The Forrest City times., 1895-01-18

inenh l' only doubted because Of the bad book keeping and blundering" which characterized suy sr,., interior department during the ffties. hrkansas should not be made the victim of u snis Iauit so entirely beyond her control. and so frankly. confessed by oue of the department o.clals. ls. That Arkansas under the circum. sauces, VIII ever consent to pay any portion ol tne state bonds held by the United States government is. and ought to be- beyond even .ne possibilities of the future. still further be- yonu the probabilities. Accordingly as the existing unsettled condition of the Controversy IS breeding conflicts to titles to lands in this . staie. giving great trouble to both state and nation. and productive of benefit to nohodv I am not without hope that an adiustment in. volving balancing of accounts and a ouit- clalm rom the state to all lands within her oounuarles will sooner or later be reached.
 TREAsURERs OFFICE
 cannot think should discharge all of my uutV 10 the people of the state, if failed in thls, my last message to them, and their rep .1esenlatives' to emphasize the condition of our treasury department
 Under existing laws it is unsafe and wanting m every element of either economy or business principles. We collect from the people more tnao three quarters of a million of money every year ana keeD an average of nearly three hun dred thousand dollars of it locked up contract Ing the currency of the state at the very time when we most need currency. and of benefit to hooouY. Our sister state Of Missouri adopts a more business like method which 1 heartily commend. They lend out the public funds every year to banks, and thus restore them to circulation among her citizens while they yield to the state percentage Of revenue in the shape Of interest This plan has these ad- vantages:
 1st. It yields the state an income from oth erwise idle money
 End. It restores to circulation funds which the people need In their daily affairs.
 3rd It is much moro safe than the present method for the very reason that any bank in the state can give a better bond than any treasurer can.
 OUR STRICKEN NEIGHBoRs.
 News comes to us from the state of Nebraska that large numbers of her people are upon the point or starvation owing to failure Of crops crop. and owes the common debt of charity to the sufferers of our sister state earnestly recommend that the commissioner of mines manufacturers and agriculture be authorized to send to these sufferers immediately a train load of corn.
 DIRECT TAX FUND.
 By an act of congress of March 9 1s9I a sum or money amounting to S156 272. 6 was appro- prlated and turned over to the State of Arkan- sas to refund the direct tax illegally paid by our our citizens to the national government in After my inauguration, I continued the pol icy of my predecessor, Governor J. P. Eagle in regard to paying out this fund, and renewed his attempt to secure the balance due the peo- pie or tlllS state, and succeeded finally in se- curing in May. 1S93 another installment of BIS, 17027.
 By act of the last General Assembly, the governor was authorized to borrow of this fund sl5,OOO for the benefit of the Worlds Fair ex. btbtt, which was done and the money expended accordingly. as you will see by the report of the board of directors of the Columbian ex- hibit.
 There is now on hand of that fund unexpend- ed s37, ,937. 32
 The account stands in short as follows
 DIRECT TAX. Uu... On hand January 1st 1893 .., B 5o5 so Received May 23i 1893. 93............. 15170 97 Disbursed between January 1st 1893
 and January 1st. 1895. 5............... 29 1928 14 On hand January lst 1895. .......... 37937 82
 SUPREME COURT AND ITS CLERK
 feel that l should be wanting in fidelity to the people of Arkansas if were to conclude without calling your attention to an almost disgraceful disproportion in the salaries of certain of our state officials,
 Tine salaries of our supreme judges are only S3OOo per annum while that of their clerk Is nearly or quite double this amount, including fees and perqutsites.
 cal duties at higher rate than those of the supreme judiciary of the state is a reflection upon the intelligence that amounts almost to a disgrace.
 Nor is such discrimination in accord with the spirit Of our constitution which we have all sworn 10 support, and which would demand that the salary of the clerk of the supreme court should be fixed sum and the fees and perqulsites of his office paid into the treasury just as are those Of the secretary of state. the land commissioner md all other officers of the state.
 accordingly suggest that the present de. pressed condition of the taxpayers offers an opportune time to correct this ugly state of affairs. l recommend that the salary of the attorney-general, and that the fees and per Quistes of the office be paid into the treasury Very respectfully,
 w. M. FIsHBACK, Governor