Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1897-01-14
GOV. STONES MESSAGE.
A4issouri's Retiring Governors
Final Communication.
"a GeaeraI Review of Conditions as They
Exist the State Supplemented by
Recommendation of Need
ed Legislation.

nag Is the full text OF Gov. Stones retir-
rag message to the Thirty-ninth gen.
<-r4l assembly of the state of Missouri:
GESTLEMEN or THE THIRTY-NISTH GEN.
RIAL ASSEMBLY: As the administration of
which have been parS is now near its close
fc IL dHe that should render at least brief
account OF what has been accomplished
The constitution provides that whenever the
taxable valuations Of the state shall amount TO
EeEenue purposes shall not exceed Is cents on
che one hundred dollars Just preceding the
Beginning OF this administration in 1898 the
GztaI valuations of the state were raised from
re ~ millions below the nine hundred million
2 Eae state revenue tax amounted to 20 cents On
<EEe one hundred dollars The effect OF raising
2 Tkae valuation above s9Oo,0o,OO0 was to reduce
che revenue tax from 20 cents to Is cents on the
hExndFed dollars. This resulted in loss OF
zne-fourth of the state revenue The increase
which in the first Instance carried the aggre-
gate valuation above S9OOCOO,OOO was so
Significant as compared TO the Valua-
lions of the previous year that 1t amounted to
practically nothing IN the way of compromising
Kor the loss sustained by the reduction IN the
Tax rate The effect Of this can be better I'M
ESSrS6Ood when IL Is known that this reduction
decreased the annual revenue about $4,000
Tae valuations have increased somewhat by
last four wears, about 81 coo 90 OF 4Iue having
been added since 1893 The incres-Ie would no
doubt have been much larger except for the
g1rOtracted and universal business oppression
nader which the country has Suiered-a de-
preston which has operated to greatly reduce
The market price OF almost every class OF
property. The tax gathered from the increased
valuations since 1873 has not been Sufdcient TO
replace more than a small proportion Of the
immense loss OF revenue sustained by the re-
6nction in the tax rate 10 which have alluded.
Ordinarily one would suppose that as the Dopu-
Iation and public necessities of a state in
crease its revenues should increase in
responding ratio; but, anomalous 1t may
seem, this administration at the very begin
niuS of its career was confronted by the neces-
II u OF administering the affairs of q state,
constantly and rapidly growing In population
aud the requirements Of the public service.
with a largely diminished treasury. During
-fndy hay oft he's hE.-d sod
meet the demands authorized by legislative
appropriations; but l am happy tC say that
With very few exceptions We have been able
promptly to discharge every legitimate obliga-
ton, and wherever deficiencies of any cOnse-
~EsRcuce have occurred they have grown out of
appropriations over which the state officials
have had no direct control The total de-
amount to S3O5. 46T. OF this 2565OO are
covered by deficiency in the appropriation
Ezsade 20 pay the criminal costs or the state,
ssSsd 5 II .3i4 in the appropriation made for the
assessing and collecting OF the revenue: leav-
IRag but SG.623 OF deficiencies arising from all
other sources The treasury is now prepared
I'D meet any lawful demands that may be made
sEsEainSt it. and at the end Of the current reve-
FEEEe year It will have II substantial balance to
les credit. None OF the deficiencies can be paid
ous OF this balance, however as no money can
ire Withdrawn except in pursuance Of an appro-
EEiation; and deficiencies result, you know,
s3nly when appropriations have been exhaust
ssl Although we have encountered many difh-
every legitimate expedient TO escape embar-
EAssmenty am pleased to report that we have
IS.
rhe treasury will be delivered to the incoming
administration in a solvent condition, with the
credit of the state unimpaired.
DEBT REDUCTION.
Gu January, I, 1898, the bonded debt OF the
ID 10000 of per cent bonds and s5,S9oOO0 of
81 per cent option bonds During this admin
TsstraIiOn, besides promptly paying the interest
RssHds have been paid, and $4,000 OF the 81
per cents. have been called and retired max
hbt Of 81 esooCo The II bonded debt now cone
ss4szS of even IS 100000 Of 31S per cents option
debt as it stood in January 1898. was Sos so;
SufsRs the annual interest charge on the debt
ts SaAEdS to-day Is only S35,oOC,bei Ing ao0
per anuurl Az the principal OF the debt is
<s,t,lced from year 10 year, it will require less
and less of the tax Specially levied 10 meet the
IEssbt to pay interest, and more and more OF
Ezaat fund will be available for the retirement
.tFf Ehe principal Ii the property valuations OF
che state remain substantially as they now are
and the present rate OF taxation is continued,
ejaculation, will be able to pay nearly 81 900 900
~ oGhe aprincipaI debt IN the next four
wears, leaving the total bonded debt at that
Eiu1e at about 81 ,UUOOJ0 That can easily be re-
.EZ-ed during the nrSt year of the succeeding
sPrGed that, even though there shall be no ma
aerial change Tor the better in business and
s1zuciaI conditions, the state will be free
CHS date II. happily, the country shall be
sskessed in the meantime with q restora-
sion OF prosperity, = contamination often prom
ESed but still deferred, and yet one we all de-
EouEly wish DENOMINATIONS would of necessity
greatly Increase, ana the larger collections re-
-snTting Iherefrom might enable the next IN
coming administration 20 turn the state over
20 ats successor practically. II not wholly. re-
MeVed of "a bonded debt. AT ali events, we have
aOE reached a point where We can safely set a
limit within which the public debt Will DE ex-
sum is accomplished the tax now levied TO meet
che bonded debt will cease and the public bur-
len he nghtened TO that extent
PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS
Notwithstanding the severe stringency OF the
times the public institutions OF the state have
aOt only been kept up to the high point OF en-
cheney they had previously attained, but they
19ye made substantial progress in many lm-
gears the main building OF the unver-
stky- known as ACADEMIC hal!-a
$4,000 AT the school of mines a new edince,
EnoEn as the MetAllurgical laboratory, has
l1esR constructed. and will be equipped at
I-Gask OF 81, 900, and valuable additions have
lsleeR uade to the college grounds new
s<,6eace building has been added to the War
Etacoln institute, which was destroyed by fire,
a - been rebuilt on far more imposing scales
EK0 new buildings-One 76xS6 feet, and one
-ssgr6o feet-and n green house 26xlOo feet. and
also building Tor employees, with large
sEfore-roOm attached. have been erected at the
sc Joseph asylum, and ITO acres added to the
grounds. one new cottage, or family building.
AMI one new school building, have been built at
she industrial home for girls; a new cottage
FOR boys, a new dining hall and chapel, large
shop building, large brick barn, new oak-
cry . large store room with cold storage, and q
new dee house Of 500 tons have been built at
enc reform school for boys: q magnificent new
Boiler plant, with four large boilers, which
factories and heats all buildings; one large
four story brick building, the lower story OF
which Is used as a laundry and the three upper
S1ories for shops by contractors; one large
Gkrce-Story cell building. not yet quite COM
KlIete equipped with the best modern lmproy-
raeR1S. and capable Of accommodating 5&o
prisoners; one large slaughter house. with
sod storage, and the whole thoroughly well
TT-ovided with the latest improvements,
have all been added to :he penftenttary. to-
kzstEer with 40 acres Of valuable land adjoining
Ehe prison, known as the Minor tract ~
addition 10 the foregoing other important ana
valuable improvements have been maze 10
these aud other public Institutions OF the state.
During these four years nearly SSOO.OuO nave
DeeR expended in additions ana repairs 20 the
PENAL. eleemosynary aud educational estab-
FsShmentS of the state. This sum. however
does not by any means represent the full value
SAf the improvements. as the buildings erecteo
the Penitentiary and the reform school were
Largely constructed out OF materials furnished
ny those institutions and almost wholly by
prison labor. Because OF the financial stress We
Ixzve sometimes found II difficult to provide the
Fu0aey necessary 10 make these improvements
None were made that were not deemed i'm
Es-atively essential to the public service. while
Nzzany others, earnestly demanded and the need
Ol witch was almost a. urgent, have been ue-
rSed for the lack Of means TO supply them
INCREASE NUMBER or INMATES
The strain on the treasury has been made al
In che number Of inmates admitted to the pena
szid e,ecmoSynary Institutions. The fun force
-EgI this statement will appear by reference K
ciar t0tlowtbg table, showing (d) the number o
ohss inmates OF these institutions on January I
EsS3. tb) the number now. (cD the number in
&5ressed (cl and the per cent of increase:
PENAi-
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