Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1885-01-16
GOVERNORS MESSAGE.

WlChlIA KANSAS. JAN. 16. 1883.
GOVERNORS MESSAGE.
Gov. John A. Martin to the LeelsIa-
ture of Kansas.
10 the Senate and House Of Representatives.
Before the legislature again assemblies in
regular session, Kansas will have completed
her irst quarter of century as state in the
union. Admitted on the 10Th of january,
1861, just on the outbreak Of the most vital
and tremendous conflict the world has ever
known. the history of Kansas affords a sig
nal 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 It's admission, have
increased TO eighty-two, and the population
Of the state, then but little in excess Of one
hundred thousand, is now fully a million
and quarter Then only 406,46S acres of
It's vast area Of productive soil were under
cultivation and the leading crop products of
the state aggregated only l94, 113 bushels of
wheat and 6,l50,727 bushels Of corn. Dur
ing the year just closed s,45s,737 acres were
under cultivation and the leading cereal
products of the state aggregated 4S,050, 4Sl
bushels of wheat and l90, S70,6S6 bushels Of
corn. In January 1861, the assessed value
of the property Of the state aggregated only
S24,974 1888; now it aggregates S237 ,020. 39i.
Then only 2l7 school districts we're organic
cd, 3l9 teachers employed and the school
property of the state was valued at only
Sl0,4 now there are nearly 1000 organ
lied school districts and 6,605 school houses,
s,3l2 teachers are employed in our public
schools, and the school property of the state
aggregates in value S5,7l5,5S Then. there
was not mile Of railway within the bound
aries of Kansas; now, there are 4,4S6.50 miles
of railway in operation; the assessed value
of these roads is SIS, Ash, 907.S6, and sixty
nine of the eighty-two organized and four Of
the thirteen unorganized counties of the
state are traversed by one or more lines OF
railway. In 1861 the live stock of the state
comprised only 20.34i horses, I,496 mules
90. 463 cattle, 13s, 2,S4 swine and IL 500 sheer
"a total Of 27l, leo head. Now, there are
in Kansas 46l, I36 horses, GA, $50 mules, $751;
s25 cattle, l,953,l44 swine and LOO, 2s7
sheep--a total of 5,544,3 head. The vote
of the safe ia 1861 was only H,471; in 1864
il had increased TO p ,8e5; in 1868 to 1866;
IN 1872, TO l00.l74; in 1876, TO l24.1l0; in
1850, TO POI ,236; and at the last election il
reached total of 965,6S4.
The marvellous growth and prosperity
these figures reveal are not only gratifying
TO the pride of every citizen of the state, and
honorable TO the men and women whose in
dustry.energ and intelligence have wrought
this miracle Of development, but shey should
admonish you, gentlemen of the legislature
of the larger and grayer duties and respon.
sibilities devolved upon you by the great
ness of the state you represent. To YOU il
committed the sole power of making laws
for the preservation of public order
the protection of individual rights, the pro.
motion of the general welfare, and the pun
ishment Of outbreaking crime; and in your
hands rests Az authority to levy, or to con-
troll the levying Of taxes for the support Of
the state government, the education Of cul
youth, the proper care of the unfortunate
and the building up of those institutions OF
learning, OF charity, and of reform or pun
ishment, which are essential to the well be-
ing OF civilized society.
STATE FINANCES.
The reports of the auditor and treasurer
showing the financial condition of the state
are full and satisfactory. The credit OF
Kansas has always ranked high, and the out
standing bonds Of the state command a large
premium.
The total bonded debt of the state, on the
1st Of January, 1885, was $685., 800. OF this
amount the permanent school fund held
S,544.500; the university fund $1,000, and
the sinking fund S6l.o6o-a total of sei4.-
300. Only S32l 900 of our bonds remain
in the hands of individuals or corporations.
The cash in the treasury belonging 10 the
sinking fund is Sl3,20S.5s.
During the two years covered by the
fourth biennial repor. of the state treasurer,
viz: from july /, 1882, to June 80, 1884, the
receipts Of the treasury, (inclrding a balance
of S644, 32S.76 on hand July ], 1882, aggre-
gated SASS, 46050. The disbursements
during the same period were S3,s3S, 94S. AZ,
leaving balance in the treasury June so.
1894, Of S754,5l207.
From July TO December 81, 1884, the
receipts of the state treasury were as fol-
lows: Prom tax, 29s. 73S.9s; from principal
OF school lands, S1ls,sll-29; from perma-
nent school fund bonds paid, S33,552. IS;
from interest on sales Of school land, S67,-
$3.50; from interest on permanent fund
bonds, SS,26s.6s; from other sources, Sl64,-
1894. Making an aggregate of S742,-
30l-54, which, added TO the balance on hand
June so, 1884, makes a total of Sl,496.-
Sl3.1l. The disbursements during the same
six months aggregated 81, lis, 4e9S6, leaving
in the treasury at the close OF business on
3lst OF December last, the sum of $685.
1896, divided among the several funds as
follows: General revenue, S60,74l.93, CAPT.
tol extension fund, 2,679.45; sinking fund,
Sl3,203.5s; interest fund. S47,05l.0e; per-
maneut school fund, ,Sl7,3s4.76; annual
school fund, S35, 09s.5e; university perma-
nent fund, S9,652.06; university interest
fund, S4,474-09; normal school permanent
fund, S470ll; normal school interest fund,
Sl,723.l4; agricultural college endowment
fund, Si,25s4s; agricultural college inter-
est fund, S4,s33.03; military fund, S9,224.65;
railroad commissioner fund, S3,05364; rail-
road fund, Ss,10l.39; insurance fund, SS,-
1862; library fund, S2.165.00; veterinary
fund, S17234 Amounting in the aggre-
gate as stated, to sos, S43.65 unexpended
balances and uninvested funds.
The bonds and securities in the treasury
at the close of business December 3lst,
1854, ware as follows: Permanent school
fund bonds, S3,0il .600.25; agricultural col
lege bond, 1854, l03.50; agricultural college
notes aud contracts, Sis, 033.20; university
fund bonds, ST4.69s; normal school bonds,
SCI, S75; sinking fund bonds, So, 900 Max
ing total OF S3,732.359.95.
MUNICIPAL DEBT AND TAXATION.
The indebtness of the state is SO small, and
its payment at maturity will be so gradual
and so easily provided for, that the contrast
presented BY the enormous aggregate of TO-
cal debts is startling. The bonds issued by
the several counues Of Kansas, and outstand-
ing on the LIST of July, aggregated 81, Az
al so, and the county warrants outstanding
at the same date aggregated S62l ,006.3s,
makidg total county indebtedness of S.
0e5,74s.29. The township bonds cutstand-
ing at the same time aggregated S2,525, 243.-
s., and the township warrants outstanding
S24, iSI-35-inaking a total township indebt-
edness Of S2,650,03o.90. The city bonds
then outstanding aggregated S2,ls7, 1880,
and the city warrants due and unpaid, $780,
3l0.2l-making total city Indebtedness OF
S2.4s7, 436.17. The school district bonds
outstanding at the same date aggregated ST.
734, 1SS.3l and the school district warrants |
Sl3,926. l9-making total school district
Indebtedness of S2,74s.714.20. Grand total |
Of municipal Indebtedness, county, town |
ship, city and school district, 1891 929 IS. /
In one Kansas county the municipal in |
debtedness aggregated more than one-ffth |
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 |
aggregate OF the municipal debts exceeds 1
the state debt over two thousand dollars in |
still another county the aggregate is within /
sixty thousand dollars of the bonded bebt;
and in two Others the aggregate Indebtedness
closely approximates that of the state
And This dreadful burden Of municipal
debt is still piling up. In July, 1882, it sg-
gregated Sl4,472,0l972; in July, 1884, the
was Sl5,95l, 929.s6-an increase,
in two years, of Sl,419,9l014. II probably
now exceeds sixteen million dollars, or very
nearly one-ffteenth of the total assessed val
nation Of all the property Of the state.
The limitations and restrictions put upon
The power Of counties, townships, cities and
school districts, To create debts and levy
taxes. are two few and feeble. The disease
which afiicts the body polite is too much
local government. The state is more FORUM
ate than any of its local subdivisions, be-
cause the trainers of its constitution wisely
limited its debt to one million dollars. If
limitations had been placed
upon the debt creating authority of our
local governments, Kansas would to-day
have been in a much better financial condi-
ton, and in all other respects her people
would be quite as prosperous as they now
are.