Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1899-01-18


the present time. bur containing a careful
history of the part taken by our troops IN
the late war with Spain. The experience of
the past year proves, believe, the neces.
sity for making some changes In our mill.
tary organization. While our troops were
more prompt than those of almost any
other state In responding to the Presidents
call, yet much time might have been saved
aud much inconvenience ana trouble als5.
had the whole organization been the same
as that of the regular army. | recommend
therefore, that provision be made for the
Reorganization of the state militia upon the
same basis as the regulars.
IL this be done aIl the number of regi-
ments limited to three and an additional
battalion. the expense will not be greater
than 1t has been In the past, because of the
reduction In the number aud pay OF GER
tain officers.
believe the state militia should conform
as nearly as practicable In organization. in
struction and general equipment to the reg
ular army. / recommend further that pro-
vision should be made for a change in the
present practice of paying the troops. 1t
has been necessary heretofore for the state
treasurer to place In the hands of the pay
master without any security or warrant
large sums of money to pay the men I'm
camp, and many times this account has
been left open for several months before
a complete set of vouchers and receipts
could he prepared. The practice has been
very safely carried on SO far because of the
high character of the men who have been
IL
ly that state treasurers will In the future
be as willing to turn over large sums of
money without warrant trusting merely
to the personal honor and fidelity OF the
paymaster This practice might easily be-
come an abuse, as did that Of advancing
money on their salaries to employees, which
had been carried on so many years, but
was discontinued by the state treasurer six
months ago.
Charitable and Penal Institutions.
furnished by the state board OF control of
the amount necessary 20 carry on the state
charitable and penal institutions for the
present biennial period. in their biennial
be placed in your hands. the board makes
"a very complete and comprehensive report
upon the conditions of the state institutions
and their needs. This report shonid re-
ceiye your most serious attention. The
work Of caring for the criminal and help
less classes has come in modern times to
be one of the most important duties Of the
state The board of control has been max
ing some important reforms in the method
of conducting the institutions. and some
changes will have the effect. / believe, OF
materially reducing expenditures change
mas taken place in the method of employ
ing help in the state institutions. A year
and half ago the board adopted resolu-
tions which have practically placed the
whole responsibility for the employment of
help In the hands of the respective super
intpudputS, the latter DeinR Npiu 10 u more
strict account for the character of the
work done. This has tended greatly to
enhance the efficiency of the employees.
Railroad Investigation.
The last Legislature provided for the ap.
pointment of a committee to make investi-
CATION OF the books of the railroad conf
panies doing business within the state.
This committee, | understand, has per-
formed It's work, and its report is now in
the hands of the printer and will be sub
mitted to you early In this present session.
1t will, l have no doubt, receive your care
full attention.
The Railroads.
We NAV congratulate ourselves uuon the
present relations which exist between the
people of the state and the great transpor-
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 Service.
In my message to the Legislature two
years ago ! called attention to the neces-
sity which then existed Tor reorganiza
tion of the state service In the capitol
building, and recommended In the interest
or economy an investigation of the subject.
This recommendation was followed by the
selection Of legislative committee appoint
ed to make such investigation; the com
mittee introduced bill which afterwards
became law making new classification
OF employees. and fixing salaries. Under
the circumstances and considering the time
which the committee had, each member of
a nf n
session In other committees the bill was
a very satisfactory one. 1t Is plain, how
ever, to anyone familiar with the subject
that there is still wide room for improve
ment In the matter of classifying the state
service. | commend this subject to your
careful consideration.
After consultation with the secretary of
state, 1t has seemed to me proper to recon-
mend that the work of compiling and pub
fishing the Blue book. which Is now done
biennially, and also that of compiling and
publishing the state census every ten years,
be delegated to the department of labor
statistics | make this recommendation be-
lieving that such a change will save the
state thousands of dollars. The nature of
the work being carried on In the bureau of
labor statistics Is such that there would be
involved very little additional work or ex-
ira expense to that department. This is
even more true In relation to the compla-
ton of the census which has come to be
a kind of technical work, for which some
special preparation Is necessary If 1t Is to
be done az all satisfactorily. In some 9th
er states this work is done by the bureau
least one-thrd of the cost of the census
can be saved and the efficiency and value
of the work greatly increased by placing
1t In the hands of the commissioner Of labor
statistics.
State Bookkee ping.
For many years 1t has been apparent
that the system of book keeping used by
Gta To- " tly.tt nfnh MI n IN.
scure. With the practice of changing book
keepers with each change of administration,
however, it has been deemed impracticable
for any secretary of state or state treas
urer to undertake, In the few years In
which he holds office, to improve the sys'
TEN. / believe the time has come When
the state book keeping should be revised
and simplified. 1t is possible that the
change cannot be accomplished without ex-
ira help, as the book keepers in the two
departments named are kept fully occupied.
| recommend, therefore, that the Legls-
lature consider the question of authorizing
IT, temporary employment OF one or more
experts to take up the subject with the
secretary of state and state treasurer, and
formulate new system. No one VINO I'M
dertakes to gather information from our
state reports can fail of the conviction that
the method of accounting Is obsolete anu
unsatisfactory.
A system or method which does not en-
able one quickly and accurately to Know
the true status of the public a counts Is
lf-condemnatoFy. This i have found to
be just criticism upon the existing meth
DDS, and feel constrained thus publicly
to give Ii as reason for the Introduction
of different methods, without intending to
reflect in the least upon the Integrity or
zeal Of past or present officials. The fault
lies mainly with the system.
Under the existing laws all receipts Is
sued by the treasurer for money paid him
for the state must be and are cornter-
signed by the secretary of state. bu: there
Co. afnrc In n
receipts issued for money collected for the
state by the secretary Of state. state treas
ury agent. insurance commissioners, execu-
tive clerk, OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES or any
other state officer, so there is no direct
check upon these.
Inasmuch as the law contemplates that
all money shall Immediately on receipt pass
to the hands of the treasurer, It would
seem that his receipt. countersigned as pro,
vided. should be given In all cases, ana
should alone be considered valid, That Is,
all payments should he made to him. either
direct or indirect: IL remittance is made
to any other officer. the same should ne
turned over to the treasurer, and the treas
urer's receipt, duly countersigned. snould
be given to the payor. The law should be
amended so as to provide that the sa1e-
guard of count err signature of treasurers re-
ceipts shall be extended to include the
financial transactions of all other state or
ficers.
Every person having charge of n state Of
fice or state institution. or having author-
ity to do business for the state. should be
obliged by law to keep a journal In which
should be entered from day to day, In the
order in which they occur. every transae-
ton which In any way Affects the huances
of the state,
The Land Department.
In my recommendations two years ago
concerning the state service. | referred 10
the land department, and expressed the be-
liaf hot ha of carving that