The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1903-01-15
THE GOVERNORS MESSAGE

Gentlemen Of the Senate and House Of |
Representatives:
The Sixty-third assembly of Indiana con- /
venes al time of universal prosperity. |
Peace, happiness and content1hent more
generally prevail than at the converting of |
any other session OF the general assembly !
In the history of our commonwealth. and |
1 join with the people of the state in re-
turning thanks to the Giver of all gifts |
FOR the generous bounty He has bestowed /
upon us all.
Capital and labor are profitably employed |
and mutually satisfied Industrial and /
manufacturing enterprises converting /
our resources into products which are be- |
Ing carried into every avenue of trade and |
commerce; the farm and factory are rich |
~ productive; railroad construction is |
opening new territory. and applied electric |
ity is connecting our cities and towns into |
close neighb0rho0ds.
AS result of your deliberations I be- |
speak a session fruitful of just and con- |
sentative legislation along the lines of the |
states needs. Indianas foremost position |
among the states of the Union has largely |
resulted from the progressive and cenSer
vafiye legislation or its gene1i1. assemblies.
You are commissioned directly by the peo- |
pie to enact laws for their government and
protection. and ! am sure that you will
reflect by your actions the Will OF the peo-
pie.
Party responsibility attaches to the adj
ministration of state affairs, but partisan
a
management or control. The best politics
is exemplifed in fidelity to Official duty
and the protection of the interests of those
whom we serve Without any abatement
of loyalty to political convictions. let
the master motive be one of serving the
state by giving it our patriotic services,
to the end that Indiana may continue TO
be one of the most progressive and pros
porous states Of the Union.
The financial condition of the common
wealth is one that cam justly claim the
do Of s.fr It'll
ual taxpayer of Indiana is stakeholder
In the great business affairs that so largely
form the responsible duties Of state adj
ministration- Not only in the receipt and
disbursement of taxes and fees is there
care and Judgment to be exercised. but
paramount obligation of loyalty to the
requirements of the statutes must be en-
forced Any haphazard. tentative policy
of dealing with the finances of the public
Is monstrous wrong. and can but result
In extrava gance. waste and Official scan
cal The fact that the money in the states
treasury is the contribution of the people
Tor the purpose of good government is
of itself. sufficient reason why Jealous
guardianship should be associated with its
disbursement, and, as a business PROPOSE
ton. there can be no Justification tOler-
alton in not requiring fidelity in account
ings- detail in itemizatiOn- and strict
construction OF the appropriation acts as
10 the latitude Of expenditures. Public
fiscal methods should be the exemplar not
only of eclectic principles and practices.
but in all that is so diverSely associated
with careful. conservative and clearly
business nianasement Other states have
separate bureaus with retInucs OF officers
and clerks for insurance, be lG.ng and loan,
banking lands. railroads Snd varied de-
partmenrs of governmental oversight. that
furnish meagre duties and substantial sal
AIRY lists. but Indiana saves this unHnece :
sary expense by merging under cell raj
authority these suberdsn nate divisions. thus
not only saving thousands Of dollars in
superfiuous expenses. bur giving the public
much better and more methodIcaI service.
The incidental factors that have : ven TO
the taxpayers substantial records of the
admirable and purely business financial
status of cur beloved state Institutions the
practice OF economy. uniform fiscal meth
DDS. the exclusion of parsimony and waste
due to careless discipline the Identity of
the dollar in accounting from purchase 10
consumption, and the employment of all
surplus revenues TO debt reduction in
stead of permitting the same to needlessly
swell the idle balance in the treasury.
The tax rate in Indiana is one Of the
lowest of any OF the states of the Union,
and when the growing necessities, both
to permanent Improvements and yearly
maintenance, are taken into account, was
never as light as at present The state
revenue and benevolent institution levies
Of IA cents are really all that 20 into the
general fund. The school revenue is re-
distributed on a statutory basis; the slight
specific levy for the state debt can be
used only for its prescribed purpose. and
the one and two-thirds cents to the educa-
tional institutions. aggregates the % %
cents OF the states share Of taxes. The
average rate in Indiana is about S1.5O on
the 500, so 1t will be seen the burdens OF
taxation are local. Permit me to suggest
that the problem involved in the solution
ship, county and city governments. There
never was greater demand for careful
and economical business administration
OF local public trusts than at present. The
careless and shiftless handling of public
revenues inevitably produces extravaganza
and deficits. and In this age Of practical
economics there is room reason for
prodigality, political pensions or selfish in
terest.
The aggregate taxes Of the state revenue
and d senevment in st funds, collected
OF fees paid into the treasury by the state
officers wss 1892. 03J.02. making an aggre-
gate of s.. 413. 1852. which. with incidental
egS or the different Institutions of the
safe, constituted the general fund The
total tax duplicates OF the state is S1.39T.
sSl. i9I: the amount OF mortgage exemp-
tiOns is $50. 169 90: the amount Of de-
lincuent taxes is 1888. 1921. / especial
ly direct the attention of the legislature TO
this excessive delinquency. The legisla-
ture of 1897 sought to correct this great
wrong in increasing the county treasurer's
commission ON delinquent collections fron.
to 8 per cent. but this has not proven
entirely efficient That delinquent take.
can be collected needs only the scannin.
Of settlement sheets in counties where Of
fetal duty has been performed. TG2 often
to pay is the fear of political consequence
In denomination or election II the legis
lature. in its wisdom enact remedy
II should be done. / suggest that the law
now limited to Marion county be applied
10 the whole state, namely to allow the
county treasurer to. pay 30 cents as de-
mand fee for collecting delinquent taxes on
personal property, or for collecting de-
Inquent poll tax This law has proven
most efficient means for collecting de-
iinquent taxes from those who own no real
estate.
The debt reducing policy has been stead
that since the last biennial session of
have been made:
June %, 1901, 3 per cent school re-
FUNDING bonds .-----..$ oOOOOO
JAN ?. 1902. per cent school re-
1unding bonds 5lt,OOU
July 70. 1902, 3 per cent school re-
funding bonds ----.--.....----. IOOO,OOO
jan ). 1908. per cent school re-
funding bonds ..-.......-...... 100000
OF this amount $793, 1874 accrued from
the special levy, and the balance, or ST.
013,036-66, was derived from the general
fund, $685., $500 of which being the amount
of the war claim for interest and discounts
The annual interest charge now Is 3d.
665. The unpaid balance Of the state fsDt
is $2.6S7. 615.12. which is represented as
per cent refunding bonds,
1850 ..s.s....-... .-.... - 81 .113. 900 00
80 per cent nporary loan,
1896 .... ........... 600 GO
31a per cent temporary funding
per cent cent Purdue University, $500 y
1900 ........... ............ $4,000 o(
8 per cent Indiana University,
1897 ----..- l44-W0 "