The River Falls times. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1894-1933, 1899-01-17
GOV. SCOF|ELD'S MESSAGE


the full text of Gov. Scofeld's MESA &c
to the Legislature delivered at noon to-
day:
To the Honorable the Legislature: You are
assembled at the beginning of what prom
lses to be the most prosperous period in the
history OF our state and nation. Our coun-
Try is again at peace after brief struggle
with foreign power; the majority of the
volunteers called to meet the emergency
OF war have resumed their peaceful avoca-
lions; every legitimate industry is thrv-
ing, and every man who desires employment
can secure it. We may well congratulate
ourselves upon these evidences of material
prosperity though we may feel the COM
parative insignifcance Of material pros
perity, 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 TO
be Il citizen of the United States today
than it was a year ago; and to be legls-
lator of a state charged with the duty of
selecting men who are to assist 81 solving
the new problems is indeed a grave re
sponsibility. AT a time like this, personal
or selfish interests should be buried from
sight, and only the deep need of the nation
for wise counSelors should be given con-
sideration. If our country is to pass
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.
desire first to present for your consid
Grafton a statement of the fiscal system
and the financial condition of our state,
both somewhat more at length than mas
been the custom. In the nature OF the
case it is not possible Tor "a g9T ie 1u aT
before the Legislature a satisfactory state
ment of the financial affairs of the state
After having served one term, therefore, 1t
is more plainly his duty to present these
matters in a clear and comprehensive form;
and in this connection | am impelled to
uggest-although an innovation upon eS-
tablished practice-that it would be an adj
vantage to the Legislature and also to the
incoming Executive if il were the duty OF
the retiring governor to address TO the
LEGISLATURE q message, covering FULLY the
condition of public business, with such
recommendations as his experience ana
observation in Office might commend to his
Judgment The experience and observation
of an executive who has served two or
four years, and embodied i'll such a mes
sage could not fail to be beneficial to the
Legislature and helpful to his successor.
This would not in any wise supersede the
message of the incoming governor VINO
would be at liberty to make recommenda-
lions from his own standpoint and TO APP
prove diSapprOVe those laSC maue ny
his predecessor.
l believe one of the conspicuous needs or
the times is a better understanding on
the part of the people of the manner or
conducting public business. If appr0prla-
tions of public moneys are to be lntelllgent-
ly and honestly made by the Legislature,
such an understanding Is essentlaI 10 Us IS
members; and if the state is to continue to
be successful in raising the large sums
necessary to carry on its functions, 1t is
imperative that the, people who supply the
money clearly understand the necessity
therefor and the detail of it's disbursement.
| shall endeavor to present to you II
statement which shall be comprehenslVe'
and as brief as the subject will admit.
The state has certain well-dehned sources
of income and avenues of expenditure. It's
income is derived from: Interest on trust
funds for educational purposes, annual tax
leyies for any and all purposes, SUIT tax
from counties fees from life, fire, accident
and guaranty insurance companies, from IRON
railway, street railway, sleeping car, tele-
graph telephone, loan and trust ana D0om
companies and from the land Office Ihen
there are miscellaneous sources Wnlch IN
clude, for instance, interest on D am ae-
eral fund which the state treasurer de-
posits in various banks and receives inter
est thereon; approprlatlons py Inc Int gen,,
home: hawkers' and peddlers' licenses; pup
fishing bank statements; fees from BANK
examiners office; penalty and aqVertlslnS
of contracted state lands; sale OF DOCKS ny
the superintendent of public property; SAFE
of books by the superintendent of pubic
instruction; Incorporation fees; mes Tor
violation OIL game laws, lGcS 1uF otlAN ~
land; trespass penalties, etc. All the
money therefore, that the state receives
for the purpose Of carrying on the state
government in all it's various departments
Comes from the above mentioned sources.
The interest on the trust Iulu lucluueS
interest on the common school fund, norman
school, university fund tine latter ihcIuulin NJ
again agricultural college funds, ana IN
terest on the drainage funds. These Iunqs'
which are known as trust funds. ana tne
interest received on which goes 10 tnelr
N01lfc from fhe
sale of lands which were granted by ire
United States government for the purpose
indicated by the title OF the funds OF uesis-
mated by the statute. The second item CIV
on as a source of income is the annual tax
levy. This, as will be readily understood
varies according to the needs Oh the case.
The third item, the suit tax, as the name
Indicates, is the amount received from the
various counties as taxes on civil SUITS pc
gnn in the courts This also varies some
what, running at the present time some
thing over $1,000 a year. The fees from III
surance and guaranty companies also vary,
but are running during the last lew years
from $125,o0O year upward; Tue ne ae?s
from the railway companies, which are pald
in lien of all taxes, are by Tar the largest
source of the states income. Those re
ceived from the palace and sleeping car car
fees in lieu of all taxes. put the amounts
received are not large. The state receives
in the neighborhood of $4,000 each from
the telegraph and telephone companies anu
iasser amounts from the loan and trust COM
panies and the boom companies in the way
of fees.
The state expenditures are made through
fonr avenues which may be. speclhed as
administrative, legislative, judicial and eau
cational ,t,+n
First money is expended for administra-
tive purposes; that is, for the cost OF car
rying on the state government IN IT'S Earl-
Gus forms. as represented by the the, direct
disbursements in the capitol Dulldins ~
Madison including expenses of charitable
and penal institutions. The second is leg
isIative expenses-the cost of the Legisla-
ture. Third, the educational expenses
within this being included the amount dls-