The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1907-01-17
Gentlemen Of the Senate and House of

- 81 AOaA
of our history-the beginning of the
last decade of the first century of state
hood-and under circumstances calcu-
lated to inspire efficient and high SER
vice. Material prosperity outruns COM
parison. Wealth surpasses precedent.
Labor, agriculture, manufacturing, min
ing and nav touched and
passed high tide and the ebb is not yet
begun. Monetary conditions are at their
best. During the last year there was
no failure of any financial institution
within the State. Taken all in all con-
ditions are indeed unusual. They pre-
sent 10 you a problem unlike that which
usually confronts legislative assem-
blies. Where others have been called to
consider Legislation providing the
means and opportunity for the equip
devise enae1ments REQUIRING the just
and wise administration of wealth.
Your problem is not how to create now
but how to save the indnstriai and
commercial opportunity which already
is. 1t is not how to make possible the
cations Of capital and powerful corpo-
rations equipped to transact great af-
fairs and to conduct gigantic enter
and limit the operations of those which
the industry and genius of the 6 have
called into being under existing laws,
so that their benefits shall be diffnsed
among the people
The challenge is not. Can you Gre
ate2o but Can you administer? 1t
y aaae they s1e heard eeDP' and dei understood sa%e and
have made heroic answer. They a
risen to new ideals and w caught
visions of better things. In them moral
conviction is triumphant. Civic duty
and public obligation have taken on a
new and more sacred meaning. They
know again what. for. a time, they did
not seem to remember.-that their
rights-the rights of the masses-are
superior to the claims or demands of
any special interest, natural or corpo-
rate. They are conscious again that this
Is their government, and they intend
that 1T shall be administered in all it's
departments in their behalf. Stirred by
the re-discovery of old but half-forgot-
ten power, they mean that whatsoever
holds their commission shall answer
the challenge of the hour even as they
have answered 1t. They will be impa-
tient of delay, and swift to avenge
faflur
To serve at such a time and under
such conditions is an unusual and an
stance such as these opportunity is
born. He who meets it as becomes a
man, measuring up to its height and
readt is to be extolled and honored.
pacity is to be pitied and forgiven. But
he who possesses the ability and fails
demned and despised. For him there is
no defense in any forum. 1 c~ongratu-
late you that such time and circum-
stance both are yours.
The constitution imposes upon the
executive a share in your deliberations.
1t devolves upon him the duty of giving
you Information touching the condi-
for your consideration such legislation
"as he shall judge" the welfare of the
State demands. and of approving or dis
this extent he shares your response
bility and becomes a part of the legis-
lative department. 1t is therefore inn
portant that relations of confidence and
mutual helpfulness exist you
and him and that he have your counsel
and good will. impressed with the be-
lief that nothing short of this will en-
in full measure our duty to the people
whose servants we are. / tender o
my confidence AND good will without
the limit of my power in every matter
of public concern which may engage
your efforts
The States finances are especially
satisfactory. The revenues 'accruing to
the general fund for the fiscal year end
ing October 81, 1905, exclusive of trans
fer funds, aggregated $3.615.S44.3S.
pere ss. .ss s ssm 81. year feavi tne e npe eneesa of
balance of s2ss.sss,s4.' In this balance
no advanced payments from county
On the 31st day of October. 1904, the
balance in the treasury was 60.601.93
but to obtain this balence advanced
payments from county treasurers had
been called, and the revenue for 1905
anticipated in the sum of 1854, 740. 90.
But for these advanced payments there
but, instead. a deficit of ss4.iss.o7.
1t is gratifying to know that at the
close of the fiscal year this deficit was
s9s.s4 left in the treasury, and that this
was done without calling a single ad-
vanced payment or anticipating the
dollar.
For the fiscal year ending October 81.
1906, the revenue of the general fund.
1900. 164.s3. The disbursements were
$500. 031.9 / leaving an excess OF re-
ceipts over disbursements of $500. 126. 90.
which there were no advanced pay
ments whatever and to obtain which
the of the present year were
neither impaired nor anticipated.
The accruing to the general
fund last year were increased. however.
not only from natural causes due to
the State. bat from the rams er of the
thrAe-cent sinking fund levy to the gen.
eral levy: also from covering back in,
to the whi frHaf baady he senef f~here so5sre n, unl
lawfully withheld therefrom by delin-
quent officials.
Neither the revenues accruing to the
general fund for the present fiscal year.
nor for the year 1908 nor 1909, will
equal those of last year. Those of this
yea however, have been already aug
mented by the payment Of $22. 1856. 40 of
insurance companies which have been
due the State since the expiration of
the term of James II. Rice as Auditor
of -State-more than twenty years. A
conservative estimate of the emu
of the general fund for each Of the
three years named, is $3,126, $4,000 ap-
preparations already made and avail
able for the present fiscal year will
leave a treasury balance of $3.50, 3O9.2 9
at the end of the year. This sum. there
fore, measures the limit of additional
available for the present fiscal year
without nec~essitating the collection Of
advanced payments from county treas
hex years ~revenues. a result which, in
my judgment, should be avoided with
s~crupulous care.
the fiscal ear ending October 81, 1908,
meets the estimate made and the regu-
lar appropriations for the year are not
increased beyond what Q seems to
be a necessary aggregate for the trans
action of the States business, there
will be s1.010.0o0.0o available for spe-
ciic appropriations for said year..
For the fiscal year ending october 81.
1909. there will be substantially a like
balance available for specific appropria-
tons. except as 1t may be impaired by
the expenses of the Sixty-sixth General
Assembly, now estimated at $12F 200. 90.
1t seems, therefore. that in round num-
bers $4,000, 100000 must be the limit of
specific appropriations for the coming
mi period, if we are to keep with
in the revenues Of the State and are to
avoid the impairment of the revenues of
the next biennia period. To do this it
will be necessary to transfer the three
cent sinking fund levy from the sinking
fund to the general fund for the year
1908, as was done for each of the years
1905, 1906 and 1907. Within the last
two years we have paid $407 600 90 on
the principal of the State debt. thereby
canceling all of the debt that is now
payable. This leaves but $500, 900. 90 OF
foreign bonded indebtedness, none of
which will be payable until January.
1910, and none of which will be due un-
til 1915. To meet this debt within the
first year after the States option to pay
natures. it would be necessary to re-
store the three-cent sinking fund levy
to the sinking rund for 1908 n 1909.
The fund derived from this levy would
be more than sufficient, however, to re-
tire the whole of the debt, as such a
levy would by that time produce an an
nual revenue of something more than
$780, 00. 90. / have been anxious that
the debt should be paid at the earliest
possible date and ave hoped that IL
could be done in January, 1910, but ne
ceSSifV e0mpelS fbQ cOmplpfiom Of the