The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1874-01-22

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revenue. Whether the amount nail b
s! these conp- aies fully accords Win thg priin
I cip!es OF justice and the requirements O
our state constitution, IS to me a inatter o.
grave aoGbt. AMI des.rres yonr earnest an.
careful Consideration. Ths facts set fri
AMI the suggestions male BY the Sscretar,
/ OF State on this subject, in his annual re
port, should not escape your atsslfi ZION.
Another matter Of grea. Importance T.
our people, claims your csnsi lerar6u. II
IBIS immediate connection. | refer to th.
taxation Of telegraph and express eompan
les. Know Of no sufficient reason wh,
these Iersign corporations should uot b.
made fully amenable 10 the laws OF tie
state which furnishes them protection, and
bs required to bear full proportion Of the
burdens OF g0Ternmsnt. 1t IS Notorious
fact that the owners Of stock in these com.
panies. enjoying special privileges, realize
large incomes from their Investments with
IN the state, anu that their business here
Is prosecuted to the practical exclusion OF
private enterprise in the sarns direction on
the part Of our own citizens While not
questioning the fact OF their necessity aud
utility, an not prepared 10 conce1s that
the benefits they confer are 90 far in excess
Of those conferred by other corporations as
70 snstls them to any ex-
emption from the ordinary obligations Of
corporations under similar circumstances.
TYNE Of PAYING TAXES.
II il worthy Jf soriou. reflection whether
the time now provided by law for the pay
rneut Of taxes could not BE chan-ad with
great advantage 70 tax payers. Every pru-
dent bushes. man equai'zss sis payments
with reference 10 his available resources.
In business circles custom requires the
adjustment Of annual balances ia January.
Ii il, apparently, unfortunate that the pay
rnenE Of taxes should be added TO all tile
other pecuuii.ry burdens Of the population
at this PERIOD OF the year, especially as the
State derives no benefit from any acoumula-
ton Of surplu, fun Is In the treasury Ia
the State Of OHIO the law provides for
seml annual payne -,--il jane ami Dec
ember. | am Informed By executive au.
;hority that no Inconvenience has been
experience III that State from this arrange
merf, since the first year og Two Of IL opera
ton. Should the present annual system
continue, tho alternative qHestiJn should
be carefully considered whether the Sat.
ought not = derive Considerable income
during p5riijns OF the year from the use OF
its surplus funds. In the city Of Milwaukes
interest is required ana received on all
deposits by the city treasurer, calculated
upon Isiiy balances | learn that the
receipts Of that city frcm this source tie
pregent year will exceed 5000, and that
the method i regarded as wholly safe, and
otherwise satisfactory.
souRcr. OF RETRRNCHARSr.
The condition of the general funds, al
ready explained and the existing depression
IN business enterprise, admonsh US to
consider well the sources OF retrenehment.
l. does not become roo to prescribe the
Details Of legislation, Immediately commit
81 to your charge by the constitution.
venture, however, to direct your ate ntion
70 several items Of expenditure, more or
less subject to public cri,icis n, some Of
which would seem to Justify legislative 40
ton for tue benefit Of tie treasury.
The compensation Of all state officers
should be accurately limited and defined
and all fees, without exception, should be
paid into the treasury. DO not know
that tia ability mi responsibility expect.
cd from the heads of the executive de-
Partmsnts are now too literally paid for !;
but any current impression that the salar-
les OF these officers are uncertain in
amount, ezcites public suspicion, often
times unjust 70 the officers themselves, and
certainly demoraliziug in its influence up
on officers of inferior resporsibihty
throughout the state. Any precedent Or
example tending to encourage the morbid
spirit Of speculation on the public resource
should be acrupulously condemned anc
aYoi led.
The clerical force of the several depart
ments of the state government, should he
paid & reasonable compensation for .4he
labor performed, and no more. thus meqsur.
able providing an antidots against the exist
ing greed for public oftic.
Constructive compensation, BY wav Of
perquisite5, and the employment of
supernumcrarias, are palpable violations Of
public faith, and desrye the sererest rep
rotation. 1t ia the scandal of our state
that while the total salaries AMI mileage
Of the members Of the legislature, as provid.
cd by law, amount 10 about $50 600 per
annum, the legislative expenses, for
employees, printing, postage and stationery
during the few wesks the legislature is in
session, average about an equally sum- 1t
may be claimed that the amount misappro.
priated in this and other similar case Is
comparatively Insignificant. But ! know
Of no departure from public recttudc
which can be mathematically measured.
1t appears from the reYort Of the Secre-
tary of state, that the total amount paid
from the general fund during the last
fiscal year for printing ard publishing, in
GLIDING ST,30I "a for the Legislative
Manual, reached S95, 5l6.6l. am not
prepared to say that the cost of this work
vas too much for the quantity, nor DO l
recommend any deduction from the Jus:
wages Of mechanical labor in this or any
othe- department. The cost of this service.
however, has become a great burden upon
the treasury. being for the past year near
ly one twelfth of the entire disbursements
from the general fuad,--a cost apparent
ly disproporti0nate TO the public benefits
rendered, While the ample publicity of
the laws should 30 provided FOR through, the
established channels of communication
with the public. | submit for your con
sheraton, the propristy Of adopting meas
ures for the abolition Of all expenditures
10 this department not absolutely essential
to official business and public information
GEOLOGICAL SURVEY.
The geological survey, heretofore pro
videi for by law, has been prosecuted dur
ing the past year at "A cost Of $3.50.
feel assured of valuable results from this
work, beth 10 the cause Of general science
and the material progress of the State
The vast and undeyeioped resources Of
Wisconsin warrant a reasonable expenii-
ture IN this enterprise. The benefits
which accrne from work Of this KIND de-
pend upon the thorolghusss and complete
ness with which it is DONE Il IS very
important for this fact to be kept con-
stantly in mind, but in view Of the exist
ing pccuni9ry embarrassment Of tax paw
ers and tie Proficiency in the state treas
ury, 1t is no less impoytans that the
present undertaking be prosecuted with the
strictsst possible economy consistent with
the end Is be attained.
IMMIGRANT COMMISSIONER.
While am not convinced that the offce
of Immigrant Commissioner can not be pru-
IDENTITY dispensed With, it Is vet possible that
a redQeation in the expenditures uf that
oflcs could be safely provided for. uithous
prejudice 10 the interests committed to his
charge. The growth and prosperity 9:
cur state is very largely due to the Justly
LIBERAL provisions OF our constitution in re.