The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1885-01-23
GOVERNORS MESSAGE.
Governor John A. Martins Re-
view of State Affairs.
etats Finances-Public Instantaneous
Schoels-state School Lands-Kan-
sas Railroads and Other Kat
tiers of General In
terest.
INTRODUCTORY.


INTRODUCTORY.
TO the Senate and House of Representatives
Before the Legislature again assemblies In
regular session, Kansas Will have completed
her first quarter OF century as a State In the
Union Admitted Oh the 23.h day of Jauu
airy. 1861, just en- the outbreak of the most
vital and tremendous conflict the world has
!. ever known, the history of Kansas affords a
signal and illuStriouS example OF the growth
and development OF an American Common
wealth under the inspiration of free republi-
can institutions. The thirty-one counties.
organized at the date of its admission, have
increased 20 cighty-two and the population
of the State, then but little in excess of I0e.-
09I, is now fully I,25j,Oo. Then only 1886
acres of its vast area of productive soil were
under cultivation and the leading crop pro-
ducts OF the State aggregated only 1881
bushels of wheat and 6, l5g,1L bushels of
corn; During the year Just closed 9.f,S sl ~
ing cereal products of the State aggregated
tS,O5l,S3l bushels of wheat and l9o.S106Sj
bushels OF corn. In January, 1851, the as
aggregated only S24, ~, :ssS; now it aggregates
Ss3!.H30,3sl. Then only 2l1 school districts
were organized, 3l9 teachers employed, and
the school property of the State was valued
at only SlU,43g; row there are nearly 1909
organized school districts and COS school
houses, S.342 teachers are employed in
properly of the State ayrregates
in value S5,1l5,5Ss. Then there was not a
mile of railway within the boundaries of
Kansas: now there are $3.50 miles of rail-
way in operation; the assessed value of these
roads is So, 455,9jiS6; and siKty-nine OF the
eighty two organized and four of the thirteen
urorganized counties of the State are ira
yersed by one or more lines of railway. In
1851 the live stock of the State comprised
only 1894 horses. 1,49j mules, g3,4t3 cattle
1Ss,2a4 swine and 17.5D sheep-a total of I'll
le6 head. Now there are in Kansas 4sl, 1876
horses, q, $50 mules, 1S5SSs5 cattle. ,?53, Ia
swine and i.A62T sheep-a total OF 5,54 ,:Sl
head. The total vote of the State in 1861 WAS
only 4,4I1; in 1854 it had increased to 81 So;
in 1865 To 1854; in lS,2 to l00,I74: in 1876 TO
Ia, no: in 1880 TO 21l, 5; and at the last cleo
ton it reached a total of 2t5.es4.
STATE FINANCES.
The reports of the Auditor and Treasurer
showing the financial condition of the State
are full and satisfactory. The credit of Kan
sas has always ranked high, and the out
Standing bonds of the state command
large premium.
The total bonded debt of the State on the
LIST of January. 1885, was Sg35,a0. OF this
amount the permanent School Fund held
s544.5O0: the University Fund, S9,001, ard the
Sinking Fund, SCI, U00-a total of SSH, 500. Only
Ss2l COZ OF our bonds remain in the hands of
individuals or corporations. The cash in the
Treasury belonging to the Sinking Fund is
sl32G.5s.
During the two years covered by the fourth
Biennial report Of the state Treasurer viz:
from July l, ISS2, to June b. 1884, the
receipts CO the Treasury Including balance
of S6s4, f376, on hand July l, lsS2l, agcre-
gated S4.6SS4eo.50. The disbursements during
tho Same period were s.. Ssi,94 leaving a
balance in the Treasury, June 20, 1854, of
S554,5i2.0T.
From July / TO December 81, 1884 the re-
ceipts of the State Treasury were as follows:
From tax, S2gs, 7Si.aS; from principal Of
school lands, Slls,sllr.9; from permanent
school bonds paid, S;SS.S5225: from
interest on sales of school lands.
SsSS S sond 6Eom stsEet on r0I oPsGt
sources, sI6i.et944 Making an aggre-
gate of l.54, which. added to the bal
ance on hand June 80 1SS4. makes a total of
Sl4s6, sl3 81. The disbursements during the
same six months aggregated SI.IlS45s.95,
leaving in the Treasury at the close of bust
ness on the 3ist of december last the sum of
S553s3 -, divided among the several funds
as follows: General revenue, Sg0,141!3;
capitol extension fund, S2.619.45: sinking
fund, Sl3,2ts s.: interest furd, s41.051.0s; per
school fund, So, OBS 50; university fund, So
41409; normal school. perma Dent fund,
S410.1l; normal school, interest fund, SI,7z.i.-
Il; agricultural college, endowment fund,
S4sSS.03; military fund, S],24i65: railroad
commissioner fund. S3053.64: railroad fund,
Ssl0l.39; Insurance fund, SS,4Ga.42; library
fluid 2,lG..00. veterinary fund, Sl72.34.
amounting iB the aggregate, as stated, TO
S3S343G5 unexpended balances, and unin-
vested funds.
the ponds aud securities in the Treasury
at the close of business, December 81, ISL
were as follows: Permanent school fund
bonds, S3,05l-6O.2; agricultural college
bonds. S364, lri5o: agricultural college notes
and contracts. Slls0S5..l: university fund
bonds, S1i,6sS: normal school bonds, S6l,si5:
sinking fund Joads, $1,000. Making total
OF s., l32 1886.
MUNICIrAI. DEBT AND TAXATION.
The Indebtedness of the State is so small
aud its payment at maturity will be so grad
Gaily and so easily provided for, that the
contrast presented by the enormous aggre-
gate of local debts is startling. The bonds
ISSUED by the several counties OF Kansas
and outstanding on the LIST of July last, ag-
gregatcd S7,444,14l.9a, and the county war;
rants outstanding at the same date aggre-
gated Sci, 006.5l, making q total county in
bonds outstanding at the same time, aggre-
gated S.. G2j.2f5 ~, and the township warrants
ship Indebtedness of S2,C5G,,c0a0. The city
bonds then outstanding aggregated S2,2S..-
Is5.oH, and the city warrants due and unpaid,
S2a.3le2i-making total city Indebtedness
of S2,4S1, 1917. The school district bonds
outstanding at the same date aggregated
Sc.lSl. 1881, and the school district warrants
S'Sas6; ls-mssing total school districts in:
<iektedness Of S2G4Ssl1.51. Grand total of
municipal Indebtedness. county, township,
city and school district, SIS, 81 ,929.S Sc.
In one Kansas county the municipal indebt-
edness aggregates more than one fifth OF the
assessed value of all the property of the
county and IS nearly double the bonded debt
of the State. In another county the agrre-
gate of the municipal debts exceeds the
State debts over $1,000: in still another
county the aga regate is within S6aOGD OF the
States bonded debt; and in two Others the
aggregate ind btedness closely approXimates
that of the State.
And this dreadful burden of municipal debt
is still piling up. In July, IsS2, it aggregated
Sl4, A.. Uf9 -; in July 1884, the aggregate was
l5.s5l.a.ss6-an increase in two years OF ST.
47a,si0A. 1t probably now exceeds Sl6.0N.
nr ma nf fkp
assessed valuation or all the property of the
St,:te.
The limitations and restrictions put upon
the power of counties, townships, cities and
school districts, to Greats debts and levy
taxes, are too few and feeble. The disease
which afiicts the body polite is too much To-
cal government. The State is more fortunate
than any of its local subdivisions. because
the trainers OF its constitution wisely EInlted
its debt TO S1,0o0.0o0. If proportionate limita-
tons had been placed upon the debt-creating
authority of our local governments, kcnsus
would to-day have been in a much better
financial condition. and in all other respects
her people would be quite as prosperous as
they now are.
can now be pIovided2 This is difficult prob
lem, but surely the wisdom of the Legisla-
ture should be equal to the task OF protect
ing the municipalities of the state against
continuance of this gasteful improvidence.
Stringent limitations should be placed on the
deot-creating and tax-ieyying power of all
6sCdi OrSdulLauOns 1hlI O1 the sO-ciucu
<'c.ties" of the State should be relegated TO
the rank of towns or villages, and the Sim
plest and most economical form of govern
sBent should be provided for them. In all
communities where the population justifies
q city organization the membership Of the
Councils should be largely reduced: the
Boards of Education should Eave not to ex,
coed three members, who should be elected
at large; the tax-leyying authority of Councils
should be hedged about with the most strin-
gent regulations and limitations; and no
bonded debt should be created unless author