Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1899-01-18
GOV. SCOF|HLD'S MESSAGE


the full text of Gov. Scofeld's message
to the Legislature delivered at noon to-
day:
To the Honorable the Legislature: You are
assembled at the beginning of what prom
Uses to be the most prosperous period in the
history of our state and nation. Our cOun-
try is again at peace after q brief struggle
with 4 foreign power; the majority of the
volunteers called to meet the emergency
of war have resumed their peaceful avoca-
tions; every Legitimate industry is thirty
ing, and every man who desires employment
can secure it. We may we'll congratulate
ourselves upon these evidences of material
prosperity, though we may feel the COM
perity, in the presence of the profoundly
important responsibilities recently imposed
upon US. as a nation; In view of these
new duties, it is vastly more important to
be q citizen of the United States today
than it was year ago; and to be & legis-
lator of a state charged with the duty of
selecting men who are to assist in 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. II our country is to pass
through the present crisis II, In honor ana 40
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 has
been the custom. In the nature Of the
case it is not possible for a governor just
entering upon the duties of office to lay
before the Legislature q satisfactory state
of 10 financial
After having served one term, therefore, 1t
is more plainly his duty to present these
matters III clear and COMPREHENSIVE form;
and IL this connection L am lmpelled to
suggest 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 4 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 in such 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, who
would he at liberty to make recommended
tions from his own standpoint, and to APP
prove or disapprOve those last made by
his predecessor.
! believe one of the conspicuous needs of
the times is q better understanding on
conducting public business. II approprla-
tiOns of public moneys are to be intelligent
BY and honestly made by the Legislature,
such an understanding is essential to its
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 its disbursement.
shall endeavor to present to you Il
statement which shall be comprehensive,
and as brief as the subject will admit.
The state has certain well-defned 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
railway, street railway, sleeping car tele-
graph, telephone. loan and trust and boom
companies, and from the land office. Then
1heFe are miscellaneous sources which in
clude, for instance, interest on bank de-
posts: that is money belonging to the gen
eral fund which the state treasurer de-
posits 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
examiners office; penalty and advertising
of contracted state lands: sale of books by
the superintendent Of public property; sale
Of books by the superintendent OF public
instruction; incorporation fees: fines Tor
violation Of game laws; fees for sale of
Sand; trespasS penalties, etc. All the
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 fund includes
interest on the common school fund, normal
school, university fund (the latter including
again agricultural college funds, and IL
3erest on the drainage funds. These funds,
which are known as trust funds, and the
interest received on which goes to their
respective departments, come first from the
sale of lands which were granted by the
United States government for the purpose
indicated by the title Of the funds or desig-
mated by the statute. The second item Civ
en- as a source of income is the annual tax
levy. This, as will be readily understood,
varies according to the needs Of 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 be-
gun in the courts. This also varies some
what, running at the present time some
thing over $1,000 year The fees from in
Surance and guaranty companies also vary,
but are running during the last few years
from 1925, 900 year upward. The fees
from the railway companies which are paid
IN lieu of all taxes, are by far the largest
source of the states income. Those re-
ceiyed from the palace and Sleeping-car
companies are, like the railway companies
fees, in lieu of all taxes. but the amounts
received are not large. The state receives
IN the neighborhOOd of $4,000 each from
the telegraph and telephone companies and
lesser amounts from the loan and trust COM
panies and the boom companies in the way
of fees.
four avenues, which may be specified as
administrative, Legislative, judicial and edu-
cational.
First, money is expended for administra-
Awe purposes; that is, for the cost of car
Tying on the state government in its yarl--
forms. represented by the direct
disbursements in the capitol building at
Madison, including expenses Of charitable
and penal institutions The second is leg
zslatiye eXpenses-the cost Of the Legfsla-
Eure. Third the educational expenses,
within this being included the amount dis
tributed TO the different counties for the
maintenance OF the common schools, the
high schools, the manual training schools,
and the day schools for the deaf; the cost
Of maintaining the university; the cost of
maintaining the state normal schools.
Fourth the expenses of maintaining the jul
dietary of the state, including the circuit
courts and the Supreme court.
The above classification is an arbitrary
one but it will be seen at once that it is
comprehensive; that the state pays out
money only through these four avenues.
Here, then, are two simple facts: First,
that the state has certain sources of in
come; and, second, that every dollar eX-
pended through the state treasury for any
purpose must go through one of the four
avenues indicated.
Before going further, another fact should
be stated in order to make more cOmprc-
hensive this review: Wisconsin has no
cd ind abnin al " Iii inc