The Butler Weekly Times Newspaper, January 9, 1889, Page 1

AFFAIRS OF 4 4 a ; e Butler Weekly i ut Synopsis of {Governor Morehouse’s Message to the Missouri Legislature. AGeneral Review of State Affairs, with Becommendations and Valuable Suggestions in Regard to Legislation. JgvFERSON CITY, Mo., Jan. 3. Morehouse’s message, which senied to the General Assembly to-day, is in substance as follows: GENTLEMEN OF THE SENATE AND HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES—In obedience to the re- ments of the Constitution of our State, I have the honor to submit herewith for your consideration such information of the condi- tion of the State and such other measures as I deem expedient. Since the adjournment of the Thirty-fourth General Assembly the people of Missouri have been called upon to mourn the loss of one of their most illustrious citizens, purest men and best Governors. Jovernor Marmaduke’s administration of the affairs of the State was overnor omy, strict integrity and a high order of ability that was the ud- miration of his friends Mand a surprise to his enemies. He had no motive but to do right, Governor Morcnouse. and no ambition but to make a good executive. He was fearless to ex- ecule and just in his mercies, so that when, on the 28th day of December, 1857, death claimed him for ‘ts own, no citizen was more honored 4na no Governor had been more respected. Upon the death of Governor Marmaduke the “powers, duties and emoluments” of Governor devolved upon me as Lieutenant-Governor. In the discharge of the onerous and intricate du- ties pertaining to this office I have endeavored to continue the administration of my illustrious predecessor. How well I have succeeded let the intelligent public judge. IMMIGRATION INCREASE, ‘The State at large has enjoyed unusual pros- ity in the past four years. Immigration has n attracted by our even and temperate cli- mate, our cheap and fertile soil, our rich and Hmitless mines of iron, coal, zinc und lead; our valuable and extensive forests of timber, and the hearty welcome extended all good peo- from every State and country who desire to come amongst us to assist in our development and enjoy our prosperity. The growth of many of our cities and towns has been marvelous. Vast tracts of ummmproved land have been put ip cultivation and over 80.000 more votes were a at the last election than four years ago. would reasonably indicate that our popu- Jation has increased in the past four years some 400,000, and I do not think I overestimate to say that the census of 1890 will show that Missouri has a population of 3,000,000 people. GROWTH OF WEALTH. Notwithstanding the tribute paid to corporate peneeanes and no less exacting modern com- Dinations known as trusts and syndicates. our people have added to their taxable wealth in the past four years 63,407,768. The assessors | of the several counties reported the increased wealth of the State at vastly more than this, Dut the State Board of Equalization reduced the assessment over $50,000,000 during the past year. One thousand one hundred and eighty-one miles of railroad have been constructed aad operation in the State during the pa-t | r years, which is more than was constructed in either the periods from 1876 to 1890, or from 1880 to 1881. But twelve counties in the State are without railroads and mostof them within the next four years will be joined to the outer world by the iron belt of the nineteenth cent- “uring the present administration more | ,money has been appropriated by the Legisla- ture for the erection of institutions for the vare of the unfortunate and depraved humanity than ever before in the same length of time in the history of the State, and the facilities for this purpose are well perfected, except perhaps in the penitentiary. Our system of public schools and our higher educational institutions are the pride of our en and afford facilities and opportunities the education of our youth equaled by few and surpassed by none of our sister States. Our laws have been faithfully executed and the commission of crime is no more frequent caer at other States in proportion to our popu- Our public debt is being rapidly extinguished and taxation is not buntenecniee In fact. in no period of the State's history has eererits. taken a wider range or been more lavish in her gifts. * THE ASSEMBLY’S DUTIES. It will be the duty of the Thirty-fifth General Assembly to revise our statute laws, and for . this purpose the Constitution has given you 120 days, This will be the most important work of the session and should be well done. There are, perhaps, more conflicting and lows of doubtful meaning needing judicial construction inour present statutes than any former stat- Utes of the State. lt 1s very doubtful if the work, in addition to the labor of an ordinary session, can be successfull? accomplished di- Tectly by the Legislature in the time and man- , Ber contemplated by the Constitution. In my judgment it would be in the interest of economy and a good revision for the Legisla- to pass the appropriation bills and such other legislation as is of immediate necessity, ‘Suthorize by law the appointment of a commis- sion on revision and adjourn sine die. After the committee has concluded its work the Gov- enor could convene the Legislature, which could then legally revise the statutes by com g and adopting the work of a good com- tee in one-fourth the time they could do the same work themselves. THE STATE FINANCES. No subject can be of more interest tothe People of a commonwealth than a statement as tohow their public servants have managed ir finances. I trust the following statement bbe branch of the public service will meet @ approbation of the people of Missouri. By Wise laws enacted by the Legislature and S faithful execution of them by the State of- ficials during the past four years, the fees re- Seived and accounted for in ‘the several, State lepartments, and the interest paid on the sur- plus money in the State treasury by the Bank ot Commerce, amounts to nearly $300,000. This has paid all the salaries, and also for deputies and assistants for the officers of Governor, Sec- Tetary of State, Auditor, Treasurer, Attorney- General, Superintendent of Public hools, ister of Lands, Railroad Commissioners, Adyutant-General and Superintendent of the rinanent Seat of Government, left a Dal- ance from this fund in the treasury of $200N0. In other words, these oMlcials have not cost the Yax-payers of the State one dollar for the past four years, but have earned for them $30,000 hese fees and revenues have been received dy the following oficers retary of State Auditor us 5 tee Register of Lands Adjutant-General urer, interest on s THE BONDED D On the first of January, 1 ne debt, not including the common Seminary indebtedness (whieh we Selves and 1 $9,525,000; pears, 32 oa ‘The Gebt in rest at 6 per cent. per an HUIS. Since January 1. : this debt matured, of whieh NLU has Deen mded in 5-20 bonds. bearing interest at 36 per | $86.921.44. T was pre- | marked with rigid econ- | | interest fund on the first day of the present BUTLER. MISSOTRI, WEDNESDAY JANUARY 9, 1889. proper is now #206 one-half less than it was four y EDUCATIONAL DEBT. es consists of one per ¢ percent. cert fleal seminary fund con tificate for #12 sts of one 6 pere and one 5 per cent. ¢ ast yearthe heirs of the late Hon. James S. Rollins, in accordance with his expressed wishes, Geposited with the ‘Treasurer the sum of #5,(+#) for the purpos' estubl sh ng the James S. Rollins University per ce asa re ferent departments. Tying out this bequest, us provided Ly law, the fund commissioners ed to the university faculty a certificate of indebtedness payable in twenty yeurs at 5 per cent. interest. INTEREST-BEARING DEBT. The obligations on which the State is pay’ng interest are as follows: State debt proper, 3's per cent., 38,225,000, interest €206.5,0; schoo! | fund certifictaes. 6 per cent., 174,540; school fund certifical interest $11 19.90, interest 5 pe 250; seminary fund certi 350; se Rollins bequest.5 interest, 2300; total, 15.194,000 260, Missouri needs no financial policy in the fut- ure. If the present rate of t tained, of 29 cents on the 100 valuation, for the purpose of paying the public debt and the in- } terest thereon, the le debt proper will be paid in eight or ni ears. Every obligation will be paid at or before maturity. MONEY IN THE TREASURY. ‘There was in the treasury to the credit of the interest $610,- | year, after paying 2il interest anc due obliga- | tions, the sum of $330,000. The net receipts to | this fund the present year will be at least #1,- | 450,000, which, with the amount in the treasury, will make $1,78),000 applicable to the payment | of iutere nd pr ncipal of the public debt for | the year 1839. Our public debt may be reduced the present year $1,200,000. ‘The next general assessment of taxable prop- erty in the State will probably aggregate $900,- | 000,000, when, by provisions of the Constitution, the tax levy for the purpose of paying the pub- lic debt and the interest thereon will be re- | duced to 15 cents on the #100, which will be ample to meet u'l obligations of the State for this purpose. In fact, within the next four years the State interest tax can be reduced to | 10 cents on the #100 an! meet every obligation now outstanding at maturity. EXTRAORDINARY APPROPRIATIONS. Extraordinary appropriations c ‘geable to | the State revenue fund have been made in the | past four years, as follows: For improvement State University.8 59,160 00 For improvement School of Mines and Metallurgy..........----.. 10,0.0 09 For improvement of the three Nor- mal schools..........-.-----+ 39,118 50 For improvement Agricultural Col- lege. < Re ee a For impro' t in Institute 10,500 Ou For improvement Deaf and Dumb Institute............-..----.-+. . 21,300 00 For improvement Lunatic Asylum, Nori eas hee ees 104,700 00 For improvement Lunatic Asylum, IND. Bee aa. wtcewen ewe see - 165,009 00 For building Lunatic Asylum, No. 3 349,000 00 For building Reform nool for Hoye once. cesses veceeeese 52,000 00 For building Industrial Home for Girls. 50,000 00 For imp! s 220,000 00. For improvements State Capitol 25,000 00 Total.. - wee see 81,355,529 50 All of these appropriations have been ex- pended except $82,741.54 of the fund for im- provements to the penitentiary, and from per- sonal examinations of all the improvements, as well as the new buildings, I am satistied | that the money has been prudently and eco- | nomically expended. PUBLIC EDUCATION. There is no question of public policy in which the people are more interested, nor to which your careful consideration should be directed | with more earnest solicitude and intelligence, than our system of public education. During the past four years more than 100,000 children have been added to our public schools andthe number is now 865,750. SCHOOL FINANCES. | Our permanent interest-bearing school fund | on the Ist day of July, 18:8 was $10,538,129.08, and the sum actuaily paid out by our people in the support of our schools for the year ending June 3), 1888, was #4,942,323.15. The Thirty- | fourth General Assembly appropriated to the | common schools one-third instead of one-fourth of the general revenue, as had been done by | former Legislatures. This cost the State over | 50,000 and only benefited the school children | 754 cents each. i NORMAL SCHOOLS. | The Normal schools are doing good work, | and while not all the pupils who receive the | benefits of these institutions become teachers, a large proportion of them do, and are now sup- | plying. the district schools with capable and | efficient teachers. 1 would suggest the pro- | priety of establishing two more Normal school { districts, one in Northwest and one in South- | west Missouri. Lincoln Institute is now attended ty pupils from thirty-three different counties in the State, and should receive liberal encouragement at | your hands. H STATE UNIVERSITY AND AGRICULTURAL Cot | LEGE. | The State University should be the pride of | Missouri and the hope of our youth. The peo- | ple have been so much impressed with the Denetits to be derived from an educational in- | stitution of this character that they have in the Constitution recommended it to the foster- | ing care of the Legislature. By act of the | General Assembly, approved February 20, 1870, | the Agricultural and Mechanical College was established in connection with the University. | In my opinion this was a mistake that will | never be mended until the Agricultural College | is divorced from the University. As now mixed up the University cripples the Agricultural | College 2nd vice versa. Separate faculties | should be maintained, even if the Agricultural | College is continued at Columbia. Both insti- tutions would be of vastly more benetitif they | were miles apart i SCHOOL FOR THE DEAF AND DUMB. ‘The School for the Deaf and Dumb is one of | the most deserving charities that enjoys Mis- | souri’s bounty, and is one of the best managed | of our Sibinos aay institutions. Very un- | fortunately for the State and for the school, most of the buildings belonging to the school | were burned last February, entailing a loss to | the State of more than 2100,00). The school- room, work-shop and boiler-house were saved, | and by the erection of a temporary dining-room the school has continued, although under many | | disadvantages. Fortunately the board of man- agers had $65,000 imsurance on the buildings, | which they have received from the insurance | companies. and with it rebuilt the buildings as | far as it would go. You willbe asked for and | should appropriate sufficient money to put the | schoolin as good or better condition than it was | before the tire. SCHOOL FOR THE BLIND. | The State School for the Bind, located at St. | Louis, contin to be managed, and no | elass of unfortunates is more worthy of the fostering care of our State than the blind. The hberal prov $s made by former Leg's- atures for this school, Iam sure, will be re- peated by you. FORM SCHOOL. By act eral Assem- of th hn: i legislation ‘eform school for t For the Chillicothe i OO fe ens 0 the location of the | nished them for the occupancy ot 73 boy | has dra | system because NO. 7 ha nd have ere ubstantial but y of Cuitli- th steam, buildings control nas per- dits duties faith sy be safely trusted to h is only fairly com- tate and work, w wus se z ‘i Legisla- for the purchase of 0; for the erection of build- for furnish the buildir «and incidental expenses, of th institution com- deast of Boonville, rove overlooking the Missouri river at Boony 58 feet and four ries high, including base- ment, and rh itchen, uwo stories high, b cost of $31,525. These hb steam, lighted with be connected with the water- the committee not having sufficient funds for that pur When completed and furnished these buildings will accommodate from Iv to 200 boys. Tie committee has fur- with- »proprations subject to its uses, and n m the State Treasury and turned over to the board of managers for the purpose of current expenses, buying necessary stock, ing implements and incidental expenses, in the “ be ed for additional 3 tions for the n of barns, ge sup- port, ete. The Siate can not engage in a more laudable undertaking than caring for and re- form ngits youth whom circumstances over which they had no control have started on the wrong r .U commend this unfortunate propria- the yout of the St zen The laws governing both of these institutions need amenti Boys should be committed until twenty-o ears of age or until dis- arged by the perintendent when he is satis- tied reformation has been effected. LUNATIC ASYLUMS. The State is now in better condition to care for the unfortunate insane than atany former time. Ihave visited all threeof the asylums within the past year and found them well man- aged by competent superintendents. The im- provements made at the Fulton asylum during the past year have added much to the comfort of the inmates and the capacity of the institu- tion. This asylum should be made fire-proof and at an early day. The asylums at St. Joseph and Nevada are model buildings. The Nevada asylum is one of the cheapest and best buildings in the State, and the building committee is entitled to great credit for the manner in which they have dis- charged their duty. You will be asked for asmali appropriation to finish and furnish this asylum. The St. Joseph asylum should be connected with the city sewerage. e THE STATE PENITENTIARY. The cost of the penitentiary for the past two years to the péople of this State has been $167,- 000, but if the warden is given credit for the in- creased value of the property by way of new Duildings, etc., the cost will not exceed $50,009, or 25,000 per year. The actual cash earnings for the past two years have been nearly $350,000. | The average number of prisoners worked by | contractors during the past two years has been about 950. This labor, as compared with free labor, is equal to about 450 men, but as it is un- skilled, unwilling and destructive to tools and material, 200 free men would accomplish the same work for their employers at the same cost that the {50 convicts will cost them. This co parison is made for the reason that probably you will be asked to change the labor of this competition with honest labor. If a prisoner labors at all he comes in competition with free labor, and if the places of 450 skilled workmen outside of the peniten- tiary are taken by convicts, the tax-payers of the State are saved at least 175,000 per an- num. Our present system of employing prison labor is, in my opinion, the best that has been de- vised. It is almost self-sustaining. thereby re- lieving the people of a heavy burden of taxa- tion, and the competition with free labor is but little. THE COMMITTEE INQUIRY. The committee appointed by the Thirty- fourth General Assembly to investigate con- vict contract labor, unanimously made the fol- lowing report to the Legislature: “While the committee are convinced that the contract system, taking it all in all, is best for the State, and to all classes of people, so far as financial results are concerned, it is thought best to limit the number of convicts engaged in one line of manufacture. Hence the commit- tee favor the enactment of the substitute for all House bills m regard to the subject of the con- vict contract system. Differences of opinion may exist as to the extent of that limitation, but a careful examination of the subject by the committee, taking into consideration the nat- ural increase, from year to year, induces the committee to favor the proposition in the sub- stitute of permitting only one-seventh of the to work at any one branch of in- | dustry.” The management of the penitentiary under the administration ot Warden Marmaduke has Deen all that the people of Missouri could ex- pect. It is the opinion of all who have taken the trouble to investigate thatit could nothave been better. ‘There are more convicts in the penitentiary at the present time than ever before, and the number is constantly increasing. There are more prisoners in our penitentiary than any other prison in the United States. The ques- tion presents itself as to whether it would not be in the interest of economy and geod peni- | tentiary government to establish a branch pen- itentiary. I am clearly of opinion that this should be done. T also call your especial attention to the im- portance of making proper provisions for the care of the insane persons now confined in the penitentiary. BOARD OF HE. L By an act of the Legislatur® approved March 29. 1856, there was established “The State Board of Health of Missouri." The act appropriated the sum of %8,00) for the purpose of paying the salary of the secretary and board. No appro- priations have been made since that time by the Legislature for its suppor Notwithstand- ing this fact, the board has kept up its o:gani- zation and performed ail the duties required by law. paid their own expenses and contributed * several hundred dollars besides to pay other necessary expenses. The board should be re- imbursed for the money they have paid outand the iaw repealed, or it should receive liberal assistance from the State. BANKS ) BANKING. I desire to call tion to the fact that the people are not sufficiently protected by our laws governing the control of banking institu- tions. Or thatif there is sufilcient law on the eans of enforcing a compliance < d suggest as@ protection to the pa people the the appointme duty it would be to make nm of ali ban and sim examiner, whose actual of this State, that every with e a report ation ture or Gov may be thought best. IT would also 5 ng in- stitutions ef the y State to their wealth, re required by done through benefit to tke ty taxes, in pr sother citizens of th aw todo. as might re Buch an crs RED } of truthful data | June fof the same ye: athorizing by law | WINTER | must go. We cannot afford to carry them over therefore, from this time until the end of the season in- augurate a IOS our the ing Note them careft 5 ITS D LBEWVTET goods are now marked in plain figures in BLACK INK price for this sale will be in RED INK thus show- both our former and present price on same ticket. Drop in and Compare these two Prices. You will find the Red Letter Price the lowest ever made on good reliable Clothing. Here are some of the prices. uly. = OVERCO LETTER SALE. THE BALANCE OF OUR ATS and will 20 ac a“ 16 50 an. 50 <3 (<4 If y Don’t fail to see our lose money. American Clothing House. $75 Suits & eroats 50, 8 50 3) 12 50 5 50 9 00 || 4 00 ou want good Clothing for little money goods and prices before buying or you will onSit $1Sus€ ena $760 6 50 3 50 3 00 6é £6 66 66 now is your time. puolic funds would mucn more than baiance | the additional cost of such officer. i INSURANCE DEPARTMENT. I desire to call your attention to the fact that the Insurance Department is an important State office and should be governed and con- troled the same as other State offices. The upinion has and to some extent does still pre- vail that the office does not cost the tax-payers of the State any thing. and for that reason more license ought to be given it than any oth- er State office. This is not correct, for while the fees paid to the Insurance Commissioners support the office, yet this money comes from the people of the State. As well might it be said that the Secretary of State, who receives from $50,000to £80,000 per year in fees should, ina great measure, dispense these fees as he deems proper. The Secretary of State is com- peled to account for the fees raceived by him and pay them into the State treasury as rigidly as acounty collector, and the warden of the penitentiary can not get a dollar out of the treasury for the support of that institution un- til his account and vouchers are examined and approved by the Board of Inspectors. The Commissioner of Insurance should be required to do the same. This department has cost the people of the State nearly $40,900 in the past two years. It may have been neces- sary to expend this amount of money in ad- ministering the affairs of the office, but it should be done under the same restrictions as required of the other State offices. RAILROAD MATTERS. j ‘The question of amicably adjusting the dif- ferences of opinion between the railroads and the people as to the rights and duties of both has been a mixed one and difficult to solve. The bill for the government of railroads passed at the last extra session, together with the in- ter-State law of the General Government, is as near a solution of the question as can be had at this time. It is impossible to so legis- late but that some communities and individuals will enjoy greater advantages and benefits than i} others. ‘Raliroads can not be brought to the door of every one. and competitive points will always enjoy privileges and advantages over } other places. But, under the present law. ma- terial differences may be and are being adjusted as satisfactorily as the circumstances of the cases will admit. In addition to the statutes fixing, as near as possible, a fair and equitable rate for freight charges, our present law also authorizes the Railroad Commissioners to fix a lower rate when in their opimon it is just and proper, which shall be prima-facie evidence of its just- ness. There has been some question as to the validity of this law, but itis recognized by the railroads and in most cases cheerfully complied with. By the act of the Legislature referred to $10.- 000 was appropriated for the purpose of carry- ing out and enforcing its provisions. The law has, in most instances, been promptly complied with by the railroads, and only $1,639.62 of the appropriation has been used for its enforce- ment. Eight hundred and forty-five miles have been constructed and put in operation in the past two years, and Missouri has to-day 5,924.56 miles of railroad, STATE MINE INSPECTOR. According to the provisions of the law ap- proved March 30. 1887. a State min pector ana encerea upon nis autres | This law repealed the ppointment of county wus aopormred, 1a old law requiring the coal-mine inspectors and is @ great improve- inent over the old system. The present law | placing coal mines and lead and zinc mines up- } on the same footing. is to some extent Imprac- ticable and show s suggested in the report of the ot Labor Sta- tisties and Inspect! a We ean not too carefully and health of the laborers in ow too & eral resources world | couragement given the military organization of | | the State, the service is all that could be ex- | | tive duty to inquire whether CONDITION OF THE MIUITIA. i With the means at hand and the little en- | pected. There should be no necessity for_mili- tary organizations in this or any other State, but we must confront the fact that such neces- | sity does exist in this State, and there should be no hesitancy on the part of the Legislature to recognize this fact and by suitable laws pro- vide for their proper government and support. The General Government contributes to the support of our militia by furnishing arms and equipments to the amount of €14,745.53 annual- ly on condition that the State has an organized force of one hundred men for each Congressman and Senator, which | makes it necessary for the State to have 1,600 organize@ militiamen. The present force | consists of one company of infantry at Trenton, | one at Carthage, one at Cape Girardeau, one at Jackson, one at Butler, one at Macon; also one | of cadets at Macon, two companies of cadets at Columbia, one regiment of seven companies at | Kansas City, one regiment of four companies at St. Louis, one troop of cavalry at Kansas City, one troop of cavalry at St. Louis, one battery { of artillery at Kansas City and one battery of artillery at St. Louis, aggregating twenty-four companies or 1,800 menof ailarms. There is now to the credit of the State from the United States the sum of $37,795.25, but itis only paid in ordnance stores, quartermasters’ stores and | equipments. THE LIQUOR QUESTION. The question of how to prohibit the sale and limit the use of intoxicating liquors to the smallest possible compass has reccived the | careful consideration of former Legislatures, and will, doubtless, be urged for your consider- ation during the present session. No question | that has agitated the public mind in the past fifty years has received more attention than this, and the results have been various and, for the most part, unsatisfactory. As much as it may be desired, no State has yet solved the I question of how absolute prohibition can be | successfully maintained. | I firmly believe the influence of the dram- shop is demoralizing to the community ia | which it is locaved and should be reduced =| { the lowest possible limit. Some communities are opposed to prohibition or high license, and only collect the minimum State, county and municipal tax or licenses. In such places sa- loons are more numerous and not as respecta- ble as where high license prevails. Yet it isa question if the present law can be changed to | secure better results, for th®@ reason that if such communiti¢s could enforce higher license they | can make it higher undet the present law. i ELECTORAL CORRUPTION. | A more important subject than the purifica- tion of elections can not be considered by the Legislature of a democratic commonwealth, and when complaints of electoral corruption | | gre so general and earnest t roughout the j| | country as at the present time it is an impera- | i ' i e alleged abuses exist in ourown Stata und if they do to sup- pre them. Should confidence in the integ- | rity of the ballot be lost republican institutions | would give place to despotism or anarchy. A} danger so vital to ow! em of government fs | to be guarded against with utmost vig lance. The remedy is preventive legislation. rather than penal, and consists in reformation of the | mode of conducting elections. By enforcing | absolute secresv of the >2llot intimidation and | orpery may De prevent eltegens are required tr gured that the way in which th be known to any but themselves, the longer fear and the venal * t . enough that portion of our wealth-producers | of th | tect.on with other labor industries of the State. | gence must determine your action in 1 QOes Not 1o1oOW tnat contributions for party purposes would pot be made, but the contribu- tions would be voluntary and could be applied wholly to the legitimate purposes of poi tical parties—that of arousing and educating public sentiment. The subject is recommended to your careful consideration. GRAIN INSPECTION. The progress and growth of our common- wealth depend largely on the prosperity of the industrial and wealth-producing elements of our population. Every citizen of the State has aright to equal protection before the law. Former Legislatures have wisely enacted laws for the protection of the interests of the wage- earning portion of our population, but singularly en; in agricultural pursuits, and produce nine-tenths of the wealth and pros perity enjoyed by our people, have received lit- tle or no consideration at the hands of our Leg- islatures. The products of the farm are the prey of the most grasping and domineering trusts,syndicates and combinations in eoun- try and the cereal products are often bough: eon tems een beloee tat gar- many TsO! ices are Bered by the tarmer- Several of our grea’ tural States, Tili- nois, Iowa, Wisconsin, and the Ter- ritory of Dakota, have enacted just and whole- some laws for regulating the handling, storing and inspection of their grain products. ‘The State of Illinois empowers the Railroad Commissioners to regulate their warehouse system. The Governor appoints one inspector of grain, who works under the advice and direction of the Board of Commis- sioners of Railroads and Warehouses. This system must be adopted without in sing the number of offices, except inspector. or expense to the tax-payer. The in- spestor appointed by the Governor as now would rece.ve fees for inspection from the Seller, which in St. Louis at present is said to amount to over $20.000 per annum. The tobacco-raisers of the State have this or similar protection, and the grain-growers, whose interests are much greater, are entitled to your earnest and careful consideration. OPTION DEALING. Another matter in this connection to which I desire to call your attention is the fact that the surplus cereais of Missouri farmers, after they have been graded by parties over whose actions they have no control. is again subject to a ficti- tious valuation or price not entirely governed by the laws of supply and ‘The Thirty-fourth General Sennen by an act approved March 19, 1837, prob option Gealing in every place tn the State except in & duly incorporated merchants’ exchange. i it is to the interest of the agriculturalists of this State to nave fuctusting prices on the of the farm merchant exchanges not business. It is no #t- have a monopoly in this business will bé car- gument to say the same ried on by other States if prohibited here. We ie. ly brief char- should Go our duty to our own It is not possible in the necessar: acter of a message dealing with the various top- ies to which I have thought proper to cali your attention to give more than a passing review * reasons and arguments which seemed to me in favor of legislative action on this savieet or te recommend in details measure which cure all of the existing evils. The agricultaral are Gepressed They asx at hrelief as will give them aqual he CONCLUSION. In submitting for your consideration the fore- going communication I have but briefly re- ferred to those matters and subjects which the law ana my best judgment seemed to indicate asmyduty. Your good judgment and intes- ndations as I have decmed matier with you. 7». Momesove®