Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1889-01-16
GOVERNORS MESSAGE

ton and general development has been
satisfactory. The increase in votes
from 1884 to 1888 was GA 1886; the in
crease of population since 1880 has been
$4,000 and $4,000 since 1885.
During four years, % counties have
been organized. There are six cities of
the first class in the state, and during
four gears q towns have organized as
secOnd-class cities.
The increase in land in cultivation in
four years aggregates 6 ,726, 1868 acres; of
land taxable, 1909, sl5 acres; the taxa
bic wealth of the state has increased
SIZE, 227 ,941.
There are ] ,59l more school houses,
1863 more teachers, an increase of 81
S92,6O i'll school property, an increase
in school expenditures of $3.50, 684, all
during four years. The permanent
school fund now aggregates $4,S53, $40.
The railway mileage of the state is
now $3.50, side track 500, an increase in
four years of 5, l25. Assessed value now
is S52, S29, 654, an increase of S24, 49,
657 i'll four years. One hundred coun-
ties of the one hundred and six arenow
traveTsed by one or more railroads.
The bonded debt of the state is $685.
600, a reduction of 1925 in four
years. Bonds to the amount of S86, 600
VIII be paid this year. No other bonds
will fall due until 1894.
The governor says that July 1, 1888,
The municipal Indebtedness of the state,
including county township and city
bonds had reached the appalling sum of
$3l JOY $40. This indebtedness has
been doubled since 1885. He thinks the
legislature should repeal every law
authorizing the creation of municipal
debts for any purpose other than build
ing of school houses. PAY as you go, )"
he thinks henceforth should be the mot
to of every municipality of the state.
On this subject he says:
Fully four-ffths of all the county,
township and city bonds issued have
been voted to aid in building railroads.
II IS reasonably certain that three
fourths OF the railway mileage construc-
ted during the last four years would
have been built If not single dollar of
municipal aid had been voted. And it
IS an unqueStionable fact that every
mile of railway built in Kansas during
the past four years, for which there was
any legitimate demand, or that has been
of real benefit or substantial value eth
or to the business of the state, the pros
perlty of the people, or the pecunlary
welfare of the railways or their stock
holders, would have been constructed
without the stimulus of a dollar of
municipal bonds"
The governor touches another impor-
tant question connected with railroad
building. He says that several lines
are so operated as to build up and foster
alien communities to the detriment or
destruction of our own towns and
cities. He asks for legislation that will
correct and adjust determinations
against Kansas interests and commune
| ties.
He calls attention to the methods
adopted by counties and municipalities
to evade the limitation put upon tax
levying aid debt creating authority.
He says that warrants are issued for al
most every purpose and that when they
aggregate to considerable sum, they
are Treated as matured Indebtedness
and funded into bonds. He thinks the
! law SHOULD be amended so that the cities
| and counties cannot do indirectly what
they are prohibited from doing directly.
He again calls attention to the une-
quail and unjust system of assessing
property for taxation and asks for iegis-
latiOn to correct the abuses. He says:
80 long as township trustees are en-
ployed as the assessors, just so long
will unequal and unjust assessments be
the rule. 1t is absurd to expect that
these officers, holding their positions by
the votes of those whose property they
assess, will not each endeavor to secure
for his neighbors and constituents all
possible exemptions from the burdens
of taxation"
He then enters into discussion of
education, and the subject of the uni
versity and higher schools. For want
of space we cannot follow him through
this subject.
He believes that some permanent
method for the relief of the supreme
court must be devised or that body will
continue to get further behind with its
work, and litigants will be longer in
getting their cases settled.
He believes that the penitentiafy has
| been properly managed; and he does
not refer 10 the alleged frauds that have
been discovered in conneStiQp with the
coal contracts. He says that the most
gratifying fact connected with the penI-
tertiary, however, is that the number
of prisoners, when compared with the
population of the state, has been stead
lily decreasing for eight years past, and
that there has been an actual decrease
in the number in confinement In the
past tive geers,
He says that the law creating state
board of pardons has been satisfactory.
He thinks that the law governing par
dons should be amended so as to sub
ject person guilty OF violating the con-
ditions of pardon subject to arrest and
return to confinement under his original
sentence.
He advises the enactment of law re-
quiring the weekly paymant of wages
by municipal and private corporations.
The two expeditions of the militia to
Stevens county, last summer, cost the
state $lS, 75l.2s.
He again asks for legislation reducing
the legal rate of interest and Furnishing
for usqry.
He says that the laws concerning
mortgages need revision. and he sug
gests that sit should require something