The record-union., 1893-01-04

appropriated.
The Governor commends the State
Printer as faithful and meriting conf
dence and esteem as an officer. He has
done his work well and has saved thou
sands of dollars to the State.
CAPITOL COMMISSIONERS.
The report of the Capitol Commission
ers shows in detail what has been done in
the care and improvement of the Capitol
grounds during the past two years. 1t is
a matter of regret that the stone steps in
the walks leading to the Capitol were not
completed, but as the amout appropriated
was only about two-thirds of the lowest
bid possible to obtain, the board felt it
their duty to reject all bids and to ask
your honorable bodies for an amount
that, economically expended, will COM
plete the steps in the Same style as those
on the grounds. The $4,000 appropriated
by the last Legislature was to accomplish
precisely the same amount of work that
was done under former administration
at cost to the State of $1S,000
l desire to call your attention to the re-
moval of the unsightly sheds, 'outhouses
and stoneyard which were located at
Twelfth and l. streets, and have been an
eyeSore to every resident of the State and
visitor to the Capitol for many years.
Their removal only emphasizes the rec
Ommendation of the board that the dilan-
idated structure which the gardener and
his workmen try to utilize as a Toulouse
be torn down and new one built in the
eastern end OF the park, and this blot on
the beauty Of the grounds be removed
The eastern part OF our beautiful CaDi-
tol grounds should be either given over
as rubbish dump. weed patch and COW
pasture, or an appropriation be made to
reclaim and beautlfy it in the same man
ner as other parts of the grounds. This
can be done at a small expense and
thereafter kept in a fine condition with
very little outlay. The money appropri-
ated by the last Legislature has been
wisely spent, and the good results are ap-
parent to the most casual visitor. The
requests of the Capitol Commissioners
are reasonable in amount, and the inn
provenenIs suggested both practical and
artistic. Our Capitol building and
grounds compare favorably with those of
the Eastern States, and can be made, by
a small expenditure for new improve
ments, inferior to none. l earnestly rec
ommend the appropriations asked for by
the Commissioners.
BOARD OF EXAMINERS.
The Governor at length reviews the
work OF the Board of Examiners, points
out its high importance, commends Sec
retary Pratt, and says the addition of an
Assistant Secretary has saved large sums
to the state. The Governor, referring to
the other members of the, board, saws:
ut gives me great pleasure to publicly
recognize the faithful services of both the
Attorney General iand the Secretary of
State, who have always taken great inter-
est in the business of the board, and as
members thereof have labored faith
fully"
The Governor advises that the Secretary
Of the Board of Examiners be made a
member of the board, to act only in the
absence OF two of the other members,
that the work of the board may be con-
tlnuOus, and honest claims and everyday
business not be delayed. He sharply
criticises several departments and oTti-
GERS for delaying their official reports.
The deficiency claims allowed by the
Board of Examiners are explained in de-
tail. He advises close scrutiny of all de-
ticiency claims.
ASSESSMENT OF PROPERTY AND CoLLEC-
TIoN OF TAXES.
know of no State in the Union with
so cumbersome, expensive and incon-
venient a system of assessing property
and collecting taxes as ours. Annual
assessments Of real estate and assessments
of both real and personal property by a
county and municipal Assessor are GER
tainly unnecessary and exceedingly ex-
pensive. In addition to this is the further
unnecessary expense and the great in
convenience to taxpayers of the collection
of taxes by different sets of officers.
recommend that the law be so changed
that each county may elect, if they choose
to have their property assessed but once.
and that by the County Assessor; that