The Yale expositor. (Yale, St. Clair County, Mich.) 1894-current, 1901-01-11
GOV. Bliss MESSAGE
Urges That Justice be Done to All
Classes Of Property.
COST OF STATE INSTITUTIONS.
Changes Should be Made In Primary
School Fund-suggests That Sale of
Cigarettes be Prohibited - Asks for
Economy and y Short Session.

or Representatives:
Michigan enters upon the long highway
OF the twentieth century in the van of
the procession of the states of this great
republic. Yours, gentlemen of the forty
nrst legislature, Is the distinction of being
the hrst legislative assembly of this CEN
fury l trust your record will commend
you each and all to the good graces of
the people whom you serve and in whose
behalf you legislate. 1t is my privilege,
as governor, to address you on this occa-
sion, and as we read the glorious history
or this peninsular state we know there
has been put upon us a burden of re-
sponsibility by reason of the position to
which we have been elected. I believe we
shall acquit ourselves as men: that we
shall bear in mind at all times that every
officer and employe of the state Is a pub
lie servant.
The problems of state management
presenting themselves to the forty-first
legislature being chiefly non-politcal,
require in their solution the same kind
of common sense used In the ordinary
dispatch of business. Michigan is pros
porous. it's reople well employed, and the
great strides taken in development point
TO future OF diversified industries In
the way of legislation nothing should be
done tending in the least to impete the
progress or to hinder the welfare of the
be the guild ..
Standing upon its record of progress and
prosperity Michigan, at the beginning of
the twentieth century, faces the most
splendid decade in its history. The state
expects at your hands an honest and de-
cisive settlement of the taxation ques-
ton, so that the people, assured Justice
has triumphed. may devote themselves
IN security to the pursuit of business and
the earning Of livelihood
Reform In the Tax Laws
l ask the legislature to give it's careful
attention to the tax laws, so that every
collars worth of property shall bear its
hair and equal proportion of the public
puruens. II there are wrongs in taxation
they should be corrected. As a Republi-
can governor. | urge that the party pied
yes De carried out. to the end that all
that under perfected state supervision of
taxation there will come an end to the in
equalities thai have prevailed. There is
no better way I'd secure the interests of
the people than by Legislation which does
equal and exact justice TO air.
Believing that the people desire tnGt all
properly now paying specific taxes shah IL,
assessed In like manner with other prop
-erty, recommend that the legislature
provide the necessary machinery for the
assessment and collection of taxes on this
property upon an ad valorem basis. There
should he no hasty consideration of this
important question, however. for the in
terests OF hundreds of millions of prop
erty Is oNslight one. 1t is not necessary
90 rehearse the steps that have been taken
IN legislation of this kind for the duty
devolving upon us Is plain and we should
dlscharge II properly and acQuit ourselves
of our obligations.
AT the hands of the fortieth legislature
Sci toIi IdllTodu charters were repealed.
and L recommend that this legislature
satisfy itself before adjournment that no
further legislation is needed to make alb
solutely sure that these special charters
have disappeared from Michigan.
Cost of state Institutions.
one or the most important problems in
the administration of the government Is
the increasing cost of the state institu-
lions ana the growing demand for the
multiplying of these great public works
There are two horns to the dilemma,
elther greater appropria tons or the pater-
nal an1 philanthropc work of the state
muse come to a partial halt Under the
system of taxation in vogue, only real es-
tate and personal property are assessed
proceeds of taxation from what are
known as Specific tax properties are
distributed through the primary school
FUND and applied for school purposes. The
use OF primary school Interest money e
PROMPTED Tor other purposes than the
payment of teachers wages Informal
ton collected by the retiring auditor-gen-
erai shows that in many counties the one
mil tax added to the primary school
money disbursed was in excess of the
amount paid for teachers wages all the
way from 70 to 80 per cent. Should there
be Increased taxation OF all the classes
or property now paying specific taxes. the
condition above stated will be made worse
instead of better, and there will be no re-
lief for the inequality now prevailing the
hands Of the legislature being tied iust us
nrmly as before. Why will It not be bet
the primary school fund, devoting the ex
cess OF tax collected from the so-called
,sp pd tax tax properties" to the genenai
meets the view Of the legislature a con-
stitutional amendment should be submit
ted limiting the amount the state is re-
CURED to pay to the primary schools TO
some certain portion of the tax collected
from the corporations now paying specific
taxes. the remainder to be covered into
the general fund Of the state.
Econnn,-
In calling your attention to economy in
the conduct of public affairs, advise the
practice OF an economy of the kind which
appeals to every business man, farmer
and householder. 1t Is of no value to Sc
cure fair and equal assessments If the
expenses of the state are not brought TO
an economical basis, and it should be
borne in mind that appropriations regu-
late the tax rate. The appropria tions
should be such as will commend them
selves to the people as necessary, and If
the affairs OF the commonwealth are con-
Quoted along this line the people will con
graduate themselves upon having a wise
government.
AS step in the direction of true econ
omy, all my appointees are requested to
remember Lansing is the established seat
of government, and that their offices mus,
be maintained here as contemplated by
law
short Session of the Legislature.
While not attempting in the least to in
terfere with the legislature the adyisa-
There is apt to be too much instead of
not enough legislation, and the longer the
session the greater the tendency to add to
the bulk of the statutes. A short session
Is in the interests of economy and the
members of both house and senate will
feel better satisfied with their records I'm
short session than in a long one To
the end that a busness-like session NAV
result. the adjustment of the so-called
general junket is urged, substituting
when necessary, separate visits of the
committees to the institutions they have
in charge making these visits during the
fifty-day period for the introduction OF
bills. Experience has shown this can be
done without interfering with the public
business. There should be early consider
alton of the appropriation bills. and / APP
peal to the Legislature to see that every
effort consistent with wise regard for
the interest of the institutions and of the
taxpayers, Is made to hasten final action
on these bills The executive will be found
willing to confer with the committees of
both houses. cooperating In every way
possible to make these recommendations
OF practical bepeht. Let every endeavor
be made to see that legislation is framed
SO II will stand the test of the courts. Use
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