Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1872-01-19
Govcrnef's Message.

q Govcrnofs Message.
Gentlemen Of the Senate and House
Of RepresentasiVes:
u The period fi1ed by the constitu-
| ton for the biennial meeting of the
General Assembly having arrived,
I congratulate you upon the favora-
BILE auspices upon which you meet.
Our State has been greatly blessed
and prospered since last you assem-
bled. We have had favorable sea-
sons and bountiful crops, and our
commonwealth has been strength
ened by . continual influx Of q
thrifty and enterprising class of
people. While other parts of our
country have suffered from the most
disastrous oontiagrations in the
worlds history, and while other
lands have been terribly devasted
by pestilence and famine, by wind
and flood, we have been providen-
TALLY spared these Affections.
FINANCES.
The report Of the Auditor Of State,
which is before you, and that Of the
Treasurer of State, which is SUBJ
mitted herewith, for the fiscal term
ending November 4th, 1871, show
continued increase in the resources
ofthe State. Upon comparison with
the financial reports presented at
the last General Assembly, it will
be seen that there is large in
crease in the amount yielded by the
ordinary sources ofrevenue. Direct
taxation, for instance, produced
$ls4, ,244, III more than in the pre-.
vious term, although the levy in the
latter term was twenty per cent.
less than in the earlier. The reve-
nue. from railroads shows an in
crease of $l9,364,6l, notwithstand-
ing a reduction for the last year in
the proportionate amount of frevenue
from this source coming into the
State treasury Of sixty per cent;
and the taxes collected from insuv-
ancc companies Indicate a gain Of
s,62s.s7. The heavy payments
by the general government during
the two years ending November LIST,
1869, amounting to much the great
er part of our remaining claim on
account of expenses incurred by the
State because Of the war, reduced
very materially the revenue to be
expected from this source; hence
the receipts therefrom during the
last two years were nearly $500, 900
less than during 1868 and 1869.
The gross receipts of the revenue
during the term were 81, 100, 9,522.91,
which, with the balance in the
treasury November lst 1869, made
the amount Of available means dur
ing the term, &2,055, ,6s3.o7. The
expenditures were $l,973,942.23.
Balance of general revenue in the
treasury November 9th, 1871, $751;
s4O.s4. The warrants issued during
the period amounted to $l,972,93O.-
70, Of which $666, ,9l5.74 were issued
tor the use and support of the vari-
Gus public institutions of the State;
$G26,O3l.29 were drawn for the
erection, enlargement and improve
ment of public buildings; and $751;
264.24 went to objects Of special
or extraordinary character, for
which the legislature has at va
rious times made appropriations
such as the Geological Survey, and
report, the encouragement of i'm
migration, the reunion Of Iowa
soldiers, republication of Supreme
Court reports, etc. The balance Of
the warrants issued, amounting to
1922, ,Ol9.6l, very nearly represents
the regular and ordinary expenses
of the State Government. These,
it will be seen, constitute only a
little more than one-third of the en-
tire expenditures of the State.
Among the valuable tables pre-
sented in the report Of the Auditor
of State is one setting forth the
objects and amounts Of taxation,
general and local, throughout the
State, for the year 1870. From this
we learn that the grand aggregate
of the levies is S9,371,6s5.76. The
total valuation upon which this
taxation was based was in the neigh
borhood of $3O0,OOO,0O making
the levy some 81 per cent. This
is a heayy-not to say oppressive
rate of taxation. To be sure, it is
based on . great under-valuation of
property; upon actual value it would
probably be about one and a quar-
ter per cent.-certainly not more
than one and half. But this rate,
it will be remembered, is an aver
age one throughout the State, and
implies, of course, higher rate in
some localities. In fact, a rate
twice as high does actually prevail
in some parts of the State. 1t is
true that much the larger part of
this taxation is levied by the people
themselves, or by their immediate
representatives in city, township
and school boards. Nevertheless, l
suggest to the Legislature the pro-
priety of adopting maximum limit
of taxation to which any property
may be subjected in one year. At
present, the following are the maxi
mum rates that may be levied by
the proper authorities so far as the
same are designated by law:
state. ....S mills.
County, for ordinary revenue mills.
County, for schools. .....2Ls mills.
County, for bridges. ......S mills.
Township, for roads,. g mills.
Total. ................1 icy mills.
In addition, school boards are
authorized to levy q tax for con-
tingcnt fund, and one for teachers
fund, sufficient, with the annual ap-
portionment, to sustain school
twenty-four weeks in each year, and
longer if desired by sub-districts.
The people may vote additional
taxes as follows:
County, for public buildings, etc 10 mills.
County, for high schools. 49,. 8 mills.
Il