Mower County transcript., 1903-01-14

VAI.N|'|''SA!l|'1''' l | ]! ! ! IDEAS
ff5S N
{ MINNESOTA GOVERNOR SUBMITS
HIS BIENNIAL MESSAGE 70
J THE LEGISLATURE.
SUCCESS OF BOARD OF CONTROL
SURPRISES EXPECTATIONS
! OF IT'S SUPPORTERS.
SAYS NORTHERN SECURITIES
COMPANY Is A SCHEME TO
! STIFLE COMPETITION.

COMPANY Is A SCHEME TO
/. sTlFLE COMPETITION.
St. Paul, Jan. THE following Is
the message of Governor Van SAINT ia
the Minnesota legislature:
TO the Senate and House of Represen.
tatives:
Pursuant to a duty imposed by the
constitution of the state it is deemed
expedient at this time to give your
honorable body such information as is
possessed in relation to state affairs
and to submit for your consideration
suggestions and recommendations
which hope may be helpful. Under.
standing fully the necessity of cooper.
alton between the legislative and exec.
utive departments and approaching
our respective obligations let us with
mutual confidence and with the earn.
est desire to faithfully serve the peo.
pie OF our commonwealth enter upon
the discharge of the duties assigned to
us. /
The treasury department being one
OF the most important, and as the de.
mands upon that department for the
next biennial period will be large, the
matter of providing for necessary
funds must receive your careful atten.
ton. The state auditor estimates the
receipts and disbursements of the rev.
enue fund for the fiscal year ending
July 81, 1903, 1904 and 1905 as fol.
lows:
Aug. l, 1902. Amount in the
treasury to the credit of
the revenue fund. .......$ 7S9 563
Aug. l, 1908. Receipts, in
cluding above cash bal
ance ............ ...... 274 563
Aug. 1, 1903. Disburse-
ments, including all ap-
preparations in force Aug.
/, 1902 ................. 1877 o4s
Aug. l, 1904. Receipts. 800. 8 555 900
Aug. i, 1904. Disburse-
ments .................. 8 2sQ 600
Aug. /, 1905. Receipts. 3 655 900
Aug. /, 1905. Disburse-
ments ................. 3 $50 900
There will be an estimated
surplus July 81, 1905, Of. 427 519
In the receipts the auditor has
reckoned the state tax at l mill on
$S00,O0O,00O. The item of disburse-
ments for the three fiscal years con-
tains 100000 for new buildings and
extraordinary repairs. The estimate
of t., amount for new buildings is no
do. Atnear the limit. Under the most
favorable circumstances it could not
exceed $1,0O0,000 without increasing
the tax levy, and that should be avoid
ed. In order to avoid this l urge the
strictest economy and the most care
full investigation OF every appropria-
tion asked for
STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL
CONDITION OF THE STATE.
According to the report of the state
treasurer we are in a first class con-
dition financially. We are not obliged
to borrow money. We have only a
small bonded Indebtedness and this
was incurred some forty or more years
ago, and is being liquidated as rapidly
Rs the law will permit. We have not
had to incur a dollar of bonded indebt.
edness to build our new state capitol;
in fact, we have $5,000,00O worth of
the bonds of other states in our treas
ury, and in addition millions more of
the very best securities drawing a
large amount of interest I refer to
securities in the nature of loans to
counties, villages and townships and
to state land contracts. These invest
ments represent our permanent school
and university fund.
The sale of school lands and of tim
Der on school lands during the fall of
1902 have added over million dollars
to the permanent fund, so that the
fund now amounts to nearly fifteen
ant one-half million dollars
BY wise provision of the law the
fund is to remain permanent-only the
interest can be used. Annually more
than one-half million dollars from this
source is available for educational pur-
poses.
INCREASE IN NUMBER J.:
OF INSANE PEOPLE.
There were on July 81, 1902, in our
state hospitals 1892 patients. During
tho past two years there was an in
crease of 203. The number of wards
of the state will increase with our
growth and we must provide for their
care and maintenance. 1t is prob
lem difficult Of solution, and in this
connection desire to quote from my
message OF two years ago: -
II particularly call your attention
to the proposed law which the board
urges your honorable body to enact
, regarding each county from which pa-
,tients are committed to pay $1.5O per
Z week for each patient for the purpose
OF partially defraying the expenses of
hB care and maintenance. While this
would not to any great extent decrease
the cost, it might have tendency to
the exercise of greater caution in max
ing commitments. Other states have
similar laws and | am informed that
good results follow. Many times mild
)y insane !, patients who could and
should he cared for at home by friends
and relatives are sent to our hospitals
under the policy of paying the whole
of the expense for the care Of the ia.
sane regardless Of their financial con-
i dition great abuses have arisen. for
often weakninded persons or those
who are old and feeble, being some