Audubon County Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Audubon Co., Iowa) 1885-1894, 1892-01-14
THE GOVERNORS MESSAGE
BIENNIAL MESSAGE OF GOVERN
OR BoIEs TO THE IOWA
SOLONS.
A General Review of Topics In
Which the People Of the Com
monwealth are Interested.
Following is the message of Governor
Roles to the lerislafnrc.

Boies to the Legislatures:
Gentlemen Of the Senate and House of
Representatives: A provision in the con-
stitution OF our state directs that ''the COVER
nor shall convey to the general assembly
information concerning the condition Of the
state and recommend such legislation as he
deems expedient."
In discharging this duty 1t ia my pleasant
privilege to say that at no time in the history
OF Iowa have her people been blessed with
more general prosperity than they now enjoy.
In each OF the years composing the last
biennial period We have been favored with
abundant crops, while In one of these some Of
our sister states were sufferers from storms
and drouths that greatly lessened the pro-
auctions OF their farms and made those Of ours
the more valuable, while In the other, great
national calamities of the same character in
some OF the foreign countries have stimulated
the markets of the world for the chief pro-
ducts OF the labor Of our people, with which
We are blessed In the greatest of abundance.
Every form OF industry, every branch Of
business, has felt the influence of conditions
so favorable TO u.s.
With increased price for the productss of our
farms has come substantial advance In the
market value OF the agricultural lands of our
state. marked impetus has been given to
the upbulding of our cities and towns. An
era OF prosperity has come to our manufac-
turing and mining industries. Our lines Of
prices for the great staples we are able TO send
abroad, and wherever We turn, In every branch
OF industry, trade or profession In which our
people are engaged, are to be seen unmistak-
able evidences OF the general prosperity with
which we are blessed.
To this has been added period Of general
good health, and We have been saved from
great public calamitles Of every kind.
Turning from this highly satisfactory con-
sideration OF the great industries OF Iowa and
the physical condition Of her people to their
mental and moral welfare, we have no less
cause FOR gratitude.
There is no state In this union that can
boast more efficient system Of public schools,
more numerous compared with the number Of
is people, or more literally supported insti-
tutions for the hi her education Of it's youth,
or u more diversified and better sustained sys-
TEN OF religious training than we enjoy.
Finances.
We entered upon the last biennial period
July /, 1889, with a state debt of $50, 3SS. 49,
The last Of the outstanding warrants were
called April 90, 1890.
The receipts of the treasury during that
period were as follows:
From counties 81, 100, 9o7 SO
From Insurance companies $500. IVA, 0.36
From state officers (fces) ....... 70, 76019
From telephone and telegraph
companies. observation-disclosures. 30,6oOSl
From miscellaneous sources. 76,l7Sl5
Transfers from temporary school
fund. &c, 1857 81
Balance from last report. ........ 5Is187
Total. IS, b44 1851 30
The disbursements during the same period
were as follows:
State auditors warrants re-
deemed Immune. .So,o4S, az A
Interest paid on warrants. ....... $4,000
Cash balance on hand at close Of
biennial period. ............... 4S3,06S.95
Total. 81, 544 ,961. so
There were outstanding warrants
drawn upon the treasury at that
amounting In the aggregate to. *, AZ
Leaving an actual surplus Of. -. Asa, 098.5S
The total amount of special APP
preparations made by the last
legislature aggregated. ........ s52, 1881
OF the amount SO appropriated
there remained unpaid at the
commencement Of the present
biennial period, July /, 1891. 404.807 "a
The auditors estimate of receipts
for the present period COM
mcncing July l, 1891, and end
ing July l, 1858, is. .......... 3,064, 240.00
And his estimate Of expenditures
to meet general appropriations
or those provided for by general
statutes. Observation-Disclosures. 2,62S, 420. 90
Leaving 10 De expended lor gene
raj appropriations during the
present period, including sur
plus in the treasury over and
above unpaid appropriations at
the meScement thereof. -. 659, 1853 .25
1t viii be remembered that during all Of the
last biennial period the state tax was collected
upon levy OF two and one-half mills upon
the dollar of assessed value Of taxable prop
erty, while the revenues Of the present and
following years will be collected upon lovy
OF two mills, which accounts fer the lessened
sum that can be used for special appropria-
tons.
Estimates for State Institutions.
Turning to the recommendations Of those in
charge of our state institutions and the COM
missioners of the Columbian exposition, we
find that the total amount Of special appropri-
atoms asked for is 81 ,s02, $50.
For the better understanding Of the legisIa-
| ture have caused 70 be prepared and submit
| herewith an abstract Of the reports OF those In
charge Of or connected with, the several state
institutions, showing In as condensed form as
practicable the number provided for in each,
the receipts and disbursements thereof, and
| the special appropriations recommended.
II is hardly necessary for me to suggest that
! appropriations made by you should be kept
| within the revenues Of the state. We cannot
! afford to leave upon the shoulders of those
I
the odium Of having involved it in debt for
some future administration to take care Of.
IL Iowa was or ever will be able to pay her
! bills as they accrue, she is in that condition
now and no makeshift Of any kind or form
| should be resorted to postpone any one Of
these for any period Of time whatever.
The fact that special appropriations recon-
mended for the present biennial period exceed
| by more than three times all that the state
will have to give, unless our tax levy Is largely
| increased, leads me to believe there is q radi-
| cal and almost inexcusable defect In our
| present system Of estimates on which legis-
| tators must largely rely In determining what
special appropriations ought to be made.
| II is concededly impracticable for members
| in the brief time allotted them during ses-
siou Of the legislature to become sufficiently
| familiar with the facts to form an intelligent
! opinion based upon personal knowledge Of
| their owl duty in this respect
! 1t follows that some plan Of furnishing
| this information Is simple necessity.
We have undertaken to provide this by re-
| quiring biennial reports by state officers and
estimates of needed appropriations by those
| under whose care our state institutions are
| placed.
BY this plan the trustees and each superin-
tendent of these institutions practically, II not
| literally, present the claims Of the single
object Of their own immediate care and thus
| IL is sought to furnish the executive and legls-
lative departments Of the state government
with information on which they must chiefly
rely in the discharge Of one Of their most inn
portant duties.
But those who prepare these estimates lack
much of the information necessary TO enable
them to form reasonably correct opinion
upon matters they are required TO expound for
the enlightenment Of others.
They are comparatively ignorant of the
extent of the revenues Of the state that can be
applied to appropriations such as they recon.
mend, and totally so Of the wants of the
numerous institutions other than those they
represent, that must be supported from the
same general fund.
tits not surprising, therefore, that we find
this legislature asked to appropriate more than
million and quarter dollars In excess of the
revenues of the state that can be applied to
such purposes.
1t does not require reflection TO enable US to
determine that no business man would under
take to conduct his affairs upon such imperfect
and unreliable information.
A still worse feature of this plan is found In
the fact that these reports and estimates are
usually, and perhaps necessarily, supple
mented by a lobby In the interest Of each Of
the state installations, by which members are
constantly urged TO make literal appropriations
for the institution rcp'cf>S'rs ~ aeh rNtieu-