The Springfield herald., 1897-01-15

Wants the Legislature To Be Economical Objects to
Present System of Taxation for State Institu-
tions-Prases the State Militia and Dis
cusses the Leadville Strike-Recom-
mends Board of Arbitration.

:
Increased needs nt special periods of such
Institutions development nor admit OF saw
Ing wheh the demands are less; In the first
instance, crppling nnrcasonably the given
institution. and in the second discouraglns
economy; with the consequent demornlizns
effect, To me 1t seems clear that each Gen
| eral Assembly should have control OF all the
revenues of its biennial period. In order that
| 1t may appropriate for every governmental
and Institutional purpose according TO the
requirement of each during that period, con
! lining and limiting the expenditures Of all
alike TO the minimum when the states In
come Is contracted. and according all alike
the bcneiit of increased revenues when that
income Is In times. of prosperity, aug
An obvious remedy for the nsuniciency.
II ID be found to be such, OF the revenues of
through limiting tlf, levy of taxes for local
purposes, particularly the county general
justed In raising the assessed valuation OF
the property of the state without an nppre-
collected from the taxpayer.
The excess of the estimated expenditures
| in lS9I-9S over the revenues for the same
period rs estimated by the autlitor. amounts
to SlGI,g32 or SS30Gl for each of the two
years. II, as result of mitin. the levy,
state shall be increased Si5,Ooo,OJp in the
year 1877, the resulting revenues to the
| state from the 81 mills which Is the part
of the mills which goes to maintain the
state government. will be sufficient to meet
the estimated deficit. The law as 1t now
Mt Its fuil cash value. without IN limit to the
levy for general county purposes, and indeed
for all purposes. the application OF the law
so as to assess all property ut its full cash
value would result In an unreasonable in
fixed limit to ali ievlcs then there can be no
better, more equitable or more satisfactory
basis of assessment than the full cash value.
Whenever the assessor fixes the value OF
property mt some other value than It's actual
value, Inequalities. lnequitnblc and oppress-
must necessarily result. II gives an oppor-
tunity for favoritism. resulting In oppression
TO those least able TO endure 1t, and partial
escape from taxation on the part of those
who should bear their1fu share OF the bur
den.
The state government during the present
period has been economically admlnistcrcfi.
1t is probably true that, outside of the sal
| aries and expenses of tlie three branches of
| the government, which are fixed by the CON
| stitution and statutes, some saving could he
made in the general contingent fund from
| which has been turned back Into the treas
ury SlIe1.iG. although this is not certain.
because 1t might be necessary to offer re
wards for fugltivcs from Justice which
would consume more than that amount, and
there Is opportunity for having n more eco
nomical adjustment Of the salaries OF the
possibly In the attorney, generals office and
say So.ooo in the secretary. Of states office;
also some 81 200 In the land office. The saw
Ing by the abollshmcrit Of the hoard OF cap
itol managers would not aid the situation.
although it would result In n slightly earlier
payment of the capitol warrants. The in
production OF industrial employment nj the
pcnltentinry and at the reformatory. as ese-
| relieve the states revenues of an increasing
proportion of the cost Of those Institutions,
some months. From some. or all of the
sources. or through the economical methods
suggested. the additional revenues to pre-
vent the deficit indicated must be derived.
certainly. Mt least. until an adequate, eco
nomicnl revision of Tie laws controlling rev
| stress cannot he laid upon the necessity and
duty devolving upon you OF coniining APP
propriations to the limit set by the rev
| III \ he n pf tl,n 10
crnl Assembly to keep within the revenues as
l. is of the state auditor to meet them. in
tile Issuance of warrants. \ failure in the
mast to observe this Fundamental rule has
been n large factor In causing the issue Of
| excess warrants. and has resulted in causing
a. stigma :" he cast upon the business name
| of the state.
R-vis'o" Of H"v"nu- L.ws.
The General Asscmbly's attention is ear
ncstly called to the condition of the rev
enuc laws revision of them. and new
laws in The direction of economical admin,
able. 1t Is difficult to reconcile the incons
sistencics in these acts. and u general re
vision. looking 10 tb" total elimination of
| some expenses and the lesscnlng Of others
In order that the revenues may have less
drain upon them In the direction of unncccs-
sary OUTLAWS and uncconomical expenditure.
A commission Of three. in the Judgment of
the executive. should he provided. to he np-
pointed by the governor comnosed Of men
having knowledge Of public affairs. and es.
necially the financial affairs Of the state.
rms commission TO report nt the next scs
such rcpenls and cnacimcnts ms may seem
desirable for uniformity and the greater
economy of the financial administration.
AS Inc INV now stands concerning the
revenues. there is practically No check on
thcc, county treasurer in the matter of the
objection and Daymcnt of the state taxes.
The state has no direct means of knowing
whether 1t is receiving Its revenues or not
Tax sales are mad" In different counties
without regard To uniformity To time.
There is n conspicuous lack of uniformity
In the salaries Of the subordinate officers In
upn1rImpufS
Instance. the deputy auditor receives the
same pay 81 as does he auditor himself. who
receives S'.bUo. TIL" superintendent of In
surancc: who who Is u deputy of the auditor, re
ccive like my ThI. is consnicuously not
the case. Stcnoernpl,ers should have uni
form salaries These nrc only instances.
The commission suggested should examine
into the expenditures by the state of what-
ever nature and among other things.
whether the number Of judicial districts is
too great. and suggest where compactIng
might proncry he brought about. Also. into
the expenses Of the various state institu-
tions educational and penal. suggesting.
whenever needed. such reforms as might
seem desirable and economical.
The governor suggests that every citizen
he required to show n rnll-tnx certificate be
fore being allowed to vote. This. he thinks.
would increase the military revenue from
$4,000 10 100000 He recommends that the
expenses Of the insurance department he
provided for by appropriation. instead of
aries of state officers he cluallzcd. The
salary Of the treasurer should he cut down
and board Of state officers should desig-
nate the banks of deposit for state funds
Brief reference to the .cports Of state of
hccrs is then made. He recommends that
the state capitol board be abolished after
SIX months
| The policy of the present state land board
differs from that Of the two preceding
boards In respects, particularly CON
cerning the sale of lands.
The present board has deemed 1t wise to
sell lands to actual settlers chiefly. for two
reasons. one. because of the necessity of
securing water upon the lands before all OF
q the water shall have been taken by owners
of other lands. in which event the state
lands would have value only for pasturnc,,
purposes. Second, because such sales would
result In the settling up of the agricultural
regions, resulting in n development of those
sections and the payment TO the state of
taxes.
The selling of state lands In large bodies
to corporations. or for speculative PURPOSES
has been avoided by the present board
Some lands have been taken bnck from
companies which have bought them; In
every Instance after an equitable settle
ment.
| stat" Penitrptlury.
The state institutions are next referred to-
In regard to the pcnitentinry the governor
saws: