Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1914-05-06
Special Session Is Refused.

Special Session Is Refused.
Governor McGovern denied the peti-
ton for an extra session of the
legislature. The governor issued a
statement of the finances Of the
state, indicating that he can cut down
the $4,325.OO0 budget of the state
more than was proposed by special
legislation. The petition for a special
session was signed by Secretary of
State Donald, State Treasurer John
son, Attorney General Owen and
Lieutenant Governor Morris.
The governors statement in part is
as follows:
ION March 81 Attorney General
Owen, Secretary of State Donald,
State Treasurer Johnson and Lieuten-
ant Governor Morris came to my of
fee and presented petition asking
for special session of the legisla-
ture for the purpose of reducing ap-
preparations and lowering taxes.
During the last ten years the
state has paid over more money to
its local subdivisions-the cities, vii
lagos, towns and counties-than 1t has
received from them in direct taxes.
Big and large, therefore, the state
government has not been burden
upon taxpayers, but their benefactor
instead. Nevertheless last years tax
bills were high. AS a result, the peo-
pie have not infreQuently complained.
Most of these taxes were due, as
rule, to action by the people them
selves through their town, city and
county governments. But part also
was due to the state. For a number
Of years the annual state levy was
about three million five hundred thou
sand dollars.
One reason why the plan proposed
In the petition should not be adopted
is that a great deal more than this
amount can and will be saved by the
state without an extra session of the
legislature l have authority, as gov
ernor, to prevent the use of money
appropriated for building purposes.
Without invoking this power, how
ever, but merely by continuing the
policy of economical administration
adopted after the close of the last
legislature and concurred in by the
governing board of all the institutions
of the state, before the end of the
next fiscal period approximately ST.
455 900 can and will be saved out of
present appropriations. The amount
Is AMIDST half a million dollars more
than the maximum saving proposed in
the petition. It is made up of the
following items:
New buildings at ths University.
of Wisconsin ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 6VV,VV
State aid to highways 1890: 100000
New buildings to be constructed
under the direction of the board
of control Observation-Disclosures. $1,000
New buildings at Stout institute: 10000
New buildings at the Normal 90 ~
New buildings at state fair
grounds ................---.......--.. z'o'Vo
Total 81, 455, 900
"The university regents. the state
highway commission, the board of
control, the industrial education board,
the normal school regents and the
board of agriculture have all agreed
to these reductions in their respective
appropriations and have decided to
ask that these amounts be omitted
from the next state assessment
I'm addition to the sums just men
toned there are other items of reduc-
ton that may also be effected without
calling the legislature in special ses-
sion. Chief among these are the fol-
lowing:
THE item of special aid for i'm
provement of highways limited to the
year 1913, s450,O00; of the item of
s1,50O,O00 included in the 1913 levy
to restore a working balance in the
state treasury, at least two-thirds
will not again be needed, 100000;
in last years budget the railroad tax
was underestimate by $4,000; total.
$3.50, 900.
The sum of these totals is $4,325,-
600. This then is approximately the
amount by which the state tax levy
of last year may be reduced. AS a
result. the next state assessment
should not De more than three million
five hundred thousand dollars