Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1895-01-19
GOV. SHELD0N'S MESSAGE
On the Whole the Document Is
Uninteresting.
The Executive Fails TO Outline a Policy
for Ills rarty-Confned Almost
Entirely to u Recital of
Facts and Figures.

Sheldon read his message TO the sem
ators and representatives in represent
atives' hall at | o'clock today. II
entire message is over 5000 words
long and lovers in total the work OF all
branches of the state government for
the past two years. The governor de-
parted from the precedents by incor-
porating into his message all important
matter from the reports of the state
officials and the document is therefore
several times longer than is customary.
II was also noticeable for being con-
fined almost entirely to II statement Of
facts and figures and except in two CT
three eases made no recommendations.
It has been looked forward TO with
interest in the expectation that several
which have been largely discussed dur
ing The last few weeks would be dealt
with ~ length and n policy outlined
for the legislature and for TIE republi-
can party. The almost complete alb
sence of suggestion upon these ques-
tions leaves them wholly to the legis-
laturc. In a few instances the governor
! makes suggestions concerning minor
details, but on the whole the message
will not excite general comment. All
of the state officials except the super
iutendent of schools are warmly COM
plimcnted and it is believed from the
message that the appointive officers
x,i1l IN nnaIlN 'nuarV tpSa la rntgjnpI
for another two years. The message Is
too long TO be printed in detail, but the
following is Il succinct summary:
The Governors Message.
1t begins with the statement of the ne
cessity which compelled the levy of q Z
mill dc cheney TAX in 1898 II points out
that such taxes must be laid year by year
unless the legislature in some way
s~traigktens q t the financial condition OF
the state. The governor says The board
adopted what it believed the only proper
course, made the levy and saved the credit
of the state, giving her people dollar for
dollar Of their due. IL ought to be a
ma'ter of congratu!ation that during
~stringency and hard times resultant
from national legislation unfr,endly to
important interests Of our state, the effects
of widespread disastrous drouth forbid
ding in many instances the prompt pay
ment Of taxes, the credit of South Dakota
has been preserved by the faithful, intelli.
gent acts of her public servants" The
trcasurer's report shows the total receipts
for the two years ending June 30, 1894,
81. PSI, $50 20, OF which S4u0,000 is for war
rants sold and not entitled to be counted
as revenue Disbursements for the same
period were SIP, 69l, of which amount S3li
were for funding warrants.
The report OF the secretary of state shows
81, 202 collected in officia, fees and Sl49.9l
from the sale of session laws, making
e6,4l7. 10 which has been turned into the
state treasury. II also shows that there
have been inco, porated during the past
two years BIS domestic corporations. One
hundred and forty-siX were for benevolent
and charitable purposes and 1913 for
profit.
County Treasurers.
After complimenting the state auditor
aud his report the governor continues:
Your attention is especially respectfully
called to the part Of the auditors report
relating To the county SreaSurers
snd their accountability to the state
for funds which they have collected.
1t is earnestly hoped that in your wisdom
you will frame IA law that will in some
way give greater security that taxes col
lected for the state shall be paid TO the
state. These moneys seem to me to re
main o long In the hands of county
treasurers ana urord unnecessary oppor-
tunity for loss, which might be avoided If
monthly payment were required. In any
event authority ought to he given the
auditor to force compliance with the law.
The assessment of the property of the
state as fixed Ivy the state board
in 1892 was sl27,3a $50, in 1893 Sl3i, 0.2 $40
in 1894 SIPS, Oi6, 7G5. The amount OF delin
n,,nnt tayaG Il1n the Gfntp ,lnlN lSll
amounted to 1871, 653.45. The credit of the
state must be maintained and this can
only be lone by bringing disbursements &c
e., level of receipts. Your duty is impcr
alive. it il not reasonable 10 expect the
liberal payment Of taxes in the immediate
future. ] am sure it will be your wish tC
consider carefully the requirements OF al
the institutions of the state, for the main
%tenance of which appropriations are made
by the legislature, and that in your delib'
erations the requirements will be made tc
conform with the states ability to mee'
them without hazard to its credit
The governor calls attention TO the fac
that the law providing for the assessment
or railroad, telegraph and telephone line
and the )rtlonment act were never
legally passed as was shown in the sue
ccssful resistance of the Western Unioi
company to the tax levy and recommend
that these measur.s be made legal.
School Lands.
After giving three pages of statistics re
garding the school lands and school fund
the message recommends the repeal O
chapters 141 and rs of the session laws o
1892. These chapters provided that wher
leased lands were afterwards sold befcr
the expiration OF the lease the title shoult
be turned over to the purchaser regard
less of the ~leSsee's rights. The gov
amor noinfa Dut that in raSaa nf lQpi
lease the rentals are much higher thar
those for shorter time and that II is no
fair when a man has paid one years rem
for land and n long or high rate to depriv
him of his lease. The governor has refused
to approve sales of this kind and urges tn
legislature to repeal the law. He ais
urges the repeal of the provision tina
when a purchaser fails to make any dc
ferred payment when due the circuit cour
may forfeit the land to the state and whil
he makes no specific recommendation h
points out that 1t is severe hardship TO
the man who has paid n large proportion
Of the contract price for n piece of Ian
and who has become so unfortunate rs t
miss the payment for the balance TO los
everything that he has put in.
superintendent of Public Instruction.
OF the Office of superintendent of publ
instruction he says: up to the last day @
the year no report from the superintend
ent of public instruction was received b
the executive. The latter was therefor
forced to visit Sioux Falls to nscertain
possible whether tho report was in tn
hands of the printer and was accessible
II was found at that time to be so incom
plete as to make IN intelligent presents
ton of the condition OF the schools at thi
time impossible" He refers to the In,
that provides that county shal
levy q school AK OF 2 mills to be divide
according to the school population anon
the several districts, and states that it
not generally enforced. He recommend
that the counties be compelled to obey !,
State Institutions.
He reviews the condition of the state in
situations and briefly refers to the confic
between the board of regents and board @
trustees, but make no recommendatio
to straighten the difficulty except a ger
eral remark pom the evils of dual admin
istration and the success which the singl
board of charities has attained as com
pared with the trouble found by the tw,
boards of educational matters. He give
a full account of the Freudenfeld failur
by which the state lost $il, 900, S24 @
of which was recovered from his bonds
men, leaving a deficit OF a, 700 With is
permanent loss.
The report of the educational institu
ti0n shows that OF the two years apprc
priation of $13s, Sal .46, 1885. 40 remain
unexp nded and the board of regents est
mates that &c. 900 additional will be sen
from the appropriations this year. Th
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