Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1907-01-04
RETIRING GOVERNORS MESSAGE

nave ticSNeO Hlos
RETIRING GOVERNoR's MESSAGE
Condition of State ms IL Appears TO
Mr.. Mickey
The annual message Of retiring Governor
Mickey followed the address OF Governor
Sheldon. Mr. Mickey said:
10 the members Of the Thirtieth Session
OF the Legislature Of Nebraska, Gentle
men; You are assembled at q time when
history Is being rapidly made. Never be-
fore has there been an era when the puphc
conscience was so quickened to a sense
OF Justice and when there was such gem
eral demand for the purging Of, the ine-
qualities which have been tolerated In our
civil system. The time is ripe for improve
ment along ethical lines Abuse of special
privileges and opportunities must give way
to justice Organized society has drifted
to higher plane and the inquiry OF the
conserved and guaranteed to the greatest
number?' This, take It. Is the present
sentiment which will control the actions
of each of you through this entire session.
The Revenue Law.
The condition of our state revenues 10
rapidly assuming more satisfactory phase.
The hostility which the new revenue law
engendered In the campaign of two years
ago has almost entirely disappeared and
the measure is now generally regarded as
both wise and benefcent. 1t is equal to
the necessity of raising sufficient funds to
meet the economical administration OF state
affairs and the gradual extlnguishment OF
be met. needed amendment, however,
is one which will require the railroads to
report to the State Board of Equalization
earnings OF each road within the state as
one of the bases OF assessment. Freight
rates in Nebraska are considerably higher
than In the states to the east and yet the
earnings of the roads doing an interstate
business are reported 20 the several states
I'm the ratio which the total mileage bears
to the mileage within each state. This is
a manifest injustice to Nebraska. II the
railroads persist In charging our people
higher rates than they do the people OF
Iowa and Illinois, then the earnings re-
ported to our state board should be corre-
spondingly larger and the assessment
should be affected accordingly. Tie new
law has now been in active operation three
years and during that time has been under
the rigid scrutiny of all interests. With
the exception OF two OF our railroad sys-
TENS, the Burlington and the Union Pacific,
has met with unqualified endorsement.
The railroads mentioned regard themselves
seriously aggrieved in the matter OF the
amount of their assessments and the con-
sequent enlarged taxes. They have gone
Into the courts to test the legality of the
action of the State Board of Equalization
and Assessments, so far as II Affects them,
and though they lost their suit In the
United states district court, they have
Eappealed to the United States supreme
! The amount involved is 20 per cent OF the
| total taxes due from the two roads 10 the
| several counties, with the exception of those
counties where the amount in controversy
10 less than 5000. For the years 1904 l907
and 1906 the total taxes thus withheld Is
about 100000 Approximately 100000 OF
/ this sum belongs to the state, and the re.
| inainder to the several counties, school dis
| tricts and municipalities, Manifestly the
failure TO collect such an amount. Of tar
/ ment to many county treasures FfrrnIy
believing that the railroad assessments al
made by the state board are not more thar
the law makes obligatory. and are not out
Of proportion with the assessment OF othel
| forms Of property, / confidently look e
| cation OF the states right to assess an,
and all corporations upon the actual vahl,
| OF their property and the issuance Of an
order compelling the payment of all de
The state Debt.
A fairly satisfactory progress has beer
made during the past blennium In the re
ductlon Of the state debt, On Novembe
rants aggregated s., 253SSS 20. on Novembe
30, 1906 the same Item had been reduce,
Sennu@ Of s tSta Or r tSs afSsr for tn
s27S. $3.50 is directly chargeable to the re
demption fund act created by the las
sradaS of the e dats syy af fSt n
will thus be seen that the excess of re
ceipts over expenditures for the biennium
aside from the redemption fund, was oni!
appropriations the previous legislature lsf
but little margin between receipts and dis
bursements IL Is evident that had II no
been for the executive veto Of a numbe
Of large but unnecessary appropriation
the debt would have been Increased dur
ing the last two years rather than de
creased The 1-mill redemption fund ha
really been In operation but one year, $
far as having any effect upon. the receipt
the 1905 taxes having not vet been paid
When the taxes for the last year begi
win be marked Improvement in the matte
| OF debt reduction. unless legislative ex
penses and approximations more than offse
the state by the Burlington and Union Pa
cife railroads, estimated at 10000 an
payment Of which they are resisting in tn
when collected, making another materls
reduction.
The estimates now in the hands of tn
state auditor for the maintenance OF a
branches Of the state government durin
the next biennium. payable from the ger
sra is its t tSsal the enormous ., sum
mitted TO Nebraska legislature Tn
estimated general fund receipts for IN
too small to pay the estimated biiis'
, requires no argument TO prove that IN
pruning knife must be applied 70 thes
YOU to do this work and TO DO il mos
thoroughly both In committee room an
Fure FOOO LAW.
) After many years OF effort congress ha
/ finally passed a pure food law. very con
prehensive In Its scope. affecting all foo
: products and also drugs and chemical
which enter into the compromising OF med
: cines. The federal law applies only
Interstate business. II prevents the traff
: | IN impure food products across state line
{ hut does not prevent the manufacture an
sale OF such products within state line
I | II Is evident that II the people OF N,
; braska are to receive full benefit from n
E present agitation for pure, wholesome an
: truthfullY branded food the national enac
ment must be supplemented with a rigol
E Gus state law embodying the same feature
| Otherwise Nebraska will become the hon
r OF numerous factories for the productio
e OF Injurious food supplies, all of which ca
: be sold with impunlty within the state
j. long as we have no state law 20 the cor
Q traTy. / recommend that the best emo
Q OF your respective houses be given to n
d framing and passing OF an adequate Ia
n which will give to our people ample pr,
d lection along the lines indicated. The exec
4 ton OF the law should be placed direct
G under the charge OF the food cOmmissio
4 making provision for such additional chen
e lists and inspectors as are necessary, az
e an appropriation, should be made adequa
n 10 the work. The dairy interests Of a
state should also receive additional recogn
ton. In connection with the proposed pu
food law. These interests are growing
J. Immense proportions. but the product
e handled by few cOneerns. There has be-