The Meeker herald., 1897-01-16
GREATNUMBER OF RECOMMENDATIONS MAIL
Wants the Legislature To Be Economical -Objects9
Present System of Taxation for State lnstitu-1
tions-Praises the State Militia and Dis
cusses the Leadville Strike Recon-
mends Board of Arbitration.


those latest in order mentioned would Se
obliged TO close their doors. N
In 1891 the income OF the educational In
stltutions, except the State University, W :
reduced to one-sixth mill each by the Gen
eral Assembly. by an act which has been
since declared unconstitutional by the ~.
prcme court As result. the old special
ieyies OF one-hfth mill each were restorrti,
depriving the state government Of the differ
would amount to over $4,000. Moreover. a
q stattss hs}itGiSh,v efcib5hiaaif OF
| Is wrong In principle. Basins TIE amount
Of Its revenue, not upon It's needs. pni upon
the entirely cItraneous ana tortuluus T. III
cumstance OF the amount OF propert IN the
| state In n given year, and the ralniilon ior
assessment purposes. liked upon hs saine
by the proper officers; md, fnrthe', Y give
different Institutions with widel' different
| needs equal Incomes, nni does ny aiiew aos
| increased needs Mt special pertus ot sue
Institutions development. nor 5linit OF saN
Ing when the demands are lest; IN the i. niss
| Instance crippling unresson9hy the sNen
Institution. and In the secopi diseouina,x,,ns
economy. with the consequent deInoraiizlns
effect. To me II seems clea thht encn zen.
eral Assembly should have controi OF uH tne
revenues OF its biennial peiod' IN oruer tnai ~
| II may appropriate for very governmental
and institutional purpge hGcofuinS !" ,on' ore
| requirement Of each di'lns that ptriou, SoI, III
alike TO the mlnimrrn when the states In.
come IS contracted and hccordlng ali aihhe ae
| the benefit of lDc'cased revenues when tnat
incofnc IL, IN times of prosperity aug
| mruted
An olylon, remedy for the insnficiency;
| II II be for,d To- b" such Of the revenues o.
| the state for all purposes can be secured
through llmiiiu. the levy OF taxes Tor local
| PURPOSES. particularly the county general
| revenue. which Will result, II properly al.
| jnsted. In raising the assessed valuation OF
| the property OF the state without an nppre-
| ciabie Increase In the total sum Of taxes
| collected from the taxpayer.
The excess of the estimated expenditures
| In lSgT.gs over the revenues for the same
period. ns estimated by the auditor: amounts
l . flr af
years. II. result OF limiting the levy,
| ms Indicated, the ASSESSED valuation or the
state shall be increased Si5.ooo.oD In the
year 1897. the resulting revenues to the
state from the 81 mills which is the part
OF the mills which gees TO maintain tho
state government. will b, sufficient to meet
the estimated deficit Tie law ns 1t now
| reads directs that property shall be assessed
at Its full cash value, without limit TO the
levy for general county purposes, and Indeed
for all purposes, the application OF the Ia Y
50 as to assess all property At Its full cash
value would result In an urrelsonable IN.
jury to the taxpayer. but with a proper
fixed limit to all ievies then there can be no
better. more equitable or NOR. satisfactory
basis OF assessment than the full cash value:
Whenever the assessor fixes he value OF
property nt some other value thln Its actual
value. inequalities, inequtabe ind oppress.
i've on some and unduly favorable to others.
tunity for favorltism, resulting in oppression
| to those least able to endure 1t, and partial
| escape from taxation on the part of those
\ .vRY
The state government during the present
period. has been economically administered
1t IL probably true that, ontside OF the sal
aries and expenses OF the three branches OF
the government. which are fixed by the con
| stitution and statutes some saving could be
made In the general contingent fund from
ury 81. 1876, although this is not certain
because 1t might be necessary to oner re
wards for fucitives from Justice whlcf
| would consume more than that amount, an,
| there is opportunity for having a more eco
| nomlcal adjustment of the salaries of thu
| auditors office which turned back sJs
| say 5000 In the secretary of states office
also some 81 200 In the land office. The saw
Ing by the aboishment OF the board OF cap
| itol managers would not aid the situation
| although 1t would result in slightly earle
payment Of the capitol warrants. The In
| PRODUCTION of Industrial employment at th
| pcnltentiFry and at the rcformatory, ms else
where recommended In this message. wonl'
| relieve the states revenues of an increasin!
although the results would not be felt 70
some months. From some, or nll of th
| sources, or through the economical method
suggested, the additional revenues to pre-
| vent the deficit Indicated must he derived
| certainly, at least. until an adequate. eco
nomical revision Of the laws controlling rev
| ennes and expenses is secured Too mncl
| stress cannot he laid upon the necessity AM
| duty deyoiving upon You of conhning ap
proprifiions to the limit set by the rev
| cnues II IS as much the duty Of the Gen
eral Assembly To keep within the revenues a
| 1t Is Of the state auditor to meet them, II
the Issuance OF warrants. A failure In tn
past to observe this fundamental rule ha
| been large factor In causing the Issue o
excess warrants. and has resulted in cnusln'
i a stigma to he cast upon the business nam
| of the state.
Revision of Revenue Laws.
The General Assembly's attention Is ear
nestly called to the condition of the rev
| enue laws. revision of them. and new
laws In the direction of economical admin
| istration Of affairs. are exceedingly deslr
able. 1t is dlhcnlt to reconcile the incon
| sstences In these acts. and general re
| vision looking to the total elimination q
some expenses and the lessenlnc Of Others
In order that the revenues may have les
| drain upon them In the direction of nnneces
| sary outlays and uneconom!cal expenditure
A commission of three In the Judgment o
the executive, should he provided. to be ap
pointed by the governor. composed of me-
having knowledge Of public affairs: and es
pecially the financial AFFAIRS Of the state
This commission to report. at the next ses
sion Of the Legislature. such revision an
such rcpeats and enactments as may seer
desirable for uniformity and the create
economy of the financial administrator.
| As the law now stands concerning tn
revenues. there Ia practically no check o
the county treasurer in the matter of tn
collection and payment of the state taxes
The state has no direct means of KNOWN
| whether It is receiving Its revenues or not
Tax sales are 10 mnne I'm t t font'e
There Ia conspicuous lack Of uniform1t
In the salaries of the subordinate officers i
| the various departments OI tHe stHrP. FO
Instance. the deputy auditor receives tn
same pay as does the auditor himself. VIII
receives 50 500. The superintendent Of In
snrance. who Is a deputy of the auditor. n
ceives $4,000.
Clerks for like class Of service should ri
ceive like pay. This Is conspicnously nc
the case. Stenogrnphers should have un
form salaries. These are only instances.
The commission suggested should exnmin
into the expenditures by the state of wha
ever nature. and among other thing,
whether the number of judicial districts
too grent. nnd suggest where compactin
might properly he brought about. Also. int
the expenses Of the various state institi
lions. educational and penal, suggestin,
whenever needed. such reforms miRf
seem desirable and economical.
The governor suggests that every citise
he required to show poll-tax certificate b,
fore being allowed to vote. This. he think
would Increase the millta.y revenue froi
S32 900 to $4,000. He recommends that h
expenses of the insurance department b
provided for by appropriation. instead {
by the present fee system. and that the "a
aries Of state officers he equaIized. II
salary OF the treasurer should be cut dow
and board OF state officers should desii
nate the banks Of deposit for state fund