Custer County Republican. (Broken Bow, Neb.) 1882-1921, 1905-01-12
GOVERNORS MESSAGE
Ills SECOND ADDRESS

ing.
While the essential principles of the
law are. in my judgment, eminently
Just and correct, there are some mat
ters of detail which might be improved
and to these | invite your attention.
Under the Interpretation placed up
on the law by the state board of equali-
zation and assessment, it has no power
to differentate between classes of
property in equali2ing county assess
ments. 1t can raise or lower the en-
tire assessment roll of the county, but
cannot raise or lower one class of
property without reference to the other
classes. For this reason 1t is impos-
sible to secure a just equalization, for
in raising or lowering one deficient
class to the proper standard other
classes with which there is no fault
are, by the unit system, raised or low
cred in unison and, hence, while JUS
uce may be secured in the one instance
1t is violated in the other. | therefore
recommend that Section 1870, Article /,
Chapter n of the Compiled Statutes
OF 1903 be amended so as to permit the
state board OF equalization to differ
entiate between classes o6property in
equaliZing county assessments.
Another inherent weakness in the
present law is the fact that county
boards of equalization are compelled
to make their levies in advance of the
equalization of the county assessments
by the state board. | recommend that
Section 1856, Article 1, Chapter II,
Compiled Statutes Of 1908, be amended
so that county boards shall make their
levies after the certificate of county
equalization shall have been received
from the state board. Also, that Sec
ton $50 of the same article and chap
ter be amended so as to provide for
the transmission, by the state board,
of the certificate of county equaliza-
ton to the county clerk at the earliest
date consistent with the general tenor
of the section, and that the said county
clerk be instructed to call the county
board together within seven days after
the receipt of said certificate for the
purpose of making the necessary levies
for the ensuing year. For the same
reasons the law fixing the time for
making school district and municipal
levies should be amended in harmony
with the above suggestion.
STATE BOUNDARY COMMISSION.
BY act of the last legislature, the
chief executive of this state was au-
thorized to appoint a commission of
three members to act with like COM
c.'~- -~Ot-t~1 Nv ~ n~nor of
South Dakota in the matter of agree
ing upon boundary line between the
two states. This commission met with
the representatives of South Dakota
in due time and after repeated con-
ferences and personal inspection, an
agreement of the joint commission was
filed with me, March 4, 1904, which
now transmit to you Tor approval or
rejection.
The preceding legislature also made
provision for similar commission
to act in conjunction with q commits
sion representing the state Of Iowa.
However, as our enactment was con-
tingent upon the action of the Iowa
legislature in providing for boundary
commission, and as the Iowa legisla-
ture neglected to take such action,
nothing has been done. Owing to the
teChnicalities involved, lawlessness
and crime have been fostered in the
disputed territory and the rights of
property owners have been subject to
much annoyance. This state of affairs
will continue until relief has been af-
forded by the settlement of the bound
airy dispute. | recommend, therefore,
that your honorable body make provi-
sion for another boundary commission,
the statute of limitation having run
against the old act, to cooperate with
a like commission from the state of
Iowa in agreeing upon boundary line.
The litigation regarding the bound
airy line between Nebraska and Mis-
souri,, which had been pending in the
supreme court of the United States for
some time, was permanently settled
recently by a decision Of the court
fully sustaining the contention of
Nebraska. The court fixes the bound
airy line in the center of the old chan
mel of the Missouri river, confirming
to Nebraska what is known as Island
Precinct" Nemaha county. | recon-
mend that an appropriation of $1,000,
or as much thereof as may be needed,
be made for the surveying of the line
and the erection of permanent monu-
ments, the state of Missouri to meet
its equal share of said expense.
lllE DA l-EDIllI NEbtkAphA.
On October Z, 1904, the battleship
Nebraska" was successfully launched
at the yards of the builders in Seattle
Washington. The impressive cere-
monial was participated in by a num-
Der of the executive officers of this
state. The Nebraska" is one of the
latest and most efficient types of bat
tleships and our state is highly hon
ored by the national government in
being permitted to stand sponsor for
her. The remaining work of construc-
ton and equipment will occupy about
one year and she will then be ready for
commission. At that time it will be
highly proper for our state, through its
| legislature or unofiicially through it's
citizens, to present to the officers of
the Nebraska" for the use of the ship,
| some practical gift as a token of our
California Tournament OF Roses
| Under the most auspicious weather
| conditions imaginable and in the pres-