The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1899-01-05

Gov. Lees message delivered to the
is a voluminous document. longer than
the presidents message, but unlike the
latter is not a dry recital OF ancient his
tory but a business document, dealing
with the work and record OF every de-
partment of state government and oper.
atoms. To any voter who does not IN
derstand all the outs and ms of the state
government machinery and it's condition
and the way the peoples servants are
manipulating it, the message is q verita.
bic text book OF instruction. The bond
ed debt Of the state July l, 1898, as
given by the state treasurer, be says,
was 1851 800 and as given by the state
auditor, s579,6OO. The difference, be
said, he would not attempt to reconcile.
The floating debt of the state has all
been paid off. He makes some very
pungent remarks on railroad arrogance
and the necessity of a raise in their as
sessment, and the enactment OF better
revenu laws that will not only reach
the railroads and bring them to time as
we'll as to reach many other classes of
property which escape taxation. As the
revenue laws are now constituted the
burden OF taxation falls upon land, the
latter paying 60 per cent of the taxes.
The governors arraignment Of State
Treasurer Phillips is soathing and Sc
we're, and the public examiners report
on his investigation of the defunct Sioux
Falls bank in which every draft that
Mr.. Phillips received for interest on
state deposits in that bank and convert
ed to his own use, is traced out, is at
tached to the message, and sh ows that
Mr.. Philips received and appropriated
to bis own use 10 this one instance,
s1,6l2.2. On this basis, with an aver.
age balance Of state money in banks of
nearly 100000 for four years, the gov
ernor estimates that Mr.. Phillips Las
taken to his own use of state money,
s52,G532G. The governor asks the legls-
lature for a reasonable appropriation to
prosecute Mr.. Phillips and secure the
return Of the money.
The railroad commissions work ia re.
viewed with pride, as is also Mr.. Camp
bells insurance commissioner work, but |
the insurance commissioners previous to
his time are laid wide open. He sug-
Rests some good legislation needed for
the improvement of the service in this
office and IN connection with this sub.
ject he is 10 favor OF the state carrying
the insurance of the people of this state
and saving them just one-half the mon.
ey that is now being paid insurance
doing business in the state.
The work Of the educational institu-
tions Of the state and the board Of re-.
gents is ably discussed with some severe
structures that deserve consideration.
He is not in favor OF more educational
but believes in building up
those we have. He sits down hard or
the new normal school at Springfield.
and OF the Madison narmal, says:
"The appropriation asked for salaries
and maintenance is very moderate and
hardly sufficient to meet it's growing de-
mands. The recommendations Of the
OF regents for $4,000 for new
heating plant and s2,160 for repairs for
for 1910 should be made available in
1899, IS the heating plant, is in an unsafe
condition, besides the state will save in
[uela large portion of it's cost during the
coming two years. It is therefore econ.