Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1876-01-20
TAXES AND APPROPRIATIONS.

levy and apportion such additional
amount as may be necessary to meet
authorized demands upon the treas
ury up to such time as the succeed.
ing State tax shall be payable. Sec
. ton 5 of article s of the constitution
provides that whenever the expenses
OF any year shall exceed the income,
the legislature shall provide for levy.
ing tax for the ensuing year suffici-
ent, with other sources of income, to
pay the deficiency, as well as the esti-
mated expenses OF such ensuin year.
The authority thus conferred 0ught,
IN my judgment, to be used as little
as possible The tax levy for each year
should be sufficient to cover the ao-
gregate OF the appropriations for
that year, together with such
other appropriations as it may
be necessary to pay before the
collection of the State tax for the
next ensuing year, so that no defci-
ency will be left to be added to the
next levy. TINS is the only honest
and business like system of distribu-
ting the burdens of the government.
The State having been led into
departure from this sound and safe
policy, your duty is to bring it back.
For this purpose, | recommend that
you levy tax sufficient to cover all
the appropriations, so that there shall
be no deficiency at the close of the
year, and no occasion for resortng to
the very doubtful practice of borrow
ing from the trust funds of the State.
STATE UNIVERSITY.
You are referred to the report of
the Board of Regents for statement
OF the condition and wants of the
State University. l cannot doubt
that that institution is performing &C.
ceptably its important part in the
educational system Of the State. The
completion of Science Hall will great
" enlarge the facilities for instruction
in department possessing great in
terest and value to students. The
death of the lamented DR.. Lapham
has caused his large and valuable col
lection of specimens to be offered for
sale, and it is submitted to your consid-
Grafton whether it ought to be secured
by the State, and added to the cabi-
net of the university.
COMMON SCHOOLS.
1t would be waste of your time and
reflection upon your intelligence if
| were to urge any considerations
upon you in support of the proposition
that our common school system
should be sacredly preserved, and
steadily developed, to the end that it
may more fully secure the vital pur-
pose for which it was established.
I our deliberations can be dedicated
to no higher purpose than the devils
ing of means that will visit the al
vantages of our public schools upon
a greater number of the youth of the
State.
Compulsion, except to prevent and
punish crime, is not in accordance
with the spirit Of our institutions, and
is obnoxious to the American people.
But rejecting how essential it Is to
our political and social welfare, that
our inhabitants should be educated
men and women, it is submitted to
your candid consideration whether
some penalty should not be imposed
upon parents who deny their offspring
that. without which. they inevitably
become a danger and disgrace to
society. There is one object which
we may certainly promote, that will at
once guard our educational system
and extend its benefits. Excessive
cost is, perhaps, all that could impair
its foundation in the hearts of the peo-
pie, and that part OF the cost which
falls Immediately upon the parents N
the form oftext books, is undoubtedly
an obstacle that prevents many
children from gaining the rudiments
Of an education. Hence there is
great reason that economy should be
practiced in the erection of school
building, and that the need of the
many, rather than the advantages of
the few, should be considered in the
selection of the branches taught.
Your attention is also invited to the
question whether it would not be
practicable and desirable to establish
uniformity of text books through
out the State, and thus effect con-
siderable reduction in the expense to
which parents are submitted on this
account.
STATE HISTORICAL SOCIETY.
There have been added TO the
library of the State Historical Society,
during the past year, books, pamph-
| lets and documents 10 the number of
1916, making the present strength of
the collection 64,7O1. 1t is every
where recognized as the most valuable
aud useful library in the Northwest,
and ranks among the best in the
Union, in the department of history,
statistics, science, genealogy and
American and English literature. The
Perkins collection of Wisconsin an
tiquities, of the stone.copper age, has
been received, and it is hoped the
society will be able to retain it.
THE GEOLOGICAL SURVEY.
There has been expended during
the past fiscal year, for the geological
survey, $4,000, and I am advised
that the work has been prosecuted
with due expedition. The expendi-
lures that have been made on this
account cannot afford any return to
the people of the State uutil the sur
vey is completed and the result pub
lished. | therefore recommend that
an adequate appropriation for that
purpose be made during the present
session.
CHARITABLE INSTITUTIONS.
The reports of the trustees of the
several charitable institutions of the
State, will place you in possession of
such information as you may desire
concerning their condition and needs.
The two Hospitals for the Insane were
accommodating at the close of the