New Ulm review., 1901-01-16
IT IS GOV. VAN SAINT.
lie Delivers His Inaugural Address
To the Legislature.
Advocates Legislation Regarding Trusts,
Revision of the Tax Laws and is in
Favor of Good Roads.

| Representatives: Having taken the oath
OF office as prescribed by law, | desire
pefore entering upon the discharge of my
| duties. to acknowledge my profound
gratitude for the great honor conferred
upon me, and in return, promise the ex-
ercise of my best judgment. coupled with
| an honest purpose to faithfully serve the
| people of the state. While the legislative
and executive branches of the state gov
| ernment are separate and independent of
! each other, yet by our mutual co-opera-
| tlon and the exercise of our united ener-
| gles, at all times working in harmony,
the best interests of the state will be
| served
At the very commencement of the task
before US, it is we'll to consider the ques-
| ton of securing the necessary funds to
| defray the expenses of the state govern
ment. State Auditor Dunn, in his report,
makes an estimate of the receipts from
all sources for the biennial period. Such
estimate is based on a tax levy of i 3-1O
mills. During the first year the sum
amounts to s2929,743. and for the second
the first year, $26S0,000, and for the sec
| ond' $2,9200O0, leaving balance for the
first year of $249 20, and for the second,
$l94. 20-a balance for the biennial pc
riod of $444, 486. This balance is available
for new buildings, extraordinary repairs
| and improvements for the correctional
Charitable institutions, university, normal normal
! schools, etc. This amount, in the estima-
ton OF our state auditor, under the most
| favorable circumstances, could not be in
creased to more than sS00,OO0 for the pur-
| poses mentioned without increasing the
| tax levy. This should not be done and
I urge you to practice the strictest econ
| omy and the most careful investigation of
"eVefy appropriation presented for your
! consideration.
The number of patients in the state
hospitals July 81, 1900, was $685. an in
! crease of 324 in two years a fact which
warrants the governor in commencing
the the state a. hospital plan ;for for treating this
] class OF unfortunateS. The buildings at
| Anoka and Hastings he saws, should be
completed, and he particularly calls at
| tentlon to the proposed law which the
board of trustees of the above institu-
| tions have asked to have enacted viz, a
| law. requiring each county from which
pajents foa are GO e6mmitted to R pay $50 per
| thinks this would tend to lessen the num-
| Der of commitments, and would in a
measure solve the question constantly
presenting itself-demands for new build
| ings.
The question of taxation is one of vital
Importance and one that the legislature
| must carefully consider during this ses-
sion. There should be a uniform tax law
| which would place the burden Of taxation
equally upon the shoulders of all, SO that
Ihan another. Such is not the case at
present, for the poor man, if he has a
home home cannot an hide it. and pays his full
| snare. The mechanic cannot conceal his
chest OF tools, the poor woman her sew
ing machine, nor the farmer his real
esta1fe e;a 1f,,7 implements fIe or stock It is the
taxes, the large owner of personal prop
! erty. such as moneys, loans and credits.
!hls class of property does not bear it's
| just burden of taxation, and the legisla-
! tor who could draft a bill and have it
! enacted into law that would bring this
class of property from hiding, have it
placed upon the assessment rolls and
| there properly valued. would be a bene-
factor to the state. [ am OF the opinion
tnat fully one-half of the personal prop
! erty of this state escapes taxation. This
| is true not only of Minnesota but Of 9th
| er states as we'll
I think the consensus of opinion of all
VINO nave given, the subject of taxation
the most careful study and research, is
Of the opinion that revenues should be
| raised for the state otherwise than by di-
rect levy on real estate and personal
property. l am inclined to that view and
believe that our own state in time can
and will be relieved Of this mode of tax
alton: A great advance could be made in
| this direction if we had q franchise law
similar to the one in New York. All
| corporations operating under special laws
| domestic and foreign, would have to sub
| NIT TO the operation of the law. If said
companies con? refused or neglected to do so,
their charters or licenses could be re-
voked. The franchise law. I understand
| is working admirably in New York, and
under date of Nov. &C. Peter Deyo, secre-
| tary of the state board of tax commits
| sioners,. writes as follows: THE first
year OF operation of the franchise law,
nnrmpertm n,1op o ~ INCLUDING special franchise, OF
| $4,000 COO. This is placed upon the as
sessment rolls in tax districts where the
property is located and is subject to the
! local tax rates.
7 will not discuss this subject further
our present laws are certainly very de-
fect3iye. and | agree with several of my
predecessors in office, as well as State
Auditor Dunn, that a tax commission
should be created for the purpose of
araftlng as-i3,, a law that would meet as nearly
| should be taken at once so that said
commission COZ I5! might Immediately proceed
report bill during this session Of the
! legislature. If this cannot be done and
the plan proposed by State Auditor Dunn
meets with favor. the commission could
easily complete its work by Jan. /. 1902
/ know that the subject of taxation is
,neo,yi@ one upon @ Whicn there is the widest di-
Nergence OF opinion, but it seems to me
| that there should be none as to the re-
cessity of q tax commission for our state.
! Said commission could collect and collate
| laws from all the states and select those
which are best and then draft a law that
would be a vast improvement over our
present. inefficient system of taxation.
mission fully and ably presented in the
report of our state auditor, and you will
do well to read and carefully study the
same.
Equally important with the collection of
taxes is a proper disbursement of the
moneys thus received. In round numbers
year. $l.000,000- will be needed for current
expenses, and for the one succeeding,
81, ,!uu, ,uvu. stLiu LOT new buildings and re-
pairs, Sl50000, making q total for our
correctional and charitable institutions of
$2. 600 for the next biennial period
/ am convinced that there should be a
board Of control for the management of
al these Institutions. Such a board,
composed of experienced business men,
non-partisan in its character the mem
bers receiving adequate compensation for
their services and <devoting all their time
and energies to the discharge of their du-
Ties, would be a vast Improvement over
the separate board plan, and would re-
suit in a large saving to the state an
nually. and this. too without in any way
lessening the efficiency Of the service to
the inmates The board would be free
from local and political influences. and
all purchases would be made at wholesale
and after receiving. competitive bids.
In concluding this subject. we may be
pardoned for pointing with pride to the
record made. not alone in the saving
effected by purchasing the supplies for
cur state. institutions in a business-like
manner, but Of far more Importance is
the fact that the unfortunate and help
less people intrusted to our care are now
better fed and better clothed than they
We're before being placed under the con-
troll of this board
The board of control is no innovation
Other states have adopted it, and from
all reports the plan is working admir-