Charlevoix county herald., 1907-01-12
Wide Range of Subjects
Covered in the Docu-
ment of the States
Chief Executive.
RAILROAD RATES TOO HIGH
Suggestion That All Roads in Lower
Peninsula Earning $1,000 a Mile
charge but Two Cents Mile
Proposed Disposition of
Primary School Fund.

Lansing.-The second inaugural mes
sage of Gov. Warner, read to the house
and senate of the Forty-fourth legisla.
subjects. 1t begins with a reference to
the exceptional prosperity of the states
financial condition. The governor goes
on record as favoripg the calling of a
constitutional convection in accordance
with the expressed Ashes of the people
Showing the financial position of the
state, the following figures are given:
THE balance in the state treasury, at
the close of the fiscal year 1905, was
S1,929, S61.75. By reason of the payment of
back taxes by railroad companies. the
treasury balance, at the close of the last
fiscal year, was 81 ,003, 7920S The state
tax levy decreased from SS,S69,724.67 IN
1905 to So, 1888, 7S5.2 20 in 1906. The aggregate
of all taxes, both state and local, levied
in Michigan in 1905, was $27, 402, 1856, and
In 1906 approximately $26. 600. The
amount received from railroad companies
in 1905 was $1,7S9, S40.15. and in 1906 s., 1OS.-
712.26. The latter sum includes the back
taxes mentioned above. In 1908 the in
ing in Michigan paid into the state treas
ury in taxes $S99, 6O0.91, and in 1906 $422,-
942.55. Inheritance taxes collected in 1903
aggregated $751;, S51.3s, and in 1906 $751;, 0i4.-
81. In 1905 corporations paid the state
franchise fees amounting to 69,910.42, and
in 1906 $92,111N During the first IL
months of the year just closed the state
received 1882 81 interest on deposits of
surplus state funds in various banks
throughout the state. The balance in
the state treasury, at the close of bust
ness, December 81, 1906, was 81, 1923, 994.73
THE assessed valuation of the taxable
property of the state was $,574,422,770 in
year for all purposes being $40 per
81 900 of valuation. 1t is estimated that
the assessed valuation for 1907 Will be
81 .601, 493 $50, making the average rate of
taxation about $3.50 per 81, 900 of valua-
ton.
Good Financial Condition.
This satisfactory condition of the
finances of the state reflects quite faith
fully the general condition of the finan-'
cial and business institutions of the state
as well as of the citizens of the state
gervgally. There has not been failure
of az state or national bank in Michigan
during the past four years. This fact
reflects great credit on those officials who
are charged with the duty Of supervising
The reports of the boards of control
of the various state institutions show,
the governor points out. that the state
has received honest, economical and in
tilligent service. He recommends a lib
eral spirit in dealing with the needs of
the institutions and watchfulness in
seeing that the funds appropriated are
expended with care and economy. The
necessity for increasing the accommoda-
tons of the hospitals and asylums for
the insane and feeble minded is shown,
as well as the Importance of carrying on
the care and education of the deaf and
dumb, the blind, and the dependent chill
The work done by the state department
of health since its reorganization by the
last legislature is highly praised. A
recommendation that the health laws OF
the state be modified and simplified fol-
lows.
On the subject of Insurance the ge-,-
ernor calls attention to the conference
OF February last participated in by sew
eTAN state, and recommends that bills
prepared by committee appointed by
that conference be given careful atten-
ton.
The message continues
THE indeterminate sentence law, al
though of comparatively recent enact
ment in this state and providing for
radical change in the manner of sentence
ing persons convicted of crime and ter
mi1ating the period of Imprisonment, is
working satisfactorily.
Dairy and Food Department.
1.-THE work of the dairy and food de-
partment has been greatly extended dur
Ing the past two years. Conforming to
the suggestions made in my first in
augural message, the legislature made
provision for the new lines of work.
Chief among the extended powers grant
ed to the department, in addition to in
creased appropriations for its laboratory,
were the supervision of and the giving
of police power over the condition under
which food and drink products are pro-
duced the control of dairy sanitary con-
ditions from the farm where the milk is
consumer, in the form of either milk,
cream, butter or cheese, the control of
the sanitary condition of bakeries, con-
dictionaries and ice cream plants, and
the making 1t possible to appoint a suf-
ficent number of inspectors to enforce the
several provisions of the law.
From carefully gathered statistics 1t
is evident that the production of cream
cry butter in this state, during the past
year, has exceeded 35,000,000 pounds, and
that the. production of cheese has ex-
ceeded 1500o,000 pounds. These amounts
show an increase of nearly 20 per cent.
during the past two years or nearly
tainly some other contributing causes
for this increased production, yet I be-
lieve that the dairy meetings, inspection
the operation of the New dairy law, have
done their. full sharsi in bringing about
these results
passed what is known as the national
pure food law and meat inspection law.
The application of the new. regulations
of the national food law will apply, so
far as the United States authorities are
concerned, only to food products pass
ing the borders of the state. In so far as
1t is practicable, without surrendering
any of the advantages of the Michigan
law over that of the national law,
recNpmend that the requirements of the
Michigan law be made to conform with
thoN of the national law.
Need of Good Roads.
"It is an unpleasant, though well es-
tablished fact, l think, that some states
contiguous to Michigan can justly boast
the possession of roads far superior to
those of this state. Michigan has been
tagging in this enterprise. The need of
active work in the direction of improv-
ing our highways is imperative. Good
roads are of great value to all classes of
our people, and an economically and in
telligently conducted system OF road
building will prove to be a paying in
vestment. The detailed report of the
state highway commissioners is commend-
ed TO your careful consideration.
THAT there is a very general demand
for the enactment of law placing pri-
vate bangs under state supervision can
not be denied. Two years ago when q
bill. making such provision, was passed
by the house OF representatives and de-
feated in the senate by a very narrow
came to oppose the measure were per-
sons who were either directly or indi-
rectly interested in private. banks. IL
cannot be successfully gainsaid that
tHke so-called private banks are private
so Mr. as their relations TO the public are
concerned only TO the extent that they