Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1903-05-14
WAN 7 :
B(j[)GGET 7
Governor Urges Leg
isIature to be
Economical
Sends Special Mes
sage for More Sys-
tenn in Expenses
T axes Another Op
portunity to Slap
the Railroads
Madison, May u.

Madison, May u.
Governor La Toilette wants the
legislature to be more economical. To
that end he asks that at a certain
time in the progress of each legisla
tive session a state budget be made
up which shall place before the com
mite on claims or before the legis-
lature the aggregate amount OF
money to be appropriated and the de-
mands which are made upon the
state for money With these things
in hand the appropriations can be
more judiciOusIy trimmed and the
money distributed to better advan-
tage and with greater wisdom.
This was the burden of another
special message sent by the executive
to the legislature last night. In the
course of the message Governor La
Toilette takes another opportunity to
observe that all the property of the
state, with the exception of that OF
the public service corporations" is
paying more nearly than ever before
its just proportion of taxes. He takes
in this way another occasion to slau
the railroads. The message is as
follows:
''The bills which carry the principal
appropriations for the biennial period
of 1903 to 1905 have been so recently
acted upon by the committee in
charge, that | have not heretofore been
able to ascertain their total amount.
Indeed, cannot at this time state the
same precisely, But it appears from
those passed, and those pending which
have been favorably reported by the
committees, that the aggregate may he
greatly in excess Of the appropriations
for the biennial period of 1901 to
1908
For this reason | address your hon
orable body at this time to urge the
closest scrutiny of all bills carryin g
appropriations with the view of deter
mining whether the public interest
demands the appropriation at this
time, and if it does, whether the
amount may not be reduced without
serious detriment to the purposes for
which the expenditure is proposed.
am aware that strong reasons can be
urged for apprOpriating money for
many worthy objects which have not
yet been acted upon finally by the les
islature. But however worthy and
pressing each appropriation proposed
may appear, it must be borne in mind
that, excepting the public service
corporations, the taxpayer of Wiscon-
sin, already, are heavily, and, to a
certain extent unjustly burdened and
we owe it to them to scan with the
most scrupulous care every bill which
adds to that burden.
cat no time in a legislative session
does the Importance of a general ap-
preparation bill, carrying all appropri-
ations in single legislative act, more
clearly appear to be public necessity
than in the closing day of the session
1t is then clearly manifest that the leg
islature should have the entire matter
of expenditure before it at one and the
same time. When fully advised as tc
the sources of income and the amount
which may be fairly expended in the
public interest, there is then afforded
cmplS W Weigh lu0 Ield
tive Importance of each item anG
judge inteiligently what should pass
for that biennial period, and what
should be deferred or wholly rejected
This cannot be done when appro
priations are made piecemeal. The
members of either house at every Ses
sion vote to pass bills carrying appro
priations, the purposes of which are
defensible and proper, but which they
should certainly vote against later in
the session because they are then in
a position to see that other and more
urgent appropriations should be given
preference in point of public import
ance. The same is true of the execu
tive period. He is not advised in adj
vance just what appropriation bills
are to be presented to him for ap
prevail. He is therefore obliged tc
consider each measure making a
arge upon the treasury, by itself, as
zones to him from the legislature
3 may not be able to assign as
against a particular bill appropriatins
money any controlling reason for with
holding approval, when such bill is
considered by itself If he could al
the same time know just what Other
bills carrying appropriations woul
follow, he could then, knowing the es
timated sources of income, determine
as to the relative Importance of diff
ferent measurese making appropria
tons, in giving or Withholding an
proval.
1T may be that no legislation car
be secured at this session providing
for a general appropriation bill in the
future, but it is suIl possible to hole
the expenditures for the next two
years within reasonable and proper
limits. 1t cannot be done, however
without the most rigid examination O.
all bills which impose a tax upon the
public treasury from this time unit
the close of the session There shoul>
be no injustice done in any case
There should be no undue haste, which