however, can be accom-
plished by wise legislation. Let the
General Assembly firmly adhere to
the policy of the Constitution, and