Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1895-01-10


| Ing to receipts into the revenue the revenue
fund and expenditures for 1876, the result
i may be stated as follows:
Estimated receipts 81 200, 0OC
Ordinary expenditures. 80. 1854. $50
Remainder AS 4aO
Extraordinary expenditures 4ss 600
Final balance 1880
| ADDITIONAL REVENUE NEEDED.
Thus il will be seen that the estimated rev.
enue. II fully collected will be barely more
| than sufficient 10 meet the estimated demands
| upon it. do not see how these demands can
| be materially reduced without detrlment to the
| public service The estimates exceed the last
| appropriations by less than S20O.OOO One
third OF that will go to the public schools, and
| the remainder is for the construction of neces-
| sary public buildings, and for the special pur-
poses above explained. 1t would not be safe
| to have the line of difference between appro-
priations and estimated receipts as small as it
here appears When appropriations are made
they must be met or the credit of the state will
suffer. Estimates of receipts may not be real
| lied. Therefore, notwithstanding the import
ance OF the appropriations recommended.
would greatly question the wisdom Of making
| all OF them without also making some pro-
vision for increasing the revenue: otherwise.
a considerable shortage in collections might
seriously embarrasS the administration. A
number OF the improvements proposed. how
ever important, must be postponed or addi-
tional sources of state revenue must be pro-
vided. These questions requiring your
to submit at an early day some additional OBJ
Servations upon this line for your considera-
tion.
INTEREST FUND.
During the biennial period terminating De-
cember 81, 1894, the sum of 81 9a5- "a paid
into the interest fund or that sum 81
terest on the bonded debt, on the certificates
held by the state in trust for the public school
and seminary funds and the incidental
mainder, amounting to 1891 .943. 46, was trans
ferred to the sinking fund for use in the re-
demption and retirement of bonds In addition
balance in
sinking fund on January l, 1898: and 81
were added thereto by transfer from the
seminary fund. For the redemption of bonds
the last general assembly appropriated 81, OOO.-
600 In 1893 the board Of fund commissioners
purchased $4,000 OF unmatured 6 percent
bonds on the basis OF per cent. and called in
for redemption at par s214OOO of 3A-per-cent.
option bonds making a total of LOO paid on
1894. namely, in the months of April and July the
fund commissioners paid s4l4,0O0 of maturing 6
per cent. bonds. This makes total of 1864 900
of bonds actually retired between January /
1893. and December 81. 1894. This leaves a bal
ance of 1896 600 of the 81 900 900 appropriated for
the redemption CT bonds. The fund commits
SionerS did not see proper to use that sum.
any part thereof. for the reason that on Janu-
In addition thereto. the sum of 900 of per
cent. bonds will mature in April and July of the
present year In view of this large amount Of
bonds maturing in 1898, the fund commissioners
deemed it imprudent to the balance re-
manning in the sinking fund for the retirement
of bonds during the last year. but thought it
wiser to leave the same to the credit of the
fund for use during the current year. That
balance now amounts to 1895. 5aS. AZ. am graf
flied to say that the state treasurer, with the
approval of the fund commission ers was able
to make an arrangement to meet Ehe sIO9 900 of
bonds maturing on the LIST inst. thus fully pro-
tecting the public credit. This bm the treas
urer will carry as cash item UNI an appro
priatlOn is made to meet it.
For the next biennial period 1s9$ 90 it is es-
timated that the total receipts irAt the inter-
estimated that $3.50 55 will be required to pay
interest accruing during that peEoi That
will leave balance OF sl.110-O45 tt be trans
ferred to the sinking fund and madel available
for the payment of bonds.
DEBT.
On January 1. 1895 the bonded debt oil the state
amounted to S6,0l6.0O0. 1t consisted oil $3.50, 900
Of 6 per cent. bonds. and s5.0s6OO0 oil 31s per
cent. option bonus. OF the per centSA the en-
tire amount will mature during Isa5-9d except
81 600. which will mature July I. 1897 Vnclud-
ing the balance. 1896 53s. 4s. remaining o4er I'M
expended in the sinking fund. as above Stated,
it is estimated that the total sum available for
bond redemption during the ensuing twoEears
will aggregate S1.556.5S3 Subtracting\ this
amount from the total debt outstanding Jhnu-
Az which will represent the total bonded debt
remaining unpaid at the close of this admitis
debt. except sii 900. viii consist of bonds bear
ing only 3la per cent.
II the interest tax of ten cents on the hundrad
dollars shall be continued during the next adj
miniStratiOn. even on the present basis of vaE-
uation the entire bonded debt will be co M
pletelv extinguished by the end of the admin
istration of my successor IN offiee But in
view of an ever-grOwing decrease in the annual
interest charge. resulting from the retirement
of bonds. and in view also of the rapid develop
ment of the state and the consequent constant
increase of property valuations, believe it
safe to predict that the state will be wholly
free from bonded Indebtedness within five
years from this date. II this prediction shall
be realized, then within the next five years the
interest tax will cease and the entire state gov
eminent can be administered by property tax
not exceeding fifteen cents on the hundred val
uation. The practical certainty of realizing
this expectation sure should afford Occl-
sion for general congratulation-
PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS
1 pass now to the consideration of the public
Institutions of the state. and. among other
things, as already indicated. will briefly dis
cuss their respective financial necessities and
requirements. These institutions are educa-
tional, eleemosynary and penal.
EDUCATIONAL.
Although a little out of the line OF my pres
ent purpose. it may not prove embarrassing,
while on the subject of educational institu-
lions. to say a word about the common schools.
The public educational system of the state
consists of district schools high schools. nor
NAL schools, institutes and the university. The
district or common schools are those whose
courses of instruction range from the elements
of the common branches to an eight-vears'
course in primary and grammar grades. There
are about 0,000 of these district schools in the
state. The high schools, so called. are
part of the common school system, but the
scope of their work is not well defined. What
are called high schools. however, are MAIN
tanned IN almost all cities and towns of any
considerable importance In a general way.
the curriculum embraces advanced
mathematics and English than is taught in
the common schools. together with elementary
Latin. civil government, physiology. etc. Our
educational system was constructed with Il
view to articulating the university courses
with those of the high schools. although the
ganization and practical operation of the sys-
tenn is not vet as complete as could be de-
sired. For the support of the common and
high schools. permanent funds have been pro-
vided, aggregatlng sl0,s64.569. OF this. s31i1.-
53s represented in certificates of indebted
ness issued by the state, and the remainder is
represented IN county, township and district
funds, loaned out by the county courts
both real and personal security. The interest
arising from these several funds. aggre-
eating nearly S1lO00,0o0. is annually distribut-
ed for the support of the public schools. In
addition thereto, one-third of the state reve-
nue. is devoted to the same purpose. and local
taxes are also levied by the district directors
During the year 1894 the sum of S1.411.0i!
collected. distributed and receipted into the
treasures of the respective districts for the
maintenance of the common and high schools
OF the state. The available permanent school
funds of Missouri are the largest of any state
in the Union. No state has done is doing.
more for public education through the agencies
of the common schools than ours. And feel
safe in saying that no fact in our history does
more to honor the people or to eXalt the state
than this. and nothing should furnish greater
cause for pleasure and pride to every patriotic
Missourian.
The state has established three normal
schools. located at kirkSville. Warrensburg and
Cape Girardeau. In general way. the scope
of their work contemplateS special instruction
in the branches taught in the public schools
and a thorough training in pedagogicS, or the
science of teaching. In my opinion. these
schools are performing most excellent work
AS already stated. there are about i0.G0t dis
trict schools in the state. There must be at
least one teacher for each OF these schools,
and in many of them several are employed
Year after year the normalS send forth scores
of trained and well-equipped young men and