Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1879-01-10
ANNUAL MESSAGE
w M. E. SMITH,
Governor of the State Of Wisconsin,

w M. E. SMITH,
Governor of the State of Wisconsin,
Delivered to the Legislature in Joint Con-
vention, Jan. 9, 1879.
We have ample reason to be profoundly grateful to
Almighty God, for continuance OF his protecting
State finances are in healthy and satisfactory con-
dltion and the people far removed from want and
suffering but there rem 'ins depression in business
and consequent DISC ietude, which it is our duty
not to ignore wheu considering questions involving
the appropriat on and expenditure of the public
funds. therefore invite your careful scrutiny into
the transactions of the past, and your efficient
operation in the interests of wise economy for the
future.
The condition Of the several funds at the close of
the fiscal year, with brief statement Of the amounts
received and dsbursod on account of the
PUBLIC FINANCES,
summarized from the reports Of the secretary Of
state treasurer, Is as follows:
The receipts into the State treasury
during the fiscal year ending Sept. 80,
1878, from all sources were. s., 1851 ,553 OF
Balance Sept. 30, 1877. ............... 2s,264 81
Total. :.......... s2,l2s,s17 IS
riod, for all purposes, were S1,7c6,529 O6
Balance Sept. 80, 1878 ............. 403, 2SS 90
The amount on hand Sept 80, 1878, is credited to
the several funds as follows:
GeA eral fund ACKNOWLEDGEMENT. S 79,055 90
School fund ....... ....... .......... 5S,923 70
School fund income. Observation-Disclosures. 1871 80
Normal school fund. Observation-Disclosures. SO, 29O 80
Drainage fund .............. 1851 81
University fund. OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES. S,S43 O3
Agricultural college fund ............ 12,338 SO
Delinquent tax fund. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. 3,2l9 As
St. Croix / Lake Superior railroad tres
pass fund. ........... ,.............. 16s,7e4 IS
post fund NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.. 1894 60
Sturgeon Bay & Lake Michigan canal fund 2Os O8
North Wisconsin railroad aid fund........ 1907 Sc
Green Bay Minnesota abroad aid fund 81 81
Allotment fund. NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.. 965 81
Total ........... ............ oa,2ss 20
GENERAL FUND.
The receipts into the general fund dur
the fiscal year " ere. $112O,897 81
Balance from previous year. .......... COLA 40
Total ................. S1,l26,s52 81
Of this sum there was derived FROM
Direct State tax S64s,15s 80
Railroad companies license taxes. 379,474 80
Insurance companies license taxes. 4l,893 81
Miscellaneous sources. ................ 51,315 I'll
The disbursements from this fund have been
For salaries and permanent appropria-
tons, including interest on the pubic
debt 1885, $50 90
Legislative expenses. ................ 107,e05 As
Benevolent and penal institutions 321, l40 50
Miscellaneous purposes. .............. S2,3SS 81
Total s1,o47,7ee %
TRUST FUNDS.
The condition of the several trust funds at the
close of the fiscal year follows:
At interest. On hand
School fund. $2,62l,s79 81 S $500 70
ooese fund asss SO
Normal School fund. 1,OO4,9O7 81 $1,000 80
Total of educational funds S4oss, 14 10 s11s,2s6 81
The increase during e. ar in the amount at in
terest is x43O6656 and the decrease in the amount
on hand is 50, 49s.e4 net increase of $33567.72.
CONTINGENT FUND.
On January 1878, the balance to the credit of the
Governors contingent fund was S1,3O6.19. The
pendtures from this fund from that date to January
l, 1879, Sy2428, leaving the balance to the cred
it Of the fund at the beginning of the calendar year,
1881 81.
The Indebtedness of the State remains as at the
close of the last fiscal year, and consists of:
Bonds outstanding ...................$ $4,000 90
Currency certificates Observation-Disclosures. 81 90
Certificates of Indebtedness to trust
1unds. 223o'oH0 w
Total. ...... Observation-Disclosures, 252, O57 10
The indebtedness of the countless cities towns
villages aud school districts in the State amounts to
S3l ,15e5O according to the returns received by
the secretary OF state. The total ascertaned public
Indebtedness Of the people Of Wisconsin is, there
fore, x12 O93, 215.5Usomewhat less than ITO per
cent. of the total assessed valuation.
ASSESSMENTS.
The values of all property in the State subject to
taxation, returned by the for the past
two years, are as follows:
Personal property. 49, S 77,4s2 ,4sl S 9so77, 2os 90
City sn psa vsss lots ssS2
Total ........... s351, 78o,354 s455, $40, 582 80
Assuming that the sales of real estate as returned
by registers OF deeds, afford approximately cor
rect ratio of the assessed to the actual value of all
property the taxable property Of the State in 1871
amounted to S7s7o71,62u; and IN 1878, to SsS7Os3,
700.
1t Is to be borne in mind that this is only the
property represented upon the books, and
IS exclusive Of the property exempt from assessment
by law, and that which is concealed and omitted
think it safe to say, therefore, that the value Of all
property in the State of Wisconsin to-day exceeds
thousand millions of dollars, and it is quite probable
that the property not by law exempt from ASSESS
ment, amounts to that sum-
The public Indebtedness is, therefore, but triae
more tnan l per cent. of the actual value Of the
property which contributes to its payment instead of
two and seven-tenths per cent, might be inferred
If tue distinction between actual assessed valua
tons, was not constantly kept in mind. 1t is Import
ent that the facts in regard to such Matters should
be known by the people, no less than by legislators
that we may deceive neither ourselves nor others.
The influence OF the public belief is an important
| factor in the science of government. When taxes
levied at the rate of to per cent there is an
appearance of extortion which enables the demagogue
to lnclte uneaslness and dissatisfaction whereas if
property assessed at its value the rate of
taxation would be 80 much decreased that would be
! impossible to arouse SO much of unfoundeu sus-
plclon regard 10 inc administrator OF public at
fairs in the several spheres of government from the
school district to the State If continually assert
and hear asserted that poor, that taxes are
burdeasome, that the times dull and hard it Is
the inevitable law that we shall come to think So
without regard to facts OF reason.
TAXES.
The total tax levied in the State for the year 1877
was Ss.O3l 6lS, and amounted to 81 1916 each one
hundred dollars of the State assessment of S423-
$50. The purposes for which this tax was levied
the respective amounts and rates are as follows
State tax. .:.:....... 5 648,153 90 rate 1880
For interest and principal
on loans from trust funds
to counties, etc. 60 SIT 10 .O1A3
county TAX ,b20,936 W " 36Ol
Town tax. ................ 2,b42310 90 1928
School tax. ............... 2O.0,452 90 Alto
Road tax. Observation-Disclosures. l. 1874, 259 90 .2677
$s,Osl,629 20 1880
Had the assessment been at actual value the rate of
taxation would not have exceeded one per cent and
the direct State tax which is less than one-twefth of
the total tax, would have been less than nineen1hs
| of mill to the dollar.
The entire State tax, direct and indirect for the
fiscal year ending September 3d. 1873 represented by
the receipts into tie general fund, amounts to ST.
and levied upon the taxable property of
the stare would amount to and one-tenth mills
upon the dollar, or about oneeghth OF the total tax
paid by the people. The amount is 1919 OO less than
was received the year before, which, with the large
| dehcenc> existing in the general fluid January l.
1875 aud the Expenses Of the publication of the re-
vsed statutes accounts in part for the Increase in
the State tax being collected It is confidently
expected that this tax will pay all the expenditures Of
the year 1879 and in addition very materially reduce
ii it does not entirely extingush the deficiency in
the general fund which has appeared on each first
| day OF January for several years last past.
ESTIMATES.
The secretary Of state estimates that the receipts
| tHo oa1nv, 1oy,xy 1~4n 4 no