Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1904-01-08
GOV. NASH'S MESSAGE
To the 10Th General
Assembly of Ohio.

To the General Assembly:
My last message to the general as
sembly, communicating the condition
of the state and recommending meas
ures which l deemed expedient, was
submitted on the 9th day of January,
1902. 1t is now my duty to send
similar message to the seventy-siXth
general assembly at this, its hrst
session.
THE GENERAL REVENUE.
Owing to the operation of certain
laws enacted by the last general as
sembly, and which l deemed to be
wise, the manner in which the gen
eral revenue fund of the state has
been produced has been entirely
changed Formerly this fund was
largely derived from levy Of one
mill and four-tenths of one mill on
each dollar of valuation of taxable
property in the state. This placed
the chief burden of the taxes for
state purposes upon the real and
personal property. The last general
assembly believed that this class of
property should be relieved of this
burden and that other sources of
revenue should be sought and util-
lied. Therefore, the act OF April 20,
d902, was passed, which omitted to
make levy for the general revenue
of the state, and which repealed the
act of April IS, 1892, in which act a
aevy of one mill and four-tenths of
one mill was prescribed for general
revenue purposes. This relieved real
and personal property from paying,
during the two taxable periods, Dec.
20, 1902, and June 30, 1908, the sum
of S2,7s6, ,442.59, for the benefit of the
general revenues of the state. 1t
is safe TO say that the grand dupli-
cate of the state for the coming year
will amount to 100000 900, and this
legislation will relieve this class of
property from paying at least $2,SOo,-
900 for general revenue purposes dur
ing the present year.
NEW REVENUES.
Tn order to reimburse the general
revenue fund for the income of
which it was deprived by the repeal
of the levy for its benefit, the act
ITO require corporations to file an
nual reports with the secretary of
state and to pay annual fees there
for" known as the willis Law" the
act to amend sections 27SO-17, 27sO-1S,
27s0-l9, 2TsO-2O, 27SO-2!. 27SO-22, and
TO supplement said section 27SO-22 by
supplementary section 27S0-73 of the
revised statutes of Ohio, known as
the Cole Law" and the act to
amend section 2745 of the revised
statutes of Ohio (the tax on insur-
ance companies), were enacted. These
laws have resulted in the production
of very satisfactory returns for the
benefit of the general revenue fund
go ~.
derived from the operation of these
laws, and from other sources, with
out one dollar being obtained from
taxation upon real or personal prop.
erty, for the year ending Nov. Is
1903, was S4,991, 1862. A very care
full estimate has been made of what
the receipts for the same fund will
be during the year ending Nov. 15
1904, which shows that they will be
$5,10O,O0O.
EXPENSES OF THE STATE.
In considering this subject, it Is
important to know what sums OF
money it has required during the
last five years to meet the genera
expenses of the state, which are paio
out of the revenue fund. They are
given below:
For the year ending Nov.
Is, 1889 ................$4 S., ,964, ,953. o:
For the year ending Nov.
Is, 1900 ................ 1900, ,453.21
For the year ending Nov.
10, 1901 CHARACTERIZATION. 5,196,730.9 Q!
For the year ending Nov.
15,, 1902 ................ 5,264, ,637. 81
For the year ending Nov.
15, 1908 ................ 5,435, ,S73. o.
1t will be observed that there ha
been a constant and steady increas,
in the expenses of the state. This il
accounted for partially by the fac
that the state has steadily increased
in population and in her needs. Blu
it is more largely due to the fac
that for years prior to this time, tn,
financial condition of the State wa
such that her benevolent, reforma
tory and penal institutions We're no
kept in proper repair, and that tn,
facilities of these institutions wer
not increased in proportion to the de
mands made upon them. AS n re
suit, they were not large enough, ant
modern and permanent improve
ments, absolutely necessary to thei
wants, were not made. During tn
last five years, new buildings hav
been added and permanent improve
ments have been made, as the re
sources of the state would permit
During the year ending Nov. Is, 100;
the sum of $795.576.S9 was expende
in the permanent improvement o
these institutions, and in the futur
more will be required in this direc
tion.
1t may be said, "If the receipts O
the general revenue fund during tn
year 1908, amounted to only S4,964
953.O9, how was it possible to pa
therefrom the sum of S5,435, 1873 .03
Fortunately, at the beginning of tn
fiscal year, Nov. IL, 1902, we had
surplus or balance in the genera
revenue fund amounting to $2,sG9
122.24. This large sum accumulate
in 1902, by reason of two facts, whic
will never exist again. First. tn