The Van Buren press., 1899-01-21
TAXATION.

/ ton which requires all taxes 10 DE
eoual and uniform and all property to
be taxed according to its value. 1t Is
notorious fact that assessors
throughout the state do not tax prop
erty according to its value, but accord
ing to an arbitrary percentage, which
each assessor fixes according to his
own whim or caprice and varying In
j each county of the state. These laws
/ also afford n convenient shelter Tor
the tax-dodger, and some of the most
! valuable property of the state escapes
taxation partially and sometimes
! wholly. while. the poor man with his
/ forty acres and his COW and his mule
| Days his full measure of taxes, De
/ cause his property cannot be hid. rms
| is all wrong and | recommend com.
piete revision and amendment OF our
revenue laws, at least so far as they
relate to the ascertainment OF the val
ne of corporate property and the pow
ers and duties of assessors and boards
of equalization. Nothing like equality
and uniformity can be obtained with
out the creation of a state board OF
equalization, and | recommend that
yon create one, which may consist or
state or county officers already In ex-
istence.
STATE BOARD OF HEALTH.
The laws of this state provide for
the appointment by the governor at
stated times of a state board Of health
and invest 1t with certain powers and
impose upon it certain duties in the
interest of health and life among the
people of the state, but last general
assembly failed to make any appro-
nriation to enable the board to per-
form those duties or exercise those
powers. During the prevalence of
yellow fever in some OF our sister
states | found it necessary to expend
n considerable part of the small con-
tingent fund appropriation for the
governors office. in aiding the board
| TO protect our people against the
spread of that dreadful disease. This
was wholly insufficient for this pur-
pose. and we are indebted more to the
merciful providence of God than to
any exertions we were able to make
for our escape from ii. At other times
during my administration smallpox
made its appearance in different sec
tions of the state and threatened to
become epidemic and widespread.
This caused other drafts upon the
governors contingent fund. which
was wholly inadequate for the pur
ing the board of health are deserving
of great eommendation for the man
ner in which they have discharged
their duties. but they advise me that
the health and lives of the people are
in constant danger from the epidem-
les peculiar to our southern states,
and that we cannot hope for continued
exemption from them unless means
are provided for adopting the neces-
sary safeguards against their spread.
therefore recommend that suitable
appropriation be made for this pur.
pose.
UNIFORM STATE LAWS.
The American Bar Association has
been engaged for a number of years
III fllutti vi lIiS W tItdlt huilbl llllAf III
the law of the different states. In
aid of that movement more than half
Of the states of the Union have pro
yided commissioners to confer to-
! ty as deemed advisable The com
! missioners from these different states
have conferred together, and in 1896.
| the conference recommended an act
entitled, "a General Act Relating to
| Negotiable instruments" This act
has been adopted by the state of New
! York. Florida, Connecticut, Colorado,
Maryland, Virginia and Massachusetts,
and has been favorably reported in
both branches of congress for the Dis
trict of Columbia, and passed unani-
mously in the house of representatives.
A copy of this act has been furnished
me, and | have examined it with great
care and diligence. | find it to be
really cOdifcation of the laws relat-
ing to negotiable instruments. and
believe it will be of great benefit to
our commercial and business men in
general, as well as to all who may deal
| in negotiable instruments, if adopted
by you. 1t puts the law in such shape
that it may be readily understood by
any person of ordinary understanding,
and will do away with the necessity
of eearching through hundreds of
books to find what the law on that sub
! iect really is. | recommend its pass
age by you, and will furnish a copy,
| if so desired, to any committee or COM
mittees of your respective bodies.
ELECTION OF UNITED STATES
SENATOR'S.
| am informed that a bill or resolu-
ton providing for an amendment to
the constitution OF the United States
requiring United States senators to
be elected by a direct vote of the peo-
pie has passed the house of represen-
! tatives of the congress of the United
! States, and is now pending before the
senate. | recommend that our sena-
tors be instructed by you to vote for
| the passage of such bill or resolution.
COUNTY CONvICTs.
| recommend a change of the present
method of furnishing prisoners con-
victed of misdemeanors. Under the
present system the county court can
hire such prisoners to be worked any
where in the state the contractor may
wish. and in some cases the persons
convicted in one county are hired out
to work in a distant county, beyond
the jurisdiction of the judge who
hires them. By this means the county
Judge cannot overlook the farm upon
which the convict is working and
cannot know whether the contract is
being carried out in good faith or not.
] xUl,tI. 41,, Low, ,,roui1oc tbat 'ttba aou.