Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1903-01-08
GOV. HfRRfID'S
MESSAGE
TWO YEARS or WONDERFUL
GROWTH AND uNRIvALEo
PROSPERITY.
THE FINANCES ARE IN GOOD SHAPE
BONDED INDEBTEDNESS IS RE.
oucED s185,ooo DURING THE
PAST YEAR.
IS full or RECOMMENDATIONS
VARIOUS MATTERS UPON WHICH
soLoNs ARE URGED TO
PONDER.
THE FINANCES ARE IN GOOD SHAPE
IS full or RECOMMENDATIONS

The following is a synopsis OF the mes
sage Of Gov. FIerreid:
The message opens with a reference 10
the deaths of Senator Kyle. Attorney Gem
eral Oyle and Judge Washahaugh. ana
speaks OF their public services In terms
of highest commentator.
The first two years of the century nave
been a period Of contentment and happt-
ness. 1t has been a period OF WONDERFUL
growth and unrivaled prosperity. All IN
dustrial and commercial energies nave
hourished under most favorable condl-
tions.
In the appointment of officers for the
various positions the governor says ne
has constantly endeavored to enforce the
doctrine that the offices were not created
for the benefit of any individual or class
of individuals. and that when an oiacer
failed to measure up to the requirements
of his position he had to get out.
The States
The governor goes exhaustivtly into the
question of the states fnaa2es The
bonded Indebtedness was reduced Sloo,bo
during the last year, BY paymtnt OF $780,
BOO in bonds before maturity the state
saved $4,000 in interest. The remaining
/ bonded Indebtedness of the state is S01T,-
The legislature which convened Jan. 3.
1901. was confronted with a variety or
deficiencies and claims against the state
created by the vaLlOus boards that nad
been administering the AHA - or the
state. Seventeen different claims required
appropriations a~ggregating Z @ sum or
I SG3, 1856. OS. In addition 70 thi$ startling
array of deficiencies, the legisl3 ture toGhd
1t necessary to appropriate tor new oullu-
ings for state institutions ana permanent
improvements the sum OF $50, 49,, making
a grand total for deficiencies. new hulld-
lngs and improvements, of S25S.o1G.OS. Be-
sides this extraordinary expo nditure or
over a quarter of a million dollars, there
was an increased demand, as there neces-
garily must be an increasing deman upon
the franGuFV nm account OF increasing
population and development Of the state.
This fact Is apparent in the enormously
increased labor i'll the state otnces ana
state institutions. These eNpen 1ltures ex-
hausted the funds in the treasury avail
able for current expenses ana produced
the anomalous condition OF warrants not
paid for want of funds and drawing
interest while the cash on hand in the
state treasury Dec. 80, 1902, was SI27.-
24S.S1 This unfortunate state of AFFAIRS
has been occasioned by legislative APP
preparations in excess Of the revenues OF
the state. and by failure to enact legis-
lation that will enable the safe invest
ment OF the accommodating school Iunds.
During the last few years the state mas
lost thousands of dollars in interest paid
on revenue warrants and registered
warrants" and a vastly larger sum by
accumulating funds lying idle IN the treas
ury.
Your attention is directed to the ex-
traordinary expenditure agSregatlng more
than a quarter of a million dollars. inns
nues OF the state. That TINS dlIerence
between the expenditures and the reve-
nues of the state will continue during the
present biennial period Is shown In the
report of the state auditor for last year.
The officials charged with the financial
affairs of the state are helpless TO erect
q remedy. The appropriations are made
by the legislature. The reyeQues of the
state are limited. but the power OF the
legislature to pass appropriation bills for
lawful purposes is unlimited. The tax
Iatyxt ia lfsnffn1 nv lupu and hnGa1 nnnn
valuations of real and personal property
fixed by local assessors and county
boards, The governor gives tables show
Ing the assessed and eqnalized value OF
dive classes of property for 1902. a care
full examination of which, he says, will
show that the equalization Is as just and
proportionate as 1t Is possible to make it
under existing laws and conditions, and
that an absolutely correct and equitable
equalization by the state board is confess
sedly impossible.
The Permanent school Fund.
This permanent school fund at the
close of the fiscal year had reached the
sum of S4 .uS4 ,J66.59. OF this sum on that
1ay Sd3S,ol1.U5 was lying idle in the state
treasury for reasons fully set forth in
the report of the commissioner of school
and public lands. The outgoing treasurer
! estimates hat the schools of the state
suffered a loss OF $4,000 in interest by
reason of this money lying idle during
the year ending June 30. 1902. Unless
this legislature will provide a remedy the
loss for the current year will probably
double that OF the preceding year.
Our magnificent school fund will In the
near future assume gigantic proportions.
Tie commissioner of school anu public
lands estimates that the remaining un-
sold school lands can in the near future
"b9 sold at a price at least equal to the
average of those lands already sold, or
kl4.6O per acre"-a sun exceeding thirty
one million dollars. TIL question is:
What shall we do with this large trust
funds?
The legislature by joint resolution,
attcr a thorough discussion and mature
ueliberation, might outline the policy
which, in its judgment, would best sub
serve the interests of the PEG lie of the
The governor that a high.
er bond be required of the state treas
urer
partment, according TO the governor, war
rants an increase in the attorney gen.
T erals salary.
Department 81 Public instruction
/ The governor refers at length to the
gratifying conditions as shown in the re-
port Of the superintendent OF public in
June 80, 1902, 12a new schoolhouses were
built, many of them beautiful, com
, mod}ous and costly. In the rural districts
the levy for school purposes last year
! averaged but I'll mills. the lowest in our
history, while higher wages were paid &c
!, the teachers, and the Indebtedness of the
school districts was reduced 1888, T07. The
, indebtedness of both city and county dis,
: tricts decreased Sal. 946, although
SCISSORS was expended for new buildings
and fixtures.
The rural districts In twenty-one coun,
ties have a surplus in their treasures
and II is the opinion OF the state super.
intendant that
Another year of debt paying Ink III,
= last will see the rural schools OF the en-.
: tire state with a surplus of cash above
ell debts.
, Charitable and Penal Institutions.
In transmitting the report of the board
of charities and corrections the governor
says:
Never before have these institution.
: been managed so strictly in accordance
: with business principles so well recog
!. nizsd among successful business men
To-day these institutions are distinctl,
, i-S'tf"tf"ns rneUa~ed nv tbs state
and in the interests Of the state. BY pur,
chasing the supplies in large quantitie: