Imagens das páginas
PDF
ePub

GOVERNOR'S MESSAGE.

STATE OF ALABAMA,

Mr. President:

EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT,

OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR,

Montgomery.

November, 12th, 1890.

I am directed by His Excellency, the Governor, to communicate to the Senate a message in writing.

[merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors]

At the close of my administration, I undertake to advise you of the condition of the State, with such recommendations as are deemed worthy of your consideration.

I receive you in the closing months of one of the most prosperous years with which the State has been blessed. In every department of industry; even in agriculture, so long depressed, there has been an improvement, and we are now gathering abundant crops, the well earned meed of labor intelligently applied. In the midst of plenty we have been preserved from pestilence, and a spirit of obedience to law pervades the State.

THE FINANCES.

Our finances are in excellent condition. All of the money of the people of Alabama is with them, except that which is in the State Treasury, and the amount in the Treasury is sufficient to meet the demands of the Government economically administered. There is no surplus. There should not be any, for it would represent just so much unfairly withdrawn from the circulation.

On the day of the meeting of the General Assembly just two years ago, the entire balance in the Treasury was $381,373.83. Of this there were special funds, not available, $51.020.61, and of money already appropriated $49,621.69, leaving a true balance with which the last General Assembly began business of $280,731.53.

On this day there is a balance in the treasury of $309,047.28, and of special funds not available $61,919.59. In the grand total is included $46,182.77 of the school fund already appropriated, and therefore, the true balance with which the General Assembly begins its business is $200,944.82 against $280,731.53 two years ago.

This presents a broad difference and compels thoughtful attention.

In the four years of my administration the increase in valuation of property in the State has been prodigious. It has passed from $173,808,097 in 1886 to $258,979,575 in 1890. But the tax rate too has been greatly lowered, a levy of 6 mills on the dollar has been reduced at the rate of a half a mill each year until we now find the rate at the reasonable figure of 4 mills on the dollar. Nothing short of a marvelous development of the material interests of the State could have sustained this grateful relief to the people.

The wisdom of your predecessors has been justified, for the State has met its obligations of every character; has grown in wealth, in every social respect, and has listed its credit with the very best in the great marts of commerce and of trade.

This experiment of reducing the tax levy at the rate of a halt a mill each year was a great one when the total rate was 7 and a half mills on the dollar; it was almost dangerous when the rate became 6 mills, and now that we have reached a levy of 4 mills on the dollar such a reduction will not be justified on any reasonable expectation of that great increase in values, which would be required to meet such reduction.

A comprehension of our financial status is easy. The valuation of property in this State on which the tax moneys are to be raised the current year is already determined to be $258,979,575, and the rate of taxation for the current fiscal year is already fixed and is now being collected at four mills on the dollar. The usual expenses of collection amount to about a hundred thousand dollars, so that from the general

taxes we may reasonably expect about $935,918. From poll taxes, licenses and all other sources we may expect about $600,000, and our resources may therefore be reasonably stated at about $1,530,918 for the fiscal year ending the 30th of September, 1891. The disbursements for the current fiscal year are estimated by the Auditor at $1,697,320, and this estimate does not include any special appropriations which shall be made at this session. As the State grows in material wealth and in population, our expenses necessarily increase, and I estimate that at the very lowest, as much money will be required for the expenses of the Government for the fiscal year beginning on the 1st of October, 1891.

We may expect some increase in the valuation of the property of the State for the year 1891, and for each recurring year, but there are demands, such as the claims of the deafmutes of the State, of additional accommodations for the indigent insane, of the public schools and that most sacred one, so long postponed, of provision for the maimed and disabled survivors of the war between the States, which ought not to be ignored.

Is with great pleasure that I communicate to you the successful funding of our six per cent. bonds. It will be remembered that to retire the outstanding issue of $954,000 of the bonds of the State, bearing interest at the rate of six per cent. per annum, proper legislation authorized the Governor to sell that amount of bonds to bear four per cent. interest. The six per cent. bonds become redeemable on the first day of January, 1890. In the summer of 1889 I advertised for bids for the new bonds, and caused this advertisement to be circulated in the great cities of the Union as well as in the State. I received a bid for the bonds at 100 but I declined to accept it and repaired in person to New York where I succeeded without difficulty in placing the bonds at 101 1-10. 1 caused the money to be covered into the State Treasury and called for the sixes with the declaration of cessation of interest after the first day of January, 1890, and their retirement has so successfully progressed that the entire issue, except $11,500 has been taken up.

It is with pardonable pride that an Alabamian who has been a part of that administration existing in this State for fourteen years, and who witnessed our financial distress of sixteen years ago, now sees our financial credit so firmly es

tablished. All the papers connected with this transaction are on file.

There was no authority given to me to burn the sixes. They have been cancelled and are in the vault of the Treasury and I recommend immediate legislation authorizing their destruction and the destruction of the few outstanding as soon as they shall be retired.

SECRETARY OF STATE.

I transmit the report of the Secretary of State, and in this connection I desire to call your attention to a necessary amendment of the law whereby he is required to contract for fuel furnished to the various departments. As the law now stands he is required to advertise for the lowest bidder at a time of the year when the price of fuel is at its very height, and this omission in the law has entailed an unnecessary expense in this particular.

CAPITOL GROUNDS.

At the last session of the legislature an appropriation of $20,000 was made for the improvement of the Capitol grounds and building. Acting under this statute I made a contract with Messrs. Figh & Williams, of the city of Montgomery, for the improvement of the grounds and this contract is on file. I found the appropriation not adequate to the necessary expenses in keeping in repair the building and in the improvements of the grounds. The regular annual appropriation of $2,500 per annum nct having been made for this purpose, I trenched upon the contingent fund. But the work has been performed at an expense to the State of $16,465,12, and the unsightly appearance of the elevation on which the building stands has been changed. to the condition in which you now find it. The work was performed by the contractors under the supervision of Mr. W. G. Williamson, a skillful and reliable engineer, on reasonable terins, and constitutes a valuable improvement to the property of the State. I recommend that an appropriation be made at this session for heating the Capitol building with steam, lighting it with electricity and supplying it with an elevator.

MONUMENT.

The appropriation of $5,000 to aid in the erection of a monument to the Alabama soldiers who fell in the late war between the States was expended on the 5th of May, 1890, being applied principally to payment for the beautiful figure which crowns this sacred work.

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE.

The report of the Commissioner of Agriculture is transmitted. The receipts from this department under the efficient administration of the present Commissioner have increased from $23,853.47 for the year ending September 30, 1887, to $47,216.89 for the year ending September 30, 1890.

One-third of the net proceeds arising from the sale of tags is applied to the support of the Agricultural and Mechanical College and constitutes a large and necessary contribution to that Institution. The money which supports this department is paid by the agriculturists exclusively, and it constitutes a special fund for the promotion of agriculture and immigration. To this department, in connection with the A. & M. College, is largely due to that increasing prosperity which agriculture in Alabama now enjoys.

GEOLOGICAL SURVEY.

I transmit to you the report of the State Geologis'. It will be seen that the work has made great progress since the last session of the General Assembly. I believe that we owe very much of the marvelous development in the mineral region of Alabama to the work of the geological survey under the administration of Dr. Eugene A Smith, which has been in progress since the 19th day of February, 1883. It will be seen from the report that it is recommended that the survey be continued and its scope enlarged, and I concur in this recommendation.

ALABAMA INSTITUTES FOR THE DEAF AND BLIND.

The separation of the Institutes for the deaf mutes and blind has proven an acknowledged advance in the care and

« AnteriorContinuar »