The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1897-01-08
GOVERNORS MESSAGE
Legislature Meets in Joint SeC-
sion and Hears His Rec
concentrations.
Taxation, Finances and Othc-
Questions Discussed at
Some Length.
Sessions of the House and Ser
ate Very Brief and I'm
eVentful.

where the joint session was held. Chief
Justice Start administered the oath of
office to the governor and the latter at
once launched into the reading of his
message. The delivery of the message
was begun at IL 10 and an hour and ten
minutes was occupied in it's delivery.
In beginning the governor spoke of the
financial depression and industrial
stagnation" of the past three years, but
said the wonderful resources of Mime
sofa had made the suffering less in this
state than in many other parts of the
Union. The finances of the state were
next referred to and shown to be in
good condition, there being over $780,
600 to the credit of the various funds III
the state treasury.
| Regarding Taxation.
| The governor devotes considerable
space to the problem of taxation and
says that changed conditions make it
necessary for revision of laws regu-
lating the same. Continuing, he says ::
To aid in securing greater equality of
taxation in the several counties of our
state and to gather the information that
may assist in framing schemes of taxa
ton that will relieve the industrial classes
| by methods that shall be best for the state
and just to all concerned, would suggest
| the ACCESSIBILITY of some general investiga-
ton of the subject of taxation by the Gre
alton of a tax commission or the appoint
ment of joint committee of your honor
able bodies to sit after the close of the
regular session. The commission or COM
mittee could then present the facts OBJ
tanned by it for the use of the next equal
ization board and report it's findings to
the next session of the legislature.
Financial Institutions.
Referring to the regulation and man
agement of financial institutions the
governor made the following recon-
mendations:
The banking law should be so amended
as to require all private banks to indicate
by their names that they are not incorpo-
rated and also provide for periodical pub
LEGATION of their condition. The laws gov
erning loan and trust companies should
be so amended as to limit the liability
which such companies may assume as en-
dorser or guarantor. The law regulating
national building and loan associations
should be so amended as to permit the
stock of borrowing members to have divi-
dends credited to the same to the extent
that would accrue, if computed at the rate
which the member is paying in interest
and premiums. This would leave the
earnings of the borrowing member to
be charged with the expense of admins
tration, which would not be negotiable,
when it is considered that the borrowers
I. Il l.
ceive.
The New Capitol.
In recommending legislation looking
to the completion OF the new capitol
the governor says:
The construction of the new state cap
itol building has gone forward, according
to the laws passed by the last legislature
and it's predecessor, to the limit OF the ap-
preparation available. No increase of the
aggregate appropriation or OF the tax levy
to be made in any year should be permit
ted The limit of expenditure, as origin
ally fixed, should be adhered to rigidly.
But if moneys belonging to the state and
available for investment could be used so
as to anticipate the levies of the past three
years of the capitol tax, it is pointed out
that great benefit would accrue Inas-
much as this is merely a matter of finance,
l recommend to your favorable ""rS'd-
Grafton such legis alton ; will fur
nish the capitol commission with ,l.e
ready funds contemplated in the act,
these advances to be repaid by the pro
ceeds of the taxes that mature in future
years.
Bounty for Beet Sugar.
Concerning the money spent by the
| department of agriculture OF the state
the governor says he believes it has
| been expended more wisely than in
most of the sister states, but thinks a
larger sum could be used in fostering
more diversified agriculture. The
United States, he says, annually i'm
ports large quantities of sugar for
witch there is no justification, saying /:
The sugar beet can be grown in Mime
nesota more cheaply than in Germany or
France. 1t grows here to greater relatiN
perfection, as has been demonstrated by
experiments. Under this condition, 1 ask
you to consider the advisability of voting
a small but decreasing bounty upon sugar
from beets produced in Minnesota, to
foster the establishment of this branch of
agriculture in our midst. If bounties are
| QrdDU6u, Uucy ouOuio DS Oh q oiiuihSo oSe'iN,
and with the purpose of dispensing with
the same as soon as the industry is made
self-sustaining or it is demonstrated that
the same can be maintained without state
aid.
| other Recommendations.
In concluding his message the gov.
ernor recommends the improvement OF
our highways by the adoption of some
system of county roads with limited
state aid that all persons under SEN
tence of death be executed at the state
penitentlary at Saltwater; that laws
be passed forbidding the employment
of children under Ia years of age IL
stores and under l6 In factories; thai
building laws be revised so as to pre-
vent unnecessary loss in case of fire
that legislation be enacted for thu
restriction of unlawful combination
and trusts, and that state cooperation
and assistance be given the Minnesot;
State Immigration association in it
effort to bring desirable emigrants t.
the state.