Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1919-01-22

concerning all the corporations of the
country, and it is my judgment that
we had better confine our efforts in
this direction TO corporations domi-
ciled in our own state and make the
Investigation more thorough than it
has been in the past, and hereafter
discontinue the practice of giving GER
tihcates authorizing the sale of stocks
or other securities of corporations
domiciled in other states
Primary Election.
For two sessions l have advocated
a revision of the Primary Law.
think it is fair TO say that il is gem
orally conceded that in its present
form the law is a failure. No party
organization can be maintained under
Tin fact it has again been demon
strated within this state in the past
year that the adherents of one party
may make an effort TO nominate the
candidate for another party in the
hope of giving their own ticket a bet
ter opportunity for success.
Such methods are breeders of polit-
ical dishonesty and demoralize the
politics of the state and should not
have the sanction of law. For my own
part | regard the party convention the
proper agency to fix its party princi-
pies and nominate its candidate, and
the only valid objection that was
urged against that system was the
political caucus which nominated the
delegates. In order to obviate that
feature of the convention system
which brought it into disrepute sug-
gest that you so frame your statute
that the delegates will be elected by
the people at the regular spring cleo
ton in the same manner as they cast
their ballot for their township and
municipal officers. The jurisdiction of
the convention, should, however, be
limited to state officers, United
States Senators and members of Con-
gress.
State Finances.
On January l. 1919, there was a bal
ance of $1,236,36327 in the state
treasury available for the payment of
the general expenses of the state gov
eminent. The state has a claim
against the United States government
for money expended for military
equipment and other military expend-
lures which should be refunded of ap-
proximately $1,000,000.
l call your attention to the fact that
the state has been carried through
another biennium without any tax
levy for general purposes. The Leg.
islatures of 1915 and 1917 made mere
ly nominal levy in order to COM
ply with the law.
The budget requests made by diff
ferent departments of state amount
to: In 1919-192O, 20,SS9, 296; 1920
1921, 21,629, $50. Estimated receipts,
1919-192O, s19,035,316; 192O-1921, $780,
019,810 Excess requests over re-
ceipts, 1919-192O, S1,S53.9S1; 192O-1921.
s1,610,15O.
The budget requests have been care
fully considered by the Central Board
of Education and by the State Board
of Public Affairs. The demands of ev-
cry department of government have
been inquired into and it was found
that the requests could be cut down
and kept within the income of the
state and in no wise interfere with
the efficiency of the state government
or the educational institutions in
fact, the recommendations of the
State Board of Public Affairs will
leave a balance of approximately
$4,000 over and above what it deems
to be the necessary expenditures, and
l request that you keep the appropri-
atoms within the limits of the states
income and that you will again make
a nominal tax lexy by legislative act
not to exceed $1,000.
1t is probably needless for me to
call your attention to the fact that
owing to the enormous expenditures
by the national government for the
war the people are already heavily
taxed The indications are that I'M
der the new federal income tax bust
ness is going to be taxed at an
senormous rate and it must be borne
in mind that in our own state bust
ness also pays an income tax. That
business will have a struggle to re-
adjust itself to the peace basis may
reasonably be expected and in view
of these facts the state should not
come also with large tax bill.
The state institutions have no large
building program to submit. The uni
versity and the normal schools have
suffered a large falling off in attend
ance owing to the war and their facili-
ties are adequate for the next two
years.
The appropriations for highway con-
struction are sufficient-in fact, 1t is
going to be a problem to use to good
advantage the money that is already
\ appropriated. In that connection
wish to state that it will again be
largely a question of available labor.
and / shall recommend to the High
way Commission that we do not take
the labor that is necessary on the
farms for the purpose of highway
building or create unreasonable com.
petition for the farmer in the matter
of securing labor.
1t is being urged by some people
that farmers have been prosperous
and for that reason large appropria-
lions should be made for public i'm.
provements because of the high prices
! that they have received for their
produce and that they are therefore
able to pay large taxes. cannot dis
miss the though that the vast sums
collected by the government in the