Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1915-01-14
THE GOVERNORS MESSAGE

The GOVERNORS MESSAGE
70 the senate and house Of Rsprsssn.
tstivss Of the Thirty-sixth General
Asssmbly'
In accordance with the mandate of
the Constitution l submit to you the
Following message:
Many of the reports of the various
departments and officers of the state
are now ready and will soon be placed
on your desks. l think all will be
within a reasonable time The consti-
tuition makes 1T my duty to communi-
cate to you the condition of the State"
These reports will outline to you in q
very full and complete way and much
more clearly than it would be possible
for me TO do without extending this
message far beyond a reasonable length.
i, however. make them part hereof by
reference and urge upon you careful
study of them because in no other way
can you get q clear understanding OF
conditions and what the State Is doing
and in no other way can you so well
qualify yourselves for an Intelligent,
satisfactory discharge of your duties In
this particular field. You will find some
strange IL you did not; but in very
many ways you will be disarmed Of
criticism
l have deemed it best. however. to
financial condition of the State. This,
6rst of all, you must know, because you
cannot proceed intelligently as to the
business Affairs Of the state until you
do.
First of all there are balances
left over from appropriations hereto
fore made. many of them some years
ago for specific purposes which have
to be transferred to the general fund.
charged Off the Treasurer's books as UNI
expended balances of appropriations and
the accounts closed. You should pass
bill authorizing this to be done.
They are,
Dam at Okoboji ) 100000
Executive Council, Extraordi-
nary repair lbS.00
Executive Council, I'm p r ove-
ment Capitol Grounds SoSO0
Executive Council, storage
Executive Council. New Boil
Executive Council, Decorating
Executive Council, Repairs to ,.o, 90
Executive Council. watchmen's
clock 4Sb.O0
Gray Uniforms $4,000
ment any ~ sls5.Oo
Monument at vicksburg 6964.00
Monument at Keokuk 55O0U
Proyidential contingent fund 100000
Publishing Acts General AS ,,oo m.
Engineers 1000. 90.
Sale of Camp Grounds 421S.00
Sale of State Square 155.00
Statue of James Harlan 10000
Statue of Samuel ]. Kirkwood 2740.00
s64179. 90
The taxable value Of all property sub
feet to general levies for state and
county purposes Is S926,s00,O92. The
amount OF moneys and credits returned
Is s250,21S,l17.00. The State receives
levied on this sum. The State millage
levies do not apply to moneys and cred
It's These valuations 1t may be as
sumed will be closely Appropriated for
the next biennium and will enable you
to determine the revenue that will be
derived at present levies.
The estimated receipts of general rev.
enue for the last six months Of the
present biennium ending June Both. 1915,
including cash on hand January lst
1915. is $2,9s0,079.51
T. mated dis
bursements for
same period $2,250,000
binary a pro-
pri ons of
former legisla-
lures undrawn.
ID e ember 81,
Der 81. Isli s75.ola sa.sa5.Ols.oo
Leaving estimat-
ed balance on
hand June 80,
1915 t 356.066.51
The estimated re-
ceipts of gem
eral revenue
for b e nnium
beginning July
LIST, 1915, 10,07S, 90
Total revenue for
the biennium $10,433.066.51
ksttras.t ted expen-
ditures for BIZ
ennial per cd
en- ding July
list 1917 ! s.47I.011.46
From this statement 1t is easily dis
covered that after providing for the es-
timated expenditures there Will only
remain for additional purposes $Sb6.-
049.05 and that these additional pur-
poses must be kept within that sum un-
less you provide for additional revenue.
The State has been conducting it's gem
eral revenue affairs upon the theory that
no more should be taken from the peo-
pie than is actually necessary to meet
ahe expenditures to be cared Tor by this
fund-upon the sound theory that a
large surplus meant over-taxation. Good
business, however, demands a reasonable
surplus and this would not be viola
tion of the theory. The Legislature
nue. to be raised, and 1t has sole au-
uhority in this matter, has held the
fund down to the very lowest point
possible to meet the needs of rapidly
lions and ideals. If, therefore. the
General Assembly creates large needs
and demands and does not authorize a
fund commensurate with them, the ad-
illustrators of affairs are put to the
utmost of their ingenuity in manage
ment to keep within the limit set for
. them.
20 the fact that the saith General AS
sembly In Chapter 201 provided for the
of a mill each for the State University
and the State Agricultural College and
one-tenth Of a mill for the Teachers
College "for the purpose Of providing
for the erection, repair, Improvement
and equipment OF such necessary build
ings as shall be determined upon by
the State Board of Education. The 35th
General Assembly in Chapter AZ pro-
yided for the levy annually Tor fve
years of a special tax of one-half mill
for the institutions under the Board
of Control for the purpose of providing
for the erection and improvement OF
buildings, for appurtenanees and con-
nections, district custodial farm, State
colony for Epileptics and for the pur-
chase of land and for the purpose Of
establishing and maintaining industries
at any or all of said institutions"
These levies will provide for the edu-
cationai institutions $463,450.00 annually
and the same amount annually for the
Board of Control. Heretofore appropria-
tons have been made for these insti-
buttons and not provided for our OF the
millage tax. Appropriations are always
charged to the general revenue and de-
plete IL when the expense should be
cared for by the millage tax You
should see to " that all allowances
purposes mentioned in the Statutes re-
ferred to be charged to the millage fund.