Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, 1903-01-15
Governor Frank Whites Message to the Legislature
Shows the State to Be in Most Excellent
Financial Condition.
Recommends New Building For the State Hospital
For Insane to Accommodate Increasing
Number of Patients.
Legislature Adjourned in Order That Needed Re-
pairs flight Be nade to Capitol Build
ng--lnaugural Ball.

Bismarck, N. D., Jan. S.-Gov.
Frank White read the following mes
sage today before the joint session of
the house and senate:
To the Members of the Eighth Legis-
lative Assembly:
Gentlemen: I have the honor to
submit herein for your consideration
rview of the conditions Of the
state for the past two years together
with a few recommendations for your
action which seem to me expedient
and for the best interests of the state.
At no period since statehood, have
the conditions that promote thrift
and growth been SO uniform and gen.
eral over the entire state as have pre-
vailed for the biennial period just
closing. Our farms and ranges have
produced in abundance. Prices Of all
products have been in excess OF the
usual average. The man of business,
the mechanic and the laborer have all
been protitably employed. Our gain
in wealth is almost unprecedented.
1t is evidenced by the increased com
fort in our homes, by the increased
number of depositors and deposits in
our banks, by the large amount OF
Indebtedness that has been paid off,
by the prompt and almost complete
payment of taxes and interest on
obligations.
congratulate you and the people
of this state that this prosperity has
been with us and that we enter>upon
this new year.
desire particularly to draw your
attention to the improved condition
OF our treasurery and the reduction
made in our state debt. On January
1, 1901, there was less than $4,000 in
the general fund. The accounts
against the state were six months
past due, upon the auditors table
were $4,000 of funding warrants
issued to pay current expenses and
more than Sl5, 900 Of vouchers await
ing payment. This intolerable con-
dition was not new but the result of
almost continuously since statehood,
exceeding our revenues by our expen-
ditures. 1t had been common
practice and usually one of the first
acts for the legislature each two years
to authorize the issuing of sufficient
short time warrants, to square ac-
counts. These warrants drew high
rate Of interest, were not considered
good by investors, and were often,
only sold upon the personal assurance
of the officers issuing them, that they
would be taken care of. During the
past two years s27O, 900 of these war
rants were issued,. 1t gives me and
those who have been associated with
me much pleasure to be able to report
to, you that all of these warrants have
been gradually paid off as they be-
come due, that all other obligations
OF the state have been promptly met
and the biennial period closed with
practically all bills paid and with a
small balance in the general fund.
During the same time by a special
tax sl53,OOO Of asylum bonds have
been paid off and the bonded debt
reduced to that extent.
This has been accomplished princi-
pally by reason of increased revenues.
Our assessed valuation and tax levy
for general purposes has grown very
materially, as shown in the following
table taken from the proceedings OF
the state board Of eQualizatiOn:
Year Valuation Tax Levy Mills
1899. STA, 3s4,42s s43l, s1s 3.s
1900. ll7,2O4,4S5 447,6OO 3.8i
1901, l24,592,7S5 49S,37l 40
1902. j.. l33, $50, ,4l4 535,521 40
The valuation in each one of these
years in the process of equalization
was arbitrarily raised by the state
board more than ten per cent above
the returns of the county boards and
the maximum amount permitted by
law was levied. This action was
made necessary in order to come
somewhere near meeting the fixed
charges and the special appropriations
made by the various legislatures.