The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1875-01-21
GOV. TAYLOR'S MESSAGE.

y EJtaIF
ont the length and breadth of our State, onr ma
terisl prosperity has fulfilled our anticipatoDs
But let us Remember that We bear no burden o.
financial depression not common TO al me
States, and that the penaltes Of folly are the
foundation OF wisdom.
You have seen permitted 70 peaeeably assem-
BILE Ia our beautiful Capitol and 10 organize the
Legislature of Wisconsin with none 10 dispute
your authority or question your choice You are
the Judges Of the qualifications Of member,
and from your determination there il no appeal
Under our State Constitution and laws the Ex-
eeutiye Department may summon the military
forces of the state 20 enforce your decrees I'm
der the National Constitution the Federal Gov
ernment Is bound 10 guarantee our republican in
sttution against Invasion aud On the application
OF the Legislature. or Of the Governor when the
Legislature cannot be convened 10 protect rs
from domestic violence. Within the restrictions
have naIaed all the powers Of the State and
Federal Government are the servants Of the civil
anthoyitp and the right arm Of our power. But /
know Of no principle CT free government by virtue
OF when oar state may be assigned 70 military
will Of an officer Of the Federal army,
by which its citizens may De subjected
to tie DEGREES OF military com
mission in a time Of peace Nor do | know Of
eny rule Of law under whlca any portion If the
Federal army may be thrust into your presence
BY the executive authority of the State or Of the
United States 70 revise your proceedings and de-
termine the validity Of yoEr organization by the
unFeasenina arbitration % the bayonet and the
sword. do noS wish to pre-. Idiee the facts. bat
" authority exists iu any branch of the Federal
ooseFument for what appears to be assumed By
the recent proceedings in the State Of Louisiana
and IN the extraordinary proposals Of the Lieu
tsbani-Gencral Of the Uuiicd States army in his
dispatches from New Orleans believe the time
has come for all OF 10 barry partisan spirit in
common effort for th. presery alton OF orr con
sttItionui guty and the inherited liberties
OF the American people
Complete statistics furnished You in the able
and conselentious reports Of the Treasurer and
Secretary OF State, and b. representatives oil
other STATE departments, sffirm the gratifying
truth that during the pas; year all forms Of state
tax have been promptly paid, and that our State
paratiye tnsignifcance in proportion to our re-
sources and population: that the cause Of popH-
ular education has prOgreszed that our institu-
tiens OF public charity and beneyolence have
been conducted with marked efficiency and econ
omy: that our publie lands have been watchfHlly
protected from encroachment; that in nearly
every department the expenses OF the
State have been considerably reduced I;
that agricultural production has been
sufficient for the necessities OF the wear; that our
ha-iners men have been free from the more seri.
Gus consequences u financial Oppression and
that the burden Of taxation for all State purposes
Is both actually and relatively less than at any
previous period during many year,.
GENERAL rUND-EgcEIPTs AND DISBURSEMENT
The total receipts Of the general fund during
the lscaI wear were s., 81 IL. The total dis
hursement- we're Sr,fcSs 1881 The deficiency In
the general fund At the commencement of the ifs
cal year was S563 80, and the excess Of total re-
ceipts over total expenditure during the year
was SIG, f55. TO- thus leaving IN the Treasury to
the credit Of the general fund the tn day OF
September, 1871, the sam Of s12553l.7O.
TRUST FUNDS,
During the past fscsi year the total increase OF
trust funds was SilJg4352, divided a. follows /:
School, S55bil 81; University, S4,33.65; Agri-
cnl ura College, Sl0,62fSi; Normal School, SIS
lt2-s5. The total amount belonging to the trust
funds al the close of the fiscal year was - gg5.-
So divided A. follows: School, 81. J5 81 20
University. 81 O,s3}05; Agricultural College,
SOL Ia; Normal School, sE3SO634. The total
disbursements Of income for the year we're S}09 :
l&,13, divided IS follows: School slss,2T2.2l;
University. Sf3tH2.5l Agricultural College, SIS
6i2.0S: Normal school. s6I,ISs.i0.
GROSS RECEIPT AND DIsBCBsENysrs.
The total receipts into the Treasury during the
fiscal year, including all sources of income, were
si,ssas57.43. The total disbursements for all
purposes were SlG67, S.9!. The balance in the
Treasury al The commencement Of the fiscal year,
cess of total receipts over total disbursements
during the year was SlG2 i0J.t6, thus leaving in
the Treasury, to the credit Of all funds, on the
Goth day OF September, 1874 the sum OF s31S-
3A95.
STATE TAXES.
For the year 1879 the State tax amounted to
xb J52 81. For the year 1874 the State tax levied
and collected was s525,616.85, or one and one
quarter mills on the dollaT-less than onc-haf
the average of county taxes and les than one
quarter the average for town purposes; while the
aggregate taxation OF the people for all purposes
including stale. county, town. school and read
taxes--ayera9ed less than 215 per cent. on AZ as
sessed valuation not exceeding one-halfthe actual
cash value Of taxable property.
The detailed estimates Of the expenditures of the
State Government submitted 70 you by The Secre-
tary of Stale, in accordance with law, permit a
sui farther reduction Of the total State proper
the ensuing year 10 the comparatively nominal
sum OF about S9JGg00-an amount deemed ample
with The receipts from special sources 10 The
current expenses u the State, including all the
ordinary expenses of the benevolent and penal in
suiution-. Extraordinary appropriations for The
construction Of new buildings not already contem-
plated BY law are not included in this estimate,
nut these shonld. not, and probably viii not,
sensibly increase the rate of taxation.
However gratifying these facts may be, the rep
resentatiyes OF the people are thereby in no degree
released from their legations 10 promote addi-
uonai economy IN public expenditures 10 the full
extent permitted by prudent regard for the pub
Tic interests. All efforts To this end viii receive
the unreserNed approval Of The Executive Depart
mcht The bulk Of State expenditures necessa-
rily depend upon legislative discretion. The APP
preparations for the support Of the charitable and
penul Institutions usually amount 10 nearly or
quite oue-hali Of al the disbursements from the
general fund The cost Of the machinery II leg
islalion itself often equals or exceeds one
tenth o. al annual expenditure. lmpOr-
taut reforms we're iuauguratcd at the SEES
sion atlast winter by which the last item of cost
was considerably reduced aud provision made
IoI equait important reductions in other depart
sabic scrria especiip resamend 70 tne
the merit Of brief and pertinent legislation only
hnd upon such subjects only as netessa rilv claim
your consideration, and a corresponding brevity.
"a ~ the present session rigid adherence to
those provisions OF our Constitution which limit
your action to cnactmenys OF general character
iiifacilitaie this purpose and command the un-
doubted appreciation of the people.
TINE OF PAYING TAXEs.
In my last annual message | 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
semi annually or for occasional deposit of sur
plus funds upon interest Subsequent observa-
tion and reflection have served to confirm the
views / then expressed To require of the people
the payment into the Treasury of large sum- OF
money many months before It's use is ordinarily
fr.aF Al ia. -. I
most inconYenient for nearly all classes of
taxpayers, is an eNaction without apparent ex-
clse. 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 sai Toned by example and
experience elsewhere. and no consequence could
be anticipated from il. adoption here more seri-
Gus than the imposition Of this additional re-
straint upon avtsh.a pprupriation and expenditure.
EXEMPT PROPERTY.
The returns OF property exempt from taxation
are again incomplete and comparatively valueless
"a basis Of legislation the present year There
fore, in accordance with the suggestions of the
Secretary Of State, | recommend the enactment
Of law on this subject the present session simi.
lar to Chap. ~, Lawss 1874. with a view to more
accurate and reliable statistics for future refer
ence.
SALE OF NoRTGAGED LANDS
The report of the State treasurer refers TO cases
of extreme hardship occasioned during the past
year by the sale, without notice of lands mort
gagged 10 the State aud forfeited By purchasers for
the non-payment OF nominal 81 of interest
No principle of justice can sanction proceedings
of this character. and urge a prompt amend.
meni Of the law in the manner Indicated by the
Treasurer.
GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
The sum paid from the general fund for the
prosecution of the geological survey, the past
fiscal year. WAS $4,000 The importance of this
work 10 the complete development of the
State cannot he exaggerated. ! recommend q
careful consideration OF the progress already at
tAlnpd pufEi
with view To more prompt and complete utili-
zatiou Of the results accomplished.
rFoRroNMENr or TAXATION.
Next 10 he question OF prudent expenditure is
that of an equitable apportionmcnt Of taxation,
The total assessed yalue OF taxable property in
the State i about S350o,l. go. upon which the
taxes of 1874 for STATE and local purposes. aver
aged about $40 per cent. II i believed that
the actual value Of the total taxable prop
erty Of the State. If such property were lairir
and fully accounted for aud assessed would coual
or exceed twice the sum given. and that the aver
age Of total taxation for stare and local purposes
the current wear Is really about per cent
The aggregate OF railway property returned to
the State i stated by The companies themselves at
about S15,0o00OO. This inclHdcs large amount
of nea road which has thus far Yielded NtiIe ar
no pront upon inves tment. The receipts into the
Treasury from railway licenses for The fiscal wear
1874, not including deficiency Of SIS 2gO So due
but unpaid the previous year, amounted To S}ll-
ssi-s' BY the legislation OF last winter the tax
uPpn gross earnings OF railways increased from
10 per cent. and other things being equal
the receipts from this source for The fiscal
year 1915 VIII amount 10 uue-third more, than
the preceding year, OF about the round sum of
SiS0bb. Should the gross earnings OF the two
principal lines operated in the State for the war
1874 equal the gross earnings of the same lines
for the vear 1873. this increased tax includrn-
the local taxes paid BY these companies would
approximate per cent. eupOn any fairlF-esti-
mated yalue of the properly, and ia thcrafora
substantially equivalent 10 the estimated tax
upon other property AZ its full and fair valuation
AtSe variation from apparent equity