Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1896-01-21
GOVERNORS MESSAGE
RETIRING EXECUTIVE TO THE
LEGISLATURE.
Tho Liquor Northumberland cd In
stitutions---Car0 OF Epileptics---Son-
Resident tnsar e---par Ions.

Governor Jackson delivered to the leg
Gslature today HIS biennial message. II
II he defends tho mulct law. - oppos &c
TO q board of control for state institu
tiOns. favors visiting comrnittee FOL
county and city prisons. refers to over
crowded institutions. asks for the eeItab
Nshment OF a board Of pardons. favors
the erection OF q state reforyn2tory, slg
goGts that the doors of the institution
for the feeble-mirded be opened to al
ages, urges grea5sr Eberality toward
the State university, and d'sct,s--s
l7EI ssm; issEs;, = 5asu'ns Ss ~.
a asse pays compEm,n! t2 the stat:
eYSssa.ns tss o5Fa e g: d spsSsA f 81 +.
fully performsd and rejecting credit on
,tks state. The Population OF the state
from the e:psus CT 1895 IS placed at
2.o6s.1ss, Of which there is self-sus-
tanning population e i,l5s,sso. upon
7vt,:c'hs rests the EsEsnRotlity Of SO
s sssty q :as s:s s,n ss ss and proper
.AsssJstSsse clssses ar. mentioned
ths differers state institutions, with the
population Il each. and The government
of'aii OF them Is ccmmsrjsed On in
highly favorabls term. --.......-..-.-
lit hos ben proposed to change this
preSr.T fG.n or government for that
Of a single board Of control. I believe
the proposition TO be aElnst the best m
be an experiment fraught with injury
8 IS Win Y f Ei'fisios a and h5R an s:
nual expenditures th.yeon. in the hands
Of three or Ave persoss. Sho. from the
very Ecture Of things. hays gcver had
experience In the CONTROL Of other than
small properties or the handling Ct
other than small amounts OF money. A
board possessed OF the highest ability
to have the least ability in managing
the state penitentiaries or the hospitals
or.the insane. ~~
Under the present mana cement the
state institutions of Iowa are recedv-
ing the highest business ability attain
able ard at nominal cost.
"Thcy are governed not only by the
application Of good business principles.
but by that which IS equally as vaiu-
able, the application of the principles
OF sympathy and love diicta ted by able
and representative men and women who
are members Of the governing board
and who are giving cheir best energies,
their best athletes to the state
1t is shown i'm the fulflllmsrt of its
duties the executive council becomes
FAMILIAR with the necessities of the state
institutions, and is able to inteihgcntly
Judge Of the amounts which the general
assembly should appropriate for their
support
Il would recommend that the exccu-
I've council be required by law to visit
each state institution at least once dur
ing the Biennial period. and, jointly.
with the governing beard, 20 1nvestSgaite
she financial conditions. con-rder the
appropria tons 90 ts asked for. ard that
the executive council be fuiIJAer re-
uuired TO report to the general assem-
bly, making recommendations for the
rpporttonment of appropriations to
each institution. This recommendation
Ia not made with the view OF dispensing
with the visiting committee of the gen
eral ass smbly, which is so we'll calcu-
lated TO bring the Lawmakers Of the
state in closer sympathy with the aims.
desires and necessities OF the various
Institutions"
Commenting on the wealth and pro-
rrcssiyeness OF the state, her freedom
from the demoral!zing and embarrass-
Ing influences of great city, the gov
ernor calls tE, s'steEs.on OF the legisla-
ture 70 the immediate needs OF the
state institutions.
Our institutions OF learRiny are un-
arSle 10 meet the demand Our hospitals
TOR the insane are crowded, ard a large
number CT inmates are sleepang on tenn
sorary GETS, while many cases that give
hopeful evidence Of final restoration to
Season under the proper medical treat
,.erLt of a state Institution, are sent
back to the county poor houses, where,
without medical attendance. they are
consigned to a hopeless existence. The
Institution for feeble-mirdsd Ii doing hts
Great work under unfavorable circum-
stances owing to hts very crowded con-
dytion The soldiers home has been
obliged to close its doors to over three
hundred needy and worthy applicants
during the last three months. In short.
nof one of our great institutions Is able
70 meet its immediate and growing de-
rnands."
An increasing population necess..ates
the expenditure Of more money in car
ewing on the business OF the state ana
collections OF revenue from taxation
have been hard. In many cages millions
OF dollars worth OF property rs so as
s,essed that the state secures from u
practically nothing.
''I am not in favor OF raising the IN
creased revenue which the requirements
of the state demand by increasing the
burden of any taxation on any properly
that is now paying it's due proportion OF
public expenses, but | am n FAVOR or
law that will put upon the assessment
rolls hundreds OF millions or property
that in the past has escaped paying It's
Just share OF taxation. II IS notorious
fact that for all these years under ou- Pc
culiar law, millions OF dollars OF p."eonal
and other property has eva1ed the q SO,
or, thereby depr!yrng che state of u -Ight-
full revenue and unjustcly distributing the
burden of taxation. This situation 3 not
srdy unfortunate but IL Is unbus.nessllke
and unfair
There are no good reasons why the
state OF Iowa should not tncreAse its rev.
enue. as several of our sister states have
lone. by taxing franchises. wr.ts and ex-
aniNq and lAVyinR 0qll.
lateral Inheritance In 1893 the state OF
Pennsylvania. collected tax on collateral
Inheritance OF sSSs, S32 There IL onen FAR
rour consideration. gentlemen Of the g,
eral assembly. question Upon which your
predecessors have hesitated TO act. Our
system OF, taxation IL. and for years has
been ineQuitable and unjust. II IS a pro
cess which seeks to metr the gT,Ox.yn,
needs of the state by increasing at un,ar
tain periods the rate of taxation wri.cn 4
based upon an unsystematic valuation, a!
often as pressure OF necessity makes IL
imperative"
Governor Jackson 'deprecates the
small endowment which Il Is the mis-
fortune OF the State university to pos
SEES, and he cites the endowment anC
annual incomes OF the universities OF
Michigan. Illinois. California Wiscon
sin, missouri, Minnesota and Nebraska
in comparison TO the insiynifioan
amount which the institution In lows
receives The endowment fund OF
,$233, 900 and the annual income of bu'
100000 are referred to as shamefully
s email In connection with the figures