Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1875-01-21
GOV. TAYLOR'S MESSAGE.

Ely: Thanking God for all His mercies. | con
gratulate You that order and peace reign tnrouSn-
out the length and breadth of our State: our ma
tera prosperity has not fulfilled our antclpatlohs;
But let Us remember that we pear no DufGen oi
financial depression not common 10 al me me
States, and that the penalues OF ioHy are inc
foundation of wisdom.
bic in our beautiful Capitol and TO organize the
Legislature OF Wisconsin with none TO dispute
your authority or question your cholce. 1ou are
the judges Of the qualifications OF members,
and from your determination there Is no appear
Under our State Constitution and laws the Elk
ecutiYe Department may summon the military
orces Of the State TO enforce your decrees IN
Ter the National Constitution the Federal Gov
eminent is bound to guarantee our republican IN
stitution against invasion, and on the applcaJlOn
Of the Legislature, or of the Governor when the
LEGISLATURE cannot be convened, TO protect us
from domestic violence Within the restrictions
| have named all the powers OF the State and
Federal Government are the servants OF thG civil
authority and the right arm OF our power but
know Of no principle of free government by virtue
of which our State may be assigned TO a military
department and its laws subOrdlnated to the
viii of an officer of the Federal army,
by which It's citizens may oe subjected
TO the DEGREES of military com
mission. In time of peace. Nor do | know OF
any rule of law under which any portion OF the
Federal army may be thrust into your presence
by the executive authority of the State or OF the
United States TO revise your proceedings and de-
termine the validity of your organization by the
unreasoning arbitration Of the bayonet ana the
sword. ! do not wish to prejudice the facts. but
IT authority exists III any DfaUCU Vi Glc ItutIdl
government for what appears to be assumed Dy
he recent proceedings in the State of Louisiana
md in the extraordinary proposals OF the Lieu
enant- General of the United States army IN MS
dispatches from New Orleans, believe the time
las come for all of to bury partisan spirit in
common effort for the preservation OF our con
stitutiona sovereignty and the inherited IlDeftles
)f the American people.
Complete statistics furnished you IN the able
md conscientious reports OF the treasurer and
secretary of State, and by representatives OF
other State departments, Affirm the gratifying
truth that during the past year all forms OF State
tax have been promptly paid, and that our State
debt mostly due to the State itself, IS OF COM
Darative insignifcancG IN proportion 10 our re-
sources and population; that the cause OF popu-
ular education has progressed; that our lnstlIu-
lions of public charity and beneyolence have
been conducted with marked efficiency and econ
omy; that our public lands have been Watchtully
protected from encroachment; that In nearly
every department the expenses OF the
State have been considerably reduced;
hat agricultural production has been
sufficient for the necessities OF the year; that our
business men have been free from the more serl-
Gus consequences of financial depression, and
that the burden of taxation for all State purposes
is both actually and relatively less than at any
previous period during many years.
GENERAL FUND-RECEIPTs AND DIsBURsEMENTs.
The total receipts of the general fund during
the fiscal year were 81 231, 15844 The total dis
bursements were 81 OBS, 7033I The deficiency in
the general fund at the commencement OF the fis-
cal year $685. $3.50 and the excess Of total re
ceipts over total expenditures during the year
was 1892 ass 10, thus leaving in the Treas qry to
the credit OF the general tund the 3JJn DAY OF
September, 1874, the sum of S125,531.70.
TRUST FUNDS,
/ During the past fiscal year the total increase of
trust funds was 1928, 942 ~ divided as follows:
School, S55,64164; University, S4,336S; Agri-
cultural College, 510824.3l; Normal School, 500
162. SO. The total amount belonging to the trust
funds at the close Of the fiscal year was $685.
596.23, divided follows: School, 81 565, o2?76;
University, S220,S33.06; Agricultural College,
S236, l07; Normal School, 1913, SO634 The total
disbursements Of income for the year were $685.,
cd School.
uiversitv SAB, 0S2 II; Agricultural College, S16,-
642.08: Normal School, Sol, 126.iO.
GROSS RECEIPTS AND DISBURSEMENTS.
The total receipts into the Treasury during the
fiscal year, including all sources of income, were
ST ,S29.S57.43 The total disbursements for all
purposes were 81, 667, j56.97. The balance in the
on account of all funds, was $2ll,O14.52. The eX-
cess of total receipts over total disbursements
Turing the year S162,700.46, thus leaving III
ahe Treasury, to the credit of all funds, on the
Both day of September 1874, the sum OF $685.
4i.9S
STATE TAXES.
For the year 1878 the State tax amounted to
SOL 582 s. For the year 1874 the State tax levied
and collected 1926, 606.35, or one and one
quarter mills on the dollar-less than one-haf
the average OF county taxes and less than one
quarter the average for town purposes; while the
aggregate taxation OF the people for all purposes
including State, county, town, school and road
taXes-aVeragcd less than 213 per cent on an as
Sessed valuation not exceeding Onehalf the actual
cash value of taxable property.
The detailed estimates OF the expenditures OF the
State Government submitted to you by the SeCre-
tary of State, in accordance with law, permit
still farther reduction of the total State tax proper
the ensuing year to the comparatively nominal
sum of about $500, 000-an amount deemed ample
with the receipts from special sources to cover the
current expenses of the State, including all the
ordinary expenses of the benevolent and penal in
situations. Extraordinary appropriations for the
construction of new buildings not already COntem-
plated by law not included in this estimate,
but these should not, and probably will not,
FUTURE ECONOMY.
However gratifying these facts may be, therep-
resentayes OF the people are thereby III no degree
eleased from their Obligations to promote add
GOnal economy in public expenditures TO the full
extent permitted by prudent regard for the pub
lie interests All efforts to this end will receive
the unreserved Apr oval OF the Executive Depart
ment. The bulk of State expenditures necessa-
rily depend upon legislative discretion. The APP
preparations for the support of the charitable and
penal institutions usually amount to nearly or
quite One-half of all the disbursements from the
general fund The cost of the machinery of leg
lslation itself often equals exceeds
tenth of all annual expenditure. Impor-
tant reforms were inaugurated at the SEES
sion oflast winter by which the last item of cost
was considerably reduced and provision made
Tor equally important reductions in other depart
mcnts, without any apparent detriment to the
public service. | especially recommend to you
the merit Of brief and pertinent legislation only,
and upon such subjects only as necessarily claim
your consideration, and a corresponding breYity,
in the present session. A rigid adherence to
your action to enactments ola general character
will facilitate this purpose and command the I'M
doubted appreciation of the people
TIME OF PAYING TAXEs.
In my last annual message l called the atten-
ton of the Legislature to the expediency of
changing the time for the payment of taxes, and
also of providing either for the collection oftaxes
semiannually or for an occasional deposit of sur
plus funds upon interest. Subsequent observa-
ton and reflection have served to confirm the
views | then expressed. To require OF the people
the payment into the Treasury of large sums of
money many months before its use is ordinarily
required, and this at period of the year
most inconvenient for nearly all classes of
taxpayers, is an eXaction without apparent ex-
cuse. But if insisted upon, the people should
at least receive a partial compensation for the
inconvenience thus unnecessarily imposed
upon them, in the earnings to which the use OF
their idle money is entitled in the market The
change proposed is sanctioned by example and
experience elsewhere. and no consequence could
be anticipated from its adoption here more seri-
Gus than the imposition of this additional re-
straint upon lavish appropriation and expendi-
ture.
EXEMPT PROPERTY.
The returns of property exempt from taxation
are again incomplete and comparatively valueless
as a basis of legislation the present year. There
fore, in accordance with the suggestions OF the
Secretary of State, recommend the enactment
of q law this subject the present session SINH
lar to Chap a. Laws of 1874. with n view to more