The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1899-01-14
COZ. SCOF|AD'S MESSAGE.

| 10 the honorable the Legislature: You are
assembled at the beginning of what prom
ises to be the most prosperous period in tho
tlstory Of our state and nation. Our coun
| Try Is again a peace after Il brief struggle
with q foreign power; the majority OF tho
| Nniunteers called to meet the emergency
OF war have resumed their peaceful avoca
| tons; every legitimate industry Is thriv
| Ing and every man who desires employment
can secure 1t. We may well congratulate
| ourselves upon these evidences of material
| prosperity, though we may feel the com
parative insignitcance of material pros
| perlty, IN the presence of the profoundly
| important responsibilities recently imposed
| upon US as nation. In view of these
| new duties, It is vastly more important t.
! be citizen of the United States today
/ than 1t was 4 year ago, and 10 be egis
! iator of a state charged with the duty Of
the new problems is indeed grave re.
sponsibility. At Il time like this, personal
| or selfish interests should he buried from
sight. and only the deep need of the nation
/ for wise counselorS should be given con
through the present crisis In honor and
| safety, it Will only be by the exercise of
! the highest human wisdom and the aid OF
/ Divine Power.
| Under provisions of the constitution it
| becomes my duty to submit to YOU at this
| time brief review of the condition of the
| state and such recommendations as seem
| to me expedient.
| Finances.
| i
| GRAFTON a statement Of the fiscal system
! and the financial condition Of our state,
| both somewhat more at length than has
| been the custom. In the nature of the
| ease It IS not possible for n governor just
entering upon the duties of office to lay
! before the Legislature Il satisfactory state
ment of the financial affairs of the state.
After having served one term. therefore, it
is more plainly his duty to present these
matters in a clear and comprehensive form;
and in this CONNECTION | am impcllcd to
! n
tRhiishei practice that 1t would he an ad-
vantage To the Legislature and also to the
| incoming Executive if IL we're the duty Of
the retiring governor to address to the
Legs stature a message. covering fully the
condition Of public business, with such
| recommendations as his experience aud
observation in office might commend tn his
Judgment The experience and observation
Of an executive who has served two or
four years, and embodied in such Il mes
sage could not fail 10 be beneficial to the
Legislature and helpful TO his successor.
This would not i'll any wise supersede the
message Of the incoming governor, who
would be at liberty to make recommends
lions from his own standpoint, and to APP
prove or dfSapproye those last made 10y
his predecessor.
believe one of the conspicuous needs of
the times is a better understanding on
the part of the people of the manner of
conducting public business. If appropria-
lions of public moneys are to be intelligent
~ and honestly made by the Legislature,
such an understanding is essential to its
members: and if the state il to continue to
be successful in raising the large sums
necessary to carry on its functions 1t Il
imperative that the people who supply tn.
money clearly understand the necessity
therefor and the detail of tts disbursement,
sha e m3ssh nd II present To Hpq
aud as brief as the suiiteCt will admit.
The state has certain Wclldetned sources
Of income and avenues OF expenditure. lis
income Is derived from: Interest on trust
funds for educational purposes. annual tax
tevies for any and all purposes, suit tax
from counties, fees from life. fire. accident
and guaranty insurance companies from
railway, street railway, sleeping car, teIc-
graph, telephone, loan and trust and boom
companies, and from the land office. Then
there are miscellaneous sources which in
Guide, for instance, interest on bank de-
poSits; that is, money belonging to the gen
eral fund which the state treasurer de
posts in various banks and receives inter.
est thereon; appropriations by The gen
eral government to the State Veterans
home; hawkers' and peddlerS licenses: pub
fishing bank statements; fees from bank
of contracted state lands; sale of books hg
the superintendent Of public property; sale
instructions: incorporates fees; fines Tor
violation Of game laws; fees for sale Of
land: respass penalties. etc. All the
money, therefore, that the state receives
for the purpose of carrying on the stat"
government in all itS various depart lnents
comes from the above mentioned sources.
The interest on the trust fund includes
interest on the common Echool fund, normal
school university fund 1.-THE latter including
again agricultural college funds. and in
trrest on the drainage funds. These funds.
which are known as trust funds, and til"
interest received on which goes to their
respective departments, come first from thI'
sale of lands which were granted hy the
United States government for the purpoS"
indicated by tn" title Of the f&ndS or de>ig-
mated lay the statute. The second item eiy-
en- as a source of income is the n"ru"l lax
1t