Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1897-01-14

gard as the best possible apportfonment OF an
insufficient revenue The situation is still
further embarrassed by the probable fact that
your honorable body may desire TO provide
additional agencies with a view 60 improving
me admlnlstration on the government ne ana
So far our revenue has been equal to our sp-
preparations, and almost, II not quite. equal to
our expenditures But the fast accommodating
needs of the state have now brought US to a
point where # is evident that some plan must
be devised for relieving the strain on the
treasury. How can this best be done? The
rate OF general taxation can not be raiSed-ft
being already at the highest point permitted
sought 1t must be ~, by raising the valua-
tious of property; 90, by providing some en-
tirely new source or sources OF revenue
in the form Of special or license taxes; 80,
by providing a different plan from that
heretofore followed of distributing the ex-
listing revenue: or, (4). by cutting of or reduce
ing some of the ordinary demands against the
treasury. As to the first AMI second OF these
! shall not in this communication attempt any
several avenues to relief that might be fairly
opened in these directions. With regard to the
third proposition 1 desire to make one or two
suggestions First, believe the whole tax
paid by foreign insurance companies should be
retained by the state. Under the present law
the whole tax is paid into the state treasury,
but one-hah Of 1t is afterwards distributed to
the counties. The apportionment to the coun-
ties is made on the basis of the number OF
school children in each, although the money
does not go into the school fund The total for
eign insurance tax received in 1856 amount
ed 10 S455,eU5- vi THIS the sum OF
being one-haR OF the whole. was dis
tributed as indicated above. The amount
received each year by the several
insignifcant"most of them receiving sums
varying in amount from about 800 to about
81 900. OF course, those counties and cities
having the greatest populations receive larger
distributive shares. None of them, however,
would be seriously injured by the loss incident
to the retention of the entire tax by the state.
II this suggestion should be concurred in by
the legislature. and the Flaw amended accord
ingly, it would result in STRENGTHENING the
treasury by at least $4,000 during the ensuing
biennial term.
In the second place, the proportion Of the
revenue appropriated two years ago for the
support of the public schools might be slightly
reduced so as to relieve the treasury without
detriment to the schools. The constitution
apart less than twenty-five per cent:
of the state revenue to be applied
Up to 1888 only one-fourth OF the revenue was
appropriated for that purpose. From 1888 to
1895 this appropriation was increased to one
third of the ordinary receipts During that
period what were called extraordinary receipts
that is, the interest on state deposits, notary
public commission fees collected by the de-
partmentS. and other similar sources of rev.
enue which were not the result of some fixed
imposition by the law. but were incidental
only, were not included in the totals from
which the public school appropriations were
withdrawn. All these were retained in the
treasury. But in 1895 the act apprOpriating
money for the public schools was so framed
as to require the distribution of one-third OF
all receipts. both ordinary and extraordinary.
The effect of this was to divert to the support
of the schools about $1,000 of the extra
ordinary revenues which had heretofore
been applied to other purposes. / am
ment Of the appropriation for school purposes;
but in view of the circumstances to which
have adverted, believe it would be advisable
to so phrase the next appropriation act as 10
save the whole of these SO-called extra
ordinary revenues to the treasury for general
use.
If these two recommendations should be
adopted, the sum available to meet current APP
populations for general purposes would be in
creased by about S27O0OO.
The fourth proposition stated above-that OF
cutting of or reducing some of the ordinary
demands against the treaSury-preSentS QueS-
tions OF the greatest difficulty. have no doubt
that much could be accomplished in this be-
half by careful, painStaklng, intelligent
revision OF the more important statutes such
as those relating 20 the assessment and col
lection OF the revenue and the administration
OF Justice by thu courts. To do this work thor
time and labor than you can possibly devote to
it. Criminal costs constitute the most OnerOuS
of all the burdens the treasury must bear
They have grown until they have become al
most intolerable. II the rate at which they
have increased in recent years is maintained
1T will not be long until they swamp the treas
ury unless some provision is made for large
addition to the receipts How to remedy this
evil is a question. Crime will be committed
and must be punished The accumulation oil
costs follows inevitably upon the enforcement
OF the law. That can not be avoided. But
lied plan that would greatly diminish the
total of these costs. and by which the reSpon-
ciousIy divided between the counties ant
the state. The larger proportion OF the
costs accrue from prolonged detentions
in county jails and from unnecessary contlnu'
anceS and changes OF venue. How can these
evils be prevented or modified?
COUNTY CIRCUITS.
In the first place, L believe that the constitu
tion should be amended so as to authorize the
prosecution OF ali crimes by Indictment or in.
formation, with the exception, possibly, tina
indictments might be required in capital cases
think an.amendment to that effect should be
submitted. II it should be agreed to it would
save the necessity in hundreds of cases o
thereby escape mourning a vast amount o.
costs on that account
DISTRIBUTION OF SCHOOL MONEY.
Apropos to the foregoing, 1 desire to recon-
mend an amendment to the law liking the datz
for the distribution OF the public scbOo
moneys As the law now stands, those money:
are distributed to the several counties on al
apportiOnment made in July of each year. The
distribution takes place at a time when tht
treasury is usually at the lowest ebb. and leaS
prepared to meet q drain so enormous. The
district schools rarely open before September
and the directors of those schools have no rea
use for the money before October. In conse
Quence, any money distributed in July or Au
gust lies in the county repositories until Octo-
Der Ii the money should remain in the state
treasury during that interval it would draw in
tereSt for the benefit of the state. and at the
same time save the treasury from embarass
ment BY October the fall receipts are coming
in. and the treasury is then in better condition
for large disbursements. This amendment Z
the law can do no possible harm: IT, can result
only in good and tits important that il be made
NEEDS OF INSTITUTIONS.
can not now enter into a specific Statement
in detail of all the various needs of the differ
ent institutions As have stated heretofore
there is scarcely one of them that doe
not stand in actual need of improvements
not included in the estimates we have made
THE UNIVERSITY.
We now have laid the foundation of a grea
univerSity-but we have little more than that
II the institution is literally supported by thu
people ana wisely managed by those in charge
of It. we can soon build up here in our i'm
perial state the greatest university in the
south western section of the Union. I would
regard that contamination as one of the proud
est achievements within our reach-one tina
would reflect the highest honor and rebound il
the greatest benefits TO the people. Aside iron
the natural and patriotic desire all of us SHOULD
feel to supply our sons and daughters with tht
best possible educational facilities, the pres
ence OF a superb and famous university in th'
state would do more perhaps than any othe
one thing to lift the state into universal es
TEEN and attract to il the favorable notict
OF mankind 1t will not do to say that th'
university is not the school OF the poor boy
or that il is not now what 1t ought to be. AS
matter OF fact majority Of the university stu
dents are the sons and daughters of those de
nominated as the common people But If i
were true that the children of the poor do no
| for any reason enjoy to any large extent tn
| advantages of the institution, then their op
| portunities for enjoying them should be mad
easier. 1t more often happens than otherwiS
/ that those who rise to great and deserves
prominence in the state or nation. and who adj
the greatest luSter to their country 5 history
| have come from what are regarded as tn
| humber walks of life. There are hundreds o
| boys and girls whose possibilities of u -efulnes
| and greatness can not be Estimated il the
/ were only given opportunities Tor full develop
| meEt Our commou and inferno sIate school
| are indispensable. They perform :. aoble WORK
| and should be supported with uaStIEted gen
| crosby. But those schools can not take tn
! place of the university. The university
| the faal training school where thOs
/ prepared for admission TO il are rounded on
| and specially equipped for successful labor i