Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1899-01-18

|
recommend that an adequate constitutional
amendment be submitted to the people in order
tnat' II adopted, the prohibition shall be q part
| OF the permanent law of the state, beyond reach
! OF legislative modification or repeal and the t
| there be promptly enacted legislation covering
| the same ground, to be in force until it shall
! nave been superseded by constitutional amend
! ment
| Railroad Investigation.
The last Legislature provided for the ap-
| polntment OF committee to make inveSti-
cation of the books Of the railroad COM
| panieS doing business within the state
| This committee, 1 understand, has per
| formed it's work, and it's report is now in
the hands of the printer and will be sub
mltted to you early in this present session.
It VIII, L have no doubt, receive your care
full attention.
The Railroads.
We may congratulate ourselves upon the
present relations which exist between the
people OF the state and the great tranSDOr-
tatiOn corporations doing business within
our borders. 1t is coming to be more
clearly understood each year that there is
a close relation between the development
and prosperity of our agricultural CONNER
cial, manufacturing and other interests and
that of the transportation companies [
look, therefore for a continuance of these
present relations between the twenty or
more railroad companies Of Wisconsin and
the people Of the state, Notwithstanding the
efforts sometimes made to prove that these
interests are inimical to each other.
The State Fair Grounds.
Several years ago there was loaned to
the State Agricultural society, to enable
them to purchase state fair grounds, the
sum OF $50, 666 from the school funds and
ST., 1872. OF from the general fund Part
of this loan was made through the pur-
chase OF membranes held against the
grounds, but they constituted a whole
Il loan to the amount of $16S AS. Oh
No interest was ever paid upon this land,
and there was no likelihood of the state
ever. being able to reimburse itself, pro
ceedinGS were BEGUN to fOrecIOse the mort
cages upon the grounds in June. 1897. and
iud~ment of foreclosure and sale was en-
tered. The total amount due, with the
accumulated interest, at that time was
$201, 1866. Pending the foreclosure pro
ceedingS, two receivers were appointed by
the circuit court for Milwaukee county, to
take charge of the property. On December
D, last, the necessary time having expired,
q sale OF the property was made under the
decree of this court. and the attorney gen
eraI department., representing the state,
bid in the property for the state for the
sum of S234.260 IA. This amount included
the accumulated interest, the solicitors
fees of 5000, and various other court ex-
penSes, including $4,000 which the court
allowed to the receivers.
The property is not at the present time
worth the amount for which it was bid in,
but 1t was necessary for the state to make
bid covering, not only the total amount
due, but all expenses connected with the
receivership, foreclosure and sale. The
L
rests with the Legislature TO determine
what disposition shall be made OF it.
l refer to the matter at this time moro
particularly to call your attention to the
fact that the sum which was loaned from
the trust funds to the Agricultural society,
which aggregated, as before stated, 5000
should be returned to those funds, and
recommend that that amount at least
(Which does not include accumulated inter
est, be appropriated to reimburse the
school funds. 1t is highly important that
n
There has apparently been in the past 4
lack Of careful scrutiny Of security in the
lOaning of these trust funds. and, cOnse-
quently, some losses have resulted. l be-
lieve it very necessary that provision be
made for returning to the trust FUNDS every
dollar which has been lost in this manner.
1t is true that it is no less Il loss to the
state to have this amount taken out of the
general fund to reimburse the trust funds,
but to fail to reimburse those funds, when
money loaned from them is lost. would i'm.
peril our most important resource as We'll
as the whole financial system of orr state
Status OF War Claims.
It is my duty to advise you of the status
Of the claim Of Wisconsin against the Unit
ed States to indemnify the state for eX-
penses incurred during the War of the Re
bellion. The claim was filed by Il previous
administration. 1t has within the last two
years received careful attention from the
and at the proper auditing department of
the United States, with Il view to classify
ing the claim and separating the items
which fall clearly within legislation here
tOfOre enacted, from those not ut amy time
heretofore provided for. 1t seems to be
very clear that over 100000 OF this claim,
being for interest paid by the state on
funds borrowed and interest lost by the
sale of interest-bearing securities, to raise
money with which to equip troops and en-
able Wisconsin to do her part IN the preser-
walton of the Union, should be, without
question, as Il matter Of justice, repaid to
the state.
do int aloi i'm
against the United States and brought suit
in the court of claims to recover The de
Tense of the statute of limitations was IN
terposed, and it was held in that case, as
the claim had been specifically presented
within the six years to the proper depart
ment of the government, that When trans
mittpd to the court of claims under the act
of March g. 1888 it was competent Tor the
court to render judgment upon it.
The claim of Wisconsin does not appear
to have been specifically presented WITHIN
six years after it accrued, as was the claim
of New York, and therefore it seems tnat
the obstacle, and the only obstacle to Its
of the Revised Statutes of the United
States, which declares as follows:
Every claim against the United States, cog,
nizable by the Court OF Glalns shr b De sfs+
ment thereof is filed in the court, or tfansnIiIeu
to it by the secretary OF the senate or Lae GibK
law within six years after the claim hrst ac-
crueS.
This statute mas Deen uelu lpplIIdblc ~
the claim of Il state against the govern
ment.
At the last session of Congress an amend
ment was offered to the Southern war
claims bill, which had passed the House
and was pending in the Senate removing
the bar of this statute of limitations from
any claim of states for costs, charges ana
expenses incurred under the acts or 1S0l
and 1862 above referred to. The amend
ment was adopted by the Senate. ana the
bill is now pending before a conference
committee upon a difference when does
not relate to this amendment. 1t Is fel-
sOnab!y hoped that before the end OF the
present session of Congress the Dill VIII
have passed and the way thereby MADE easy
TO secure this act Of justice to the state.
Bank Examiner.
In my message to the Legislature in 1897
7 called attention to the need OF revising
the present banking code and its apparent
inadeuuacy to meet the requirements Of the
banking business of the present day. Steps
were taken to prepare new code to be
voted upon by the people, and such code
was presented and voted upon ut the last
general election. but was not adopted. 1t
Is worthy of your consideration whether it
would not be wise to again bring this mat
ter before the people so that it may again
receive their attention. | recommended at
that time also, some changes III the law
concerning the office of bank examiner, and
Dointed out that it was the clear intent
In n existence III