Oakes Republican. (Oakes, N.D.) 1898-1906, 1901-01-11

your desks, fullysinform you of the
conditions of thesstate and of its var
ious institulions.s
desire to call your attention prin-
cipally to the one subject that [ deem
OF the most Importance for your con-
sideration at this session, namely:
THE FINANCES OF THE STATE.
The makers of our constitution in
their wisdom saw fit to place a very
low and infexible limit to our state
indebtedness, at the same time they
permanently located large number
of state institutions. They literally
endowed them with grants Of land,
which grants, however, were not avail
able for the building up of these in
stitutions and your predecessors have
built them up largely from taxation.
These Institutions are great credit
to our state and | believe are not in
advance OF our needs, but they are,
perhaps, in advance Of our ability to
secure, by taxation, under the exist
ing laws, means to build, equip and
maintain them; and provide for their
growth. Almost since statehood our
expenditures have exceeded our re-
ceipts and as an inevitable result our
debt limit was soon reached and we
have for some time had an empty
treasury and bills long past due.
Gentlemen of the Legislative AS
sembly: We owe duty to our con-
stituents to amend this condition and
to place ourEstate in position to pay
all claims on demand.
There areEbut two ways this can
be done; either we must materially
increase ouryreceipts or we must ma
terially cut down our expenditures,
or both. The former we can i'll af-
ford to do on the heels Of an almost
complete failure Of crop, There is
natural increase of the revenues but
on account os this failure Of crop |
believe the receipts for the past two
years are fair index of the probable
revenues for the ensuing two years.
This amounts in round numbers to
S935,OOO. Our expenditures based
upon the present laws and the az
preparations Of the last Legislature
amount to S9j2, 900 or nearly $4,000
more than the probable revenues.
That such appropriations have been
made more than once, the record of
our unpaid bills is the iudisputable
proof ! am opposed to the appro-
priations Of money by standing APP
priations; and believe that where
possible, all appropriations should be
made in specific amounts and that
every dollar of the revenue should be
paid on bills acted upon every two
years. 1t was undoubtedly the inten-
ton of our constitution makers that a
general appropriation bill, embrac-
ing the expenses of the executive,
Legislative and judicial departments
O. the state, interest on the public
debt and for public schools" be
passed at each session and chat all
expenditures be authorized and based
upon the condition of the treasury
and the probable receipts. Your pre-
decessors have been kind to you.
They have appropriated more than
two-thirds Of your revenue and have
also left you legacy OF Sl50,O0O Of
unpaid bills.
Gentlemen, believe this to be all
wrong. You are held responsible for
the financial condition of the state
for the next two years and every ex-
pense of ,he.state should pass in le-
view before you. Wipe every stand
ING approximation from the statutes,
take fresh start and let us see if the
finances Of tie state cannot be placed
and kept on 8 business basis.
LII line with this idea and as a
basis for yout consideration | submit
to YOU the following. recommended
tions for theE appropriations for the
ensuing two Years in lieu of all other
appropriations.
Here follows list OF the, specific
appropriation recommended].
This is Sl5SOOO less than tie es-
timated expenditures based upon the
standing authorizations and those of
Of the last session and if passed at
about the eoreg going figures will keep
ms we'll witAinsthe revenue and clean
ND a large part of our floating debt
7 have pleparad these recommends
tions upon thaconvicton that it is