Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1901-01-18
\ ETIEiNG GOV. LEE delivered his

TX last message 10 the legislature ut
"A It's opening session on the Sth inst.
He stated tina; during the past two years
there has been no occurrence of unusual
moment to disturb the tranquility of the
strongly ~ our direction, the late census
showing AZ. increase in our population of
~ per cent. Guiing the decade The pub
lie heath las been good; the public peace
has been unIis,urbed; the education oil
the youth has zone on apace stimulated
b. IL school fnMd whose total has reached
SS,31.22. 92t. Is and which is now annually
contributing All income To the support OF
oar common schools aggregating over
S250.o0D
Question Of Revenue Difficult One.
SO long as the present system of taXa-
ton prevails the question of revenue Will
bc a difficult one in South Dakota. We
are forced TO build our state institutions
with view to the ever increasing de-
mands OF tins Young and growing state.
and expenditures have more than kept
pace With TIE increase in property here
tOfore subjected TO taxation. AS con-
sequence we have been borrowing next
years revenues and paying interest upon
them to meet this years expenses. The
heads of the various public institutions
are asking for appropriations which will
exceed in the aggregate S930.000. This sum
is greater than the total expense of main-
tanning the state during any previous BIZ
cnnal period prior to 1899 The auditor
advises that we may expect a deficit be-
fore the close of the fiscal year ending
July j. 1901, amounting to from Sl50,0O0 to
100000. To meet this large deficit three
ways are open. One is to register war
rants at high rate of interest and take
them up as rapidly as the incoming reve-
nues will permit: issue bonds which,
while lower III immediate interest rates,
are costlier N the end than registering
warrants: but the most business like way
is to tax all The property of the state in an
equitable manner instead of allowing rail-
road telegraph. telephone, express and
mining interests To escape their just bur-
dens of taxation because they have passes
and franks 10 distribute to the members of
the board of cslalization and assessment,
or because they are supposed to influence
the votes OF employees III return for official
favors. The state board OF equalization
and assessment pretended to raise the rail-
road valuations i'll 1889 and 1900, but the
increased valuation placed upon other
forms Of property held by the people was
so great that The railroad companies paid
actually less money into the state treasury
than they ha previously done with smaller
valuations. To avoid the undue influences
of the railroads on the board of equaliza-
tion and assessment. Il law should be en-
acted giving tie power of assessment to
the assessors Of the various counties in
which such properties lie. | also recon-
mend that the telegraph and telephone
companies be placed under the supcrvis-
ion of the railroad commission and that the
commission be given power to regulate
rates charged hy such companies. The
tariffs of the telephone companies are OUT
rageously high: the rates charged amount
to more each year than the cost of con-
struc,ion and operation. Measures should
he taken to insure the use ofthe telephones
at reasonable charges made according TO
distance talked. y reduction of more
than 30 per cent. can be made without dan
ger OF a federal court holding it contisca-
ton of property. The state ought to buy
up the present telephone lines or build and
operate its own. Such measure is prac-
ticable and would forever settle telephone
and telegraph. charges within the state
Penal and Charitable Institutions
The penal and charitable institutions OF
the stat. are III better condition than they
have ever been. The institutions were re-
ceived by the present board of charities
from the former officials during the spring
and summer Of 1899. AT the hospital for
the insane everything possible was done
To delay the transfer and subsequently,
through intriguing employees TO embarrasS
the new superintendent and his chiefs.
!. I,.,.l 1,,,., Al
icy to keep an accurate set of books, the
public examiner being compelled to rely
in making his Investigations upon vouch-
ers ON file. IL was found that excessive
prices had been paid Tor almost everything
bought. but there Was nowhere any evi-
dence of discounts having been credited 10
the state. ii is by official collusion with
favored bidders that the state pays high
prices on lis purchases and public officers
are afforded an opportunity TO share in
profits made by those who supply the
merchandise required by the institution.
During the past two years the hospital has
undergone many necessary improvements.
The large central building for which the
last legislature made an Appropriation OF
$4,000 is We'll under way. While the leg
isluture apIyup. latcl only $50, 90 Tor this
building, the p:aus drawn by the architect
and accepted 10y the board are for Il build
ing to cost $4,000. and TINS estimate was
evidently without including plumbing and
fittings. One peculiar feature of the con-
tracts for the construction of these builc.-
ings is that ihey were all let to be built
during one season. Lit seems that the old
governing board Was anxious TO let all The
contracts ana eypend as much of the
money poSs Die before their successors
in Office shoul enter upon their duties
Why they should do So can better be sur
missed than explained. The present pop
ulaton of the Institution is 5l5, Il gain OF 81
during the last TWO years. Applications
are constantly being made which tax It's
capacity 10 the utmost limit. In this con-
nection il seem. 10 me that money levied
tor insane purposes upon The various
counties hayin-; inmates should be appro-
priated for the insane and that the legisla-
,urc does 4 wrong III Withholding it OF
employing the funds for any other pur-
nose If the present per capita charges are