Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1876-01-12
GOVERNORS MESSAGE.

years. $l,947, 4l2.24; that the balance
i'm the treasury nj date of former re-
port was $3l.2lG.66: making total
State revenue from all source of. ST.
I97S,629.90 There has been disbursed
during the biennial period $3.50
5l2.2I, leaving a balance in the treas
should be added the State revenue in
the different county treasures which
had not been ordered in at the date
of this report. amounting TO $l47, 643.-
| 49, and which is properly part of
the cash assets of the State treasury.
The Auditor estimates the receipts for
the general fund which will come in
to the treasury from all sources during
the two coming years at 81 ,962 ,00O, and
the ordinary expenditures, las provided
! for by existing law, at $l.553,92
leaving balance Of $4OS,O73 to be
applied TO such purposes as the Gem
cral Assembly may deem necessary
and wise.
Idesire to call attention to the va
rious recommendation which will be
found in the text of the Auditors
comprehensive and valuable report.
The nature of his duties has suggest
led to his mind several reforms in the
management of the revenues of the
State. which are worthy of serious
consideration by Legislators. TO the
following suggestions, viz: to make
the appropriation year and the fiscal
iyear begin and end on the same day
to hold the counties responsible for
the collection and payment into the
treasury of the State tax; to give the
board of equalization power to equal
izc between the realty i'll cities and
the lands outside of the corporation,
in counties where such action is re-
lquired, the same rs is now done be.
tween different counties; to tax in a
general way many species of property
(which. from the failure of the local
assessors to reach them, now escape
their just share of the public burden
to require state banking companies to
file in the auditors office duplicate
PARTICLES of incorporation to affix a
jpenalty upon counties misapplyine
the insane hospital fund to charge
Interest to counties whose treasurers
have created deficiency in the gen
al revenue when such deficiencyis not
lmadc good by the county within six
months from the date of adjustment,
to put European insurance companies
upon the same footing rs home com
fpanics. TO authorize the Auditor tt
admit or reject for sufficient cause
companies seeking to work in thi,
state. and to order the payment o,
Examiners Independent Of the com
lpany examined /; and to retire the re-
deemable permanent school FUND
bonds, and distribute the money II
counties in which ii can be loaned
: 1 wish to add my approval and urg,
them upon your attention. 1woult
also recommend that the fiscal yea
be made to begin q month Garlic
than ii does under, the present law
in order that the reports may be pre-
pared Mt a correspondingly Garlic
day.
The report of the Treasurer show
the amounts of the several fund
which have come into his hands dll
ring The two years, and how. and +
what purpose they have been applied
would direct your attention to hi
suggestion i'm relation to the per cent
Wm of swamp-land indemnity fun,
retained in the treasury under the Law
to reimburse the State for money PAL,
to agents of the counties, and woul,
second his recommendation that TIL
lamount so retained be transferred I,
1.-THE general revenue. His remark
relative to the agricultural college en-
dowmcnt fund fully and clearly de
fine the status of the portion of tina
fund now i'm the treasury, and which
under the limitations of the law o
Congress he has been unable to in
tsssptS- ~y.-k},sfsstf STATE
lbonds. The board of trustees of tn
Agricultural college in their repor
upon that institution make some val
tuable suggestions in relation to thi
fund. which should be read in con
INJECTION with the remarks of the Treas
urer. II seems to me that the Gener
lal Assembly should mt an early
4 day of the session consider tn,
propriety of either using tht
money i'm the manner suggested by
the board, and paying q reasonable
interest therefor to be used i'll suppor
of the college, or of authorizing The
Treasurer to invest ii i'm other saft
bonds than those of the State or Unit
led States. or of pctitioning Congress
TO permit a wider latitude in the nst
of the interest fund than was contem.
plated by the law making the grant
This last suggestion. hoWever,implies
so much time in its consummation,and
is withal so uncertain of success, thai
am strongly of the opinion the leg.
lislature should give some authorita'
tive directions in respect to it. The
Interest upon this large sum is sc
much needed to enable that institu
ton to keep pace in its appointments
with the growing popularity Of it:
curriculum among the people thai
this legislature should not adjourn
trusting the contingency to some fiji.
ture action Of Congress to make this
fund available. The appendix to tht
Treasurcr's report comprises state
mcnt of the disposition made of thu
property which was transferred *
| the agricultural college by Major
Rankin, and turned over to the Stat,
in compliance with section A, chapter
IS, acts Of the Fifteenth General As
isembly. Under this law the execu
tive council was charged with tn,
care of this property. The council
appointed Captain Christy TO the spe
cial duty of its custody, He has re-
allied on sales, in money and wei
secured notes, $l9,S2S,2S. There We
remains 1880 acres of wild land un
sold, estimated to be worth $780,
The Treasurer has given much atten
ton to the care of this property, ani
This management thereof has beer
fully approved Of by his associates.
4 In this connections desire to cal
attention to the fact that the Treasur
or frequently finds it difficult to OBJ
tain currency upon the drafts in which
4 the general revenue is now almos
uniformly transmitted by the county
ttrcasurers. ! would suggest that tn.
/ Auditor OF State be authorized Il
make an arrangement with the OK
press companies for the direct trans
mission of the currency.
MILITARY.
The Adiutant-Gcncral reports thu
transactions Of his Office during thu
past veal, which taken with his repor
of the previous year embraces the hi
ennial period. II would reduce ex
pensc. and at She same tim,
bring out this report in time for thu
use Of the General Assembly, whjcl
lis the chief object OF its issuance, il
the law should be so amended as Il
require it TO be made bicBnially.
The Adjntant-General thinks W.
should have well organized ana
efficient militia system. and fully
agree with him in this opinion. Ill,
complains THAI the General Assembly
has failed TO supply him with thu
means 10 perform The duties which
prior mandatory laws have deFolved
upon his Office. And it does seen
that the quartermaster's allowance
was too limited to be IMPRACTICAL util
ity, If he is expected to do anything
fof the encouragement Of militia or
carnations or To properly care fOl
the arms. equipments, books. and 9th
/ or valuable military archives. com
mend the consideration Of the re
iauiremcsts of the law, and the cleri
cal and other aid necessary to Tho