The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-01-04
Special Dispatch to the Standard.

81
o'clock this morning and transacted a
little routine business. Adjournment
was taken at 1880 to the Auditorium,
where the session was resumed at II
o'clock. At few minutes past that
hour Sergeant-at-arm Wegner an
nounced the arrival of the senate and
the joint assembly was Immediately
called to order by Lieutenant Cover
nor Spriggs. Upon motion of Stanton
joint committee Of three from each
house was appointed to wait upon the
governor and escort him to the hall.
Senators Stanton. Cullen and Anderson
and Representatives Hutchinson, Black
mad Galway composed this committee.
which escorted Governor Smith to the
platform. There was not much inspira-
ton in the hall for his excelIency, the
governor. The Auditorium was ex-
tremely cold and the audience was not
large. In marked contrast to the crowd
that packed the big audience room
two years ago, there were not more
than a hundred auditors, aside from
the members of the legislature These
sat and shivere9, and one by one the
members of the escort committee left
the platform to get their overcoats
The lieutenant governor and Speaker
Stiff sat muffled in their coats and list
ened to the message as attentively as
possible. Despite the discomforts the
members and visitors listened attent-
lively to the governor and followed
closely the reading of the message.
There was no interruption to the read
ing, which occupied about an hour but
there was cherry round of applause
at the conclusion.
After the withdrawal of the senate,
the house adjourned till 10 o'clock to-
morrow morning.
This afternoon Speaker. Stiff has been
at work upon his committees and the
senate special committee has been in
conference with Lieutenant Governor
Spriggs on the same subject.
The senate met at 10 o'clock this
morning, pursuant to adjournment of
yesterday, and got through with a lit
tie routine business. When this had
been disposed of, a resolution '.as
passed that the senate go into joint as
sembly with the house, after which
adjournment was taken to Tomorrow
morning.
The governors message follows:
To the Sixth Legislative Assembly of
"a the State of Montana:
Tt becomes my duty, under the con-
stitution and the law of the state, at
this time to present to you the condi-
ton of our commonwealth, especially
as to what has transpired during the
past two years, and what will be need
ed to meet the demands of the state
for the ensuing two years. Before
proceeding with this undertaking.
desire to congratulate you upon the
suspicious condition in which we find
the general tone of the state as a body
polite, and the improved condition of
our people individually. Notwithstand-
ing the fact that our country within
the last u months, was compelled to
engage in foreign war; which has
been successfully terminated and SON
cluded, we find that the condition of
our people and the state at large has
not been injured on such account.
Neither has the prediction, made by
many, that the commonwealth was
destined to destruction by reason of the
fact that the political control had pass
ed from the republican party, proven
/ true. In many respects we can truth
fully say that the tone of confidence
displayed toward the state two years
ago has greatly improved since that
time, and by wise legislation at your
hands the, condition of our state may
yet be further improved, and with it's
general improvement will be an i'm
provement of each individual compos-
ing the state.
The one thing absolutely necessary
to maintain the good credit and stand
ing of our commonwealth Before the
world is to be able to meet our obli-
cations, and pay them with cash as
they are incurred. In order to do this,
the revenue of the state must. at all
times, be adequate to meet its imper-
alive demands.
Finances of the State.
During the last two years we have
been able to meet all demands with
the revenue at our command. But this
result is due, in part, to certain legis-
lation enacted by the Fifth legislative
assembly. and, in part, to the econ
omieal methods pursued by the state
board of examiners. But under the
increased burdens imposed upon the
state, this condition of affairs cannot
longer be maintained with the present
legisla ton.
AT the close of the fiscal year in 1896
there was outstanding warrants
amounting to $366,97457, and deficien-
cies, not represented by warrants,
amounting to $51, 237.15. To meet this
Indebtedness, was the revenue for
1896, yet unsolicited, amounting to
$2S6 ,9027G. and cash in the treasury on
the first day of December 1896,
amounting to $21 ,239.2S.
1t thus became necessary for the
present administration to pay off and
discharge the large deficiency of SOL
23715, in addition TO running the ex-
penses of the state for the next two
years. During 1897 there was collected
from all sources S516,719S1, which, ad-
ded to the cash on hand Dec. /, 1896. |
gave q grand total of S537,959.19
\ The warrants drawn during 1897 |
amounted to $525, 52007. During 1888, |
the warrants drawn aggregate $474,- |
65S.4O, and the total revenue for 1898 |
amounted to s52.497; and during 1898 |
there has been paid out, on warrants |
and interest, $500, 494.76 leaving the |
cash balance on hand, Dec. 1, 1898, |
hui 10