The Billings herald. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1882-1885, 1883-01-25
THE GOVERNORS MESSAGE.
Sixth Biennial Message Of B. F. Potts,
Governor of Montana.

G
e Fellow Citizens of the Council and Hous
of Representatives:
The Thirteenth Legislative AS
sembly of Montana Territory assem-
bles under more favorable auspice.
than any Of it's predecessors. TIL,
Territory for the first time in it,
history is free from Indebtedness
and with a surplus Of S14, ,OO5.9O il
its treasury. The sum of $33,211,
319.12, and the revenue for terri
torial purposes for 1882 was $50,
S63.47. The assessment of property
for taxation in 1882 was $9,475, ,O82..
80 greater than that of, 1881, and ar
increase of $14, ,6O1 ,517.12 since the
adjournment Of the last Legislative
Assembly.
From the financial condition OF
the Territory your attention is call
ed to that of the several counties
whose aggregate indebtedness on the
1st of March last reached the start
ling sum Of S65S,974.32, and five
counties OF the eleven increased
their Indebtedness during the year
ending March 1st, 1882. / here re-
peat the language addressed to the
Twelfth Legislative Assembly upon
this subject:
The exhibit is by no means a gratifying
one, and is far from sustaining our boasted
ability for local self government If our
| local Indebtedness increases in the same
ratio as heretofore the Territory will not
! fayorably impress Congress when she ap-
plies for admission into the Union as
State. This unfortunate condition of af-
fairs cannot be attributed to our present
form of Territorial government, or the sys-
tenn of appointments which has grown up
under it, about which SO much complaint
is made, but must be chargcable to the peo-
pie of the several counties in the capacity
of citizens. | think much of the evil in
| county management results from the action
of county commissioners in assuming leg
islative functions i'll paying pretended
claims against the counties without author
ity Of law The Territorial Auditor cam
not draw warrant for the payment of a
claim against the Territory without eX-
| press authority of law. Now, why not ap-
| ply this provision of law to county commits
sioners, and stop leak which has done
much to create the present Indebtedness?
| | do not think county commissioners
| should be allowed so much discretion, for
| bad men will take advantage of it to serve
| their own purposes and that of their parti-
sans. Ifa discretion is allowed a maxi
mum limit to such discretion should be
| fixed by law.
The fees and salaries of district and coun-
y n fa nf 10
compensation for the official service per-
| formed, and their reduction should receive
your immediate attention. An eXamina-
| ton of county records will show that
county officers generally receive salaries far
in excess of any other officers in the Terri
tory. For example, the county clerks in
some of counties receive. more compensa-
ton than the judges-sf he supreme court,
and in many of the counties the annual
compensation of the county treasurers is
one Thousand dollars larger than the sal
airy Of the Territorial! treasurer. Thereme
dy is in your hands, and ! submit to you
whether the substance of the people shall
continue to be consumed in the payment of
high salaries. A large local indebtedness
and "a high rate OftaXation will deter ilnmi-
grafton and seriously affect every Industry
of the Territory The owners OF live stock
in many instances have changed their stock
from counties where high rate of taxation
exists to those where taxation is less, and
this change will go on until some of the
counties will have but little live stock on
their tax duplicate The counties having
the smallest debt and the lowest rate Of
taxation will, and should be, the most
prosperous | have always favored a stat
ute limiting the power of the several Coun-
ties to contract debt beyond a certain
amount, and trust you will concur with
me if any new county is organized at the
! present session.
In my opinion every public officer
should receive d fixed salary, and the
| whole system OF compensation by fees
should be abolished. The value Cf the
services of clerks and sfcrit4s can be as easi-
| ly estimated as can those of the Territorial
auditor and treasurer, and when parties
| litigant are to be taxed the costs, let it be
taxed in favor of the county, and collected
from such patty as the court may direct,
and under suitable regulations paid into
the county treasury. The fees of clerks
and sheritfs heretofore charged against liti-
| giants, can, by proper classification be
commuted to a fixed sum, and be paid in
! to the comfy treasury OH the certificate of
! the clerk, i believe this system to be both
practical and iudicous with respect to all
officers who have heretofore been compcn-
sated in whole or in part by fees.
The people naturally turn to the
law-making power for removal of
the burdens of taxation. The in
crease of revenue should reduce the
burden, but under the present local
management the expenditures are
made to increase in the same ratio
as the revenue. No people can
prosper and pay the rate of taxa
ton which is imposed upon prop
erty in many localities in the Terri
tory. Three per cent. per annum
taxation viii repel the careful and
frugal immigrant, and deter foreign
capital from seeking investment in
the Territory. 1t is claimed that
salaries have been reduced. [ ask
that they be further reduced in Or
der that the commissioners of Lewis
and Clark county may be prevented
from paying the sum of three thou
sand six hundred and sixty -four
dollars and forty cents to the asses
sor for not exceeding fonr moxths'
work in 1882. This sum was
paid the assessor of that county the
| past year. IF this is a fair speci-
men of county management, any
school boy can readily determine
who consumes the hard earned
taxes Of the people. AS rule the
local authorities do not exercise
the discretion conferred upon them
by law to reduce the expenses, but
allow the maximum. The sheriff
of Lewis and Clark county is allow
ed the maximum, one dollar and
twenty-five cents per day, for board