Omaha Daily Bee Newspaper, January 4, 1883, Page 4

B e 4 THE:DAILY BEE-THURSDAY JANUARY ¢ “he O_rnaha Bee Pablished every morning, except Snun- ay. The only Monday morning daily. TERMS BY MAIL— 810 00 | Three Months, $8.00 5.00 | One Month, ... 1.00 ¢HE WEEKLY BEE, published every ‘Welnesday. TERMS POST PAID— .00 | Three Months, 50 00 | One Month 2 Nrws Compaxy, Sole Agenta atos, CORRESPOND! 3-All Qommuni- atfons relating to News and Editorial aatters should be addressed to the EDITOR or Tue Bre, LETTERS—A1l Busines Lotters and Remittances shonld be ad dressed to TH® BEE PUBLISHING COMPANY Omana, Drafte, Checks and Postoftico Orders to be made payable to the order of the Company, The BEE PUBLISHING C0., Props. E. ROSEWATER Editor lin;u( Mosr is most too fresh for Amatica, A Husszry has been endorsed by hia conetituents, The question is who will endorse the constitaents. eE————— Frer whisky and tobacoo and heavy taxes on clothing and iron is a plank which will sink any party platform with the party too deep for political rosurreotion, Ir is stated that several of the sena- torial candidates are running on their record before the war. The record of s namber since the war would make Itvely, if not instructive reading. Tux savings more than the earninga of the people show the prosperity of the country, Daring the past year Massachusetts savings banks have in- creased their deposits $10,000,000. Bex Burier has cocked his eye on the extravagaat officlal expenditures of Massachusetts, and those who ought to know say that something will be heard to drop with a heavy thugbe- fore the leaves begin to sprout. Dave BurLer, the sweet singergot the Bouth Platte Israel, is raising duloet voice in the highest strains anti-monopoly miustrelsy. David the fiftieth original simon pure anii recognition on the ground of his un- *| After a trial of two years, MAKE HASTE SLOWLY. The legislatare having organized has nettled down to the work of the session and fa preparing to formulate legisla- tion on the lseues which are so vital to the welfars and prosperity of the producera of the state. The questions of amending our preeent railrond laws and of sccuring the passage of a new revenne bill are of the highest importance, Both touch the pockots, dlrectly or in- directly of every citizen of Nchraska, and affect the accumulation and dls- tribation of wealth among all olasson of our people, Tho passags of the Doane law at the last seasion was the first practical wtep towards the so- lution of one phase of the railroad problem, It committed the people of the state to further legislation, and voioed the strong intentisn of our voters to carb the discriminations and extortions of insolent corporations. several dofects which could only have been made clear by its oporation are found to exist In tho law, and there is a oall either for its amendment or for the passage of a more ocomprehensive measure. Tar Bee urges upon the legislature to ‘‘make hasteslowly.” Hasty legis- lation is generally not well digested logislation, Laws formulated in a hurry are apt to be declared void by the courts with almost equal rapidity, or are found to defeat their end by their crudeness. The pacple demand the enactment of measures which will be adcquate to remedy the evils un- der which they are suffering. They demand of their representatives laws shaped in the light of experience, and drawn to stand the test of the courts, Such measures cannot be considered in a single meeting of a committee, or drafted in half an hour on a sheet of foolscap. \ There are enough able, honest and willing men at Lincoln to frame the proper kind of bills and to push them | b through to a succes:ful passage, What the anti-monopolists necd especlally to guard against is the flooding of the calendar with crude and hastily com- plled measures framed to fall to pieces on this very scsount aud engineered in the interests of the corporations, h| Tae Ber repeats that it will pay to make haste slowly. uld not pass each other in thes street monopolist who has filed his claim fnr%h was said that the Roman Augurs swerving adherence to interests of the suffering producers. EeE—— Ir we are not greatly mistaken the Douglas county delegation will have something to say upon the question of reforming our disreputable justices courts and limiting the courts in cities of the first class to a number at which a living oan be made by the justices without fleecing litigants and defying every principle of law and equity. SeNaToR Looax has concluded tell- ing what he doesn’t know about the Fitz John Porter affalr, and can now oit easily in his chair for the rest of the session. It Is not probable that the senator’s argument has changed a single vote. The present ocorgress will miss a great opportunity to do justice to & oruelly wronged man if they pass over to their successors the reparation of the Injury done to: Gen- fithout laughing at the gullibility of ths people who allowed themselves to be} impcsed wpon by their religious pr ions. We do not believe that Mu' Pendleton and Bayard can look” tach other in the face as they prate about the naw olvil service re- form bill without a similar feeling. 1t leading provisions are already laws, and can be found Statutes of 1863, 6 and 1871, man knows that they are impractioal, bersome and mechanical. ovils complained of. eral Porter over twenty years ago al Manasses. . ] —— Moxey is tight and credits being contracted. Many manufact, ing industries have been stimulaj into overproduction and the o living has been greatly increase: speculative corners engineered b; scrupulous jobbers and manip st the expense of the food and of the poor. Under such clrou; the trade outlook for the co: is not as encouraging as was npctod and much complaint ls heard iy com- mercial centers. Economy in expend- itures, and a judiclous contraction of credits will still stave off panlc for yoars to come, em——— Tue Cloveland Leader has jolned the caravan of papers that are sing- ing the praiset of the Nebrasks high license law. In the course of an ex- tended editorial it says: ‘‘On the whole it is a question whether such an act as this, properly lived up to and evforoed, Is not as beneficial as a prohibitory law, the successful en- forcement of which has always been questionable and is still fuvolved in doubt. The success which has attended the experhment of a high ligense law in Nebraska is certainly worthy of thoughtful consideration at this time, when the disposition and regulation of the liquor traffic is engrossing so much attention, It is evident that with the present state of public sentiment it cannot be sup- pressed. Experionce has demon- strated, however, that it can be} con- trolled and restricted, and the most rational way todo so s to impor damages and violations."” quite » famous stripling. upon it a tax whereby it will be made tp bear a proper proportion of the ¢x- penses of the' loeal government and state lostitutions, and at the same time make the venders responsible for The Ohbi- ongo Lribune, Bt. Louis Republican, and a score of other prominent papers are ‘equally complimentary. Slocumb's much abused baby has grown to be be relieved by its operation, — Tax Spanish-American claims com of eleven years, during which its mem. regularity. place prior to to 1871, and was estab. lished to E— let them be produced. then be examined and the Rovised They have remained a dead letter because every senator and congress: | family at Little Redeau, yesterday, was The new additions are prolix, cum- The entire | Cigar Makers’ association protests against measure fails to touch the root of the It affecta only one-tenth of the cfficers in the clvil It aims to accomplish its| deranged a short timo ago, @ expense of vigor and re- lity, while It cffers no hope|to assume the duties of business manager higher class of appolntments, | °f Mrs. ""'KR;Y 3 which the majority of the evils|lican oa 0 effliot the-civil service emanate, mission has expired after an existence bers worked three hours a day and drew their salary with commendable|issued to-day to be held in New York The commission grew out | on Friday next. ¢ of the Caban iasurreotion which took | bY eighten prominent companies and judicate the olaims of | ern Iron assoclation ‘met to-day and Amerioan citizens agatnst the Spanish | reafirmed the 2} selling rate of iron. suthorities for alleged injuries done to | They also adopted a memorlal to be person and property. Many of the olaims wero put in by naturalized | plates, In the memorial it is claimed Cubans, whose habit it was to spend a | that the tin plate indastry is lost to part of each year In this country and | this country by the misconstruction the remainderin Cuba. The question as to whether these men became|and that it lios in the power of oon- American citizsns of good. faith led to | gress to the innumerable discusslons and oon. | 000 people of the United states by troversier which lengthened out the affording the tin plate industry pro- life of the commission, Although many of the claims fell through on sccount of the prevalling doubts on this particular point,’ yet it is held|ter just received at Niles, this state, that as oltizans all such persons are|by relatives, announce tho death of envitled to the protection of our gov- ordinance s onee rquarely befors the council it will be promptly puwsed without material opposition. The quicker this is done, the botter for all hands round. The Pension Business. New York Evening Post Evory man who has sacrificed his capacity to support himself in the military service should be properly taken cwre of. Bat no nation in the world has been 80 lavish in the per formanoe of that daty as this Rspub lic. Never hes thoro been an example of bounties so exotbitant, of a pension roll #o large, of access to it o eany, and of panston rates so high. The generality of those who erved the country in the field are satisfiad with what bas been done and do not aek for more, That the claim agents have not the interests of the soldiers, but their own in view, goes without say- ing. There is now a strong effort mado to secure legialation pwiting en the ponsion rolis all the ‘‘surviving” soldiers of the Mexican and of Indian wars, as well ay the widews of those who are dead, unless they got married again, The only condition is that the applicant shall prove 30 days' military service of some sort during such wara, If such a law is passed, it wiil only be the forerunner of one to bo passed a fow years hence putting on the pen- sion rolls all the sarviving soldiers of the war of the rebellion, just as the laws pensioning all the surviving revolutionary soldiers and thote of the legislation now proposed, There is no principle of equity which entitles a soldier, whose health has not been Injured in the line of duty, to a pension merely for having served in & war, He roceived his stipulated pay just as any other pub- lic servant did for stipulated work. He recetved honorable distinction if he performed his duty well, There is no more reason why he should receive a pension for having “‘survived” the performance of his daty'in a war than thers is for paying a pension to a man “‘surviving” the performance of his duty on a surveying expedition. The mere fact that he has “survived” the war for 30 or more years shows con- clusively that the war did not hurt him much. Moreover, under the 30 days’ service clause, any man who had ry store or a recruiting station for a month, and had a good, comfortable, and sometimes even profitable time of it, would be entitled to the same pension with the man who had to sleep in the snow and to exposo his life in battle. No nation in the world pays pensions on so fool- ish & principle, Members of congress should by this time have learned that they can make no political of value by favoring such schemes. When the arrears bill was passed many republicans undoubtedly thought that thelr party could not affurd to oppose & measure which, as they thought, had the ‘‘soldier ele- ment” behind it. What has been the result! Has the arrears blll in any way eerved to saye the republican porty from defeat at the late electionej On the contrary, the arrears bill, for which the republicans were in a great measure held responsible, was one of the most prominent items in the cata- logue of republican sin TELEGRAPH NOTES. 8pecial Dispatches to Tin Brn. La Cuurk, Quebec, January 3,—Fred- erick Mann, the murderer of the Cook oaptured. Mann in an Englishman enly 17 years old, New York, January 3.—The National outting off the ad valorem duty on im- ported clgars. GALYESTON, January 8,—Tom Seymour waa shot dead in the hospital ward to-day by a patient named Morrison, sent there New Yorg, January 3.—Mr. F. A, Schwab lenvea for Chicago in the morning, UGUSTA ni Senator Frye, and the fusionists nomi- nated Harrls M. Plaisted for United States senator, The Iron Interest. + | Special Dispatch to Tun Bux. PHILADELPHIA, Janvary 3.—A call for a meeting of all makers of pigiron for sale in the open market whose fur- naces are located east of Pittsburg was The call 1s_signed producars of pig wron, Prrrssuro, January 3.—The West- presented to congress protesting agalnst a reduction of the tarlff on tin of the law of 1864, which originally fixed the duty at 24 cents per pound rovide a livelihood for 100,- tectlon, R —————— “OBLIVION'S ECHO. [Continued from First Page.] to which you are referred for addi- tional information. SECRETARY OF STATE, The report of the secretary of state embodies important details concerning sss of that department, and recommendations which are ta of long experimence in connection with atate affalrs, An elaborate plan for letting state print- ing contrasts, covering all kinds «f work of thia character, is sabmitted by the nocretary and is worthy of con- sideration, 1t is recommended by the secretary that the present limitation upon the number of notaries public for oach county be removed. In view of the fact that the quota is ample for some counties and not sufticient for others, the law shonld be amended #b as to allow a larger number to bo appointed in each county, or the limitation should be wholly removed. The basis upon which the quota is fixed under isting law is variably and un- The vote in eome of the counties was lighter at the late elec- tihn than st the election of 1880, and the quota of notarles is decreaeed, although the population is undoubted- ly greater than it was at that time, The secretary recommends the re- peal of the act of 1869, providing for an annu | state census, as the law is inoperative in some counties, the re- turns therefore being of little value, Instead of an annual consus it is recommonded that a state cens taken taken in the year 1885, and every ten years thereafter, thus alter- nating with the United States censua. STATE LIBRARY. The report of the state librarlan shows 21,487 volumes now on the shelves of the library. It has been recently arranged in more commo- dious quarters on the ground floor of the east wing, and comprises a large number of very valuable and im- portant works, I heartily endorse the recommendations of the librarian rel- ative to the buoilding up of its Ne. braska departmont of history, and trust that the citizons of the state will add thereto by voluntary contri- butions of reliable data coveirng im- p;r‘tant events in tho history of the atate, STATE INSTITUTIONS, The management of the charitable, reformatory and penal institutions of the s'ate during the past two years, been without exteption eminently satisfactory. HOSPITAL FOR THE INSANE, The biennial report of the superin- tendent of the hospital for the insane will inform you in regard to the man- agement and wants of that institu- tlon. On the 30th of November, 1880, there were 193 patients. During the two years following, 238 were re- ceived, 166 discharged, 1 escaped and 42 died, leaving 273 in the hospital, November 30, 1882, The superin- tendent has been able to receive all iosane persons whom he has been as] ed to admit. The hospital tarm has been very productive during the past year and the crops produced have ma- terially decreased the average cost of maintaining the inmates. T invite special attention to the rec- ommendations of the superintendent in relation to building an engine house and providing an amply supply of waterr These recommendations are idered very important, as a disastr! conflagration 1s liable" to originate in the boiler room, which is now in the center of the basement of the main building. The rew wings of the hospital pro- vided for by the legislature at its last regular session are rapidly approach- ing completion. It will be your duty to make suitable provision for fur- nishing and preparing them for occu- pation, The superintendent’s report shows that there has been considerable diffi- culty and much irregularity in making amounts due the state for the support of their insane. Some of the most populous and wealthy counties, having the largest number of inmates, pay the smallest amounts for that purpose. This evil should be promptly cor- rected, The generous policy heretofore pur- sued by the state for the purpoee of ameliorating the conditivn of the in- for the wants of this institution, Much important information concern: ing the found 1n the steward’s report, of every kin years, has been $3.24}. Thoe Sandwich Apostle, Special Dispatch to Tus Bax. Derrorr, Mich,, Jonuary 3.—A let. Rev, Titus Coan at Hilo, Sandwich Tslands, December 2d, aged 82. Dr, Coan was & weil known missionary of the Amerioan board and had been OonsipERATION of the new gas or-|known for years as the apostle of the dinance was again postponed at the|Sandwich lslands. last meeting of the clty council for snother week, We fail to understand | gpecial Dispatch to Tus bxs. what legitimate causes for delay ex- Ist. Itis over six weeks since the proposition of the new company was prosonted to our people and laid be-| g9 500,000, She asked for one mil- fore the council. Public policy and|lion, but seemed popular sentimen: both demand that |compromise, She with the rights asked on behalf of the men |8ive charges, and previous suits lapse. who desire to give Omaha cheap’ and better gas ehould be grauted, If there | Special Dispatch to Tus Bea. are any good reasons why our people do not want & competing ges company e — The Tabor Divorce. DrNvER, January 3.—By mutual ment, Mrs, Augusta L, Tabor obtained a divorce from her husband, Governor Tabor, the alimony being tisied with the hdrew all offon- New York, Janusry 2.—The mer- cantile failures of the year just closed are for the United States, 6738 They ean |iy number as ageinst 5,682 in 1851, sifted. But this dilly dallying for consulta- | are for the last year $101,000,000 as tion and references and amendments | cOmPared with 85 L,OEJ,:)O({ In 1881, and new opinions of the city attorney upon questions which _can never be | Bpeial Dispatch to Tus Bux. raised is giving rise to much comment 0 among our people which is far from Bheridau, Jr., an ex-surpect, was found complimentary to the new council, Tue Bex has no doubt that when the | bave been made. The liabilities in the United States A Murdered Suspect. Bavaxamore, January 8.—John murdered gear this been recently eviol ilace. He had Two arvests be | of public lands and buildings and also collecticns from the several counties of | has been all that could be desired and sane has been highly creditable, and I | leaving 212 that are trust that the same fostering care will | an incr continue to be exercised in providing | ber reported two years ago. usiness mansgement of the | affaira of the state is made by the ad- hospital, including a detailed state- | jutant general covering the period ment showing the crop yield of the|that has elapsed since the organization farm connected therewith, will be|of the National Guard in 189L. The average cost percapltaper week | history of the organization of the of maintaining the inmates of the asy- | First regiment N. N, G, and of the lum, innlndlns salaries and expenses | Blue Springs light artillery; also a , during the past two|muliitude of dn&h INSTITUTE FOR THE DEA¥ AND DUMB, i B At the regular session of 1881, the |connection with the suppression of legislature provided for the construc- | the riots at Omaha having been fally tion of an additional butlding in con- | set forth in my message to the legis- opinion exprossed by the principal that the time has arrived when an in- stitution for this class of unfortunates should be organizad either on an in- dependent basis or in connection with some other state charitable institu- tions, INSTITUTE FOR THE BLIND, The eoducational and industrial de- partments of the institute for the blind have been conducted with grati- fying succeas. Ta addition to obtaine iog a thorough education the pupils are becoming proficient in various branches of industry, and a majority of them will become self-supporting The numboer enrolled a® tho present time is twenty-five, The princival asks that an appropristion of §3,000 bo made for the purpose of providing the building with steam apparatus The average cost fer capita per week of maintaining the inmates during the past two years has been 85,33, STAYE REFORM SCHOOL legislature of 1881, providing for the at Koarney, the board of public April of that year, appointed Hon. Geo, W. Collins, superintendent, and also appolnted the subordinate officers authorized by said act. The school was formally opened in June, 1881, and has been successfully operate since that time, There are now thirty- seven inmatcs, and the cepacity of the bullding is only sufficient to comfort- ably accommodate thirty, The con- struction of a building or buildings safficient for one hundred and fifty 10- mates is: recommended by the board The* tend- school to’ the com- by the superintendent. ency of the reform repress and prevent mission of orime is indisputable, and if supported on a liberal scale it will prevent large expenditaras for the punishment of hardened criminals. If viewed only from a humane stand- point the school should have every en- couragement, as it enables the state to rescue a large number of childsen from vicious surroundings and gives them the advantages of a good educa tion together with well established habits of industry. Your attention is directed to the fact that while the law provides that the state sh.ll pay all necessary ex- penses connected with the transpor- tation of juvenile offenders sent to the reform school, no appropriation has been madbe for that purpose. PENITENTIARY. Uader the effectlve management of the warden of the penitentiary the af. fairs of that institution have been con ducted in ‘s very eatisfactory manner during the past two years, Your attention is especially called to the recommendatlon of the warden that an appropriation be made for the purpose of providing an abundant supply of water. Whether this can be best accomplished by means of an ar- tesian well, or otherwise, is a question which you will be able to determine after obtaining accurate knowledge of the situation, I:v is unqueationably the duty of ghe state to rurnish the supply of fer required, and this duty shoul@imo longer be neglected. In connectil a thorough system ef sewerage should be provided, Other important rec- ommendations are made in the war- den’s report, to which I also refer you for statements in detail concerning the wants of the prison, 1879, extending the contract for lease of penitentiary and of tho labor cONVIote, provides that aftar Tannasy 1st, 1884, Nebraska prisoners only shall be kept in said penitentiary. At that time the prison wiil contain a number of United States, New Mexi- co and Wyomiug prisoners, sentenced for a period extending beyond that time, while the act of our own legisl to exclude them from the prison. The complications that may arise in conse. quence of this atate of affatra should be avoided by proper legislation. The etate of discipline in the prizon the health of the convicts under the excellent medical sypervision of the prison physiclen has been exception- ally good, only one death having oc- curred in the last two years, number of prisoners reported by the warden on the 30th of November, 1882, was 261, Of these, 3 are United States prisoners, 7 are from New Mexico and 39 from Wyoming— ate: convicts— over the num- se of only MILITARY AFFAIRS, An elaborate report of the military You will find therein & carefully prepared concerning their equipment, with this improvement | ; The act approved February 26th, | ; ture makes 1t the duty of the warden | & The | j —= e, equipped. The payment of armory rent for the regiment and the expense of providing uniforms as above stated wholly exhausted the military appro- priation. The remaining companies shoald be uniformed in like manner as soon a8 practicable I concur in the recommendation made by the ad- jutant general that an appropriation of 5,000 per-annum be made for the purpose of defraying the nooessary expenses of theyuilitary organizition of the state "during the mnext two years, I refer you to the carefwlly pre. pared report of the quartermaster general for details concerning the military property of the state, distri- bation of ordnance storos, receipts and disbursements of money,and other matters conneoted with his depart- ment, In taking leavo of this subjct my connection with the military offsirs of the state is brought to a olose, and I sors; of the efficiency of our military service. RAILROAD LEGISLATION, Important que:ttons of state policy, involving the regulation ot rates of transportation over railroads, require our careful consideration. The prob- lem is comparatively a new one in d national affairs, and its so- attended with difficulties of & complicated character, To determine what legislation is necessary for the parpose of subjeeting railroad iondlito proper legal control e to the people or the s a very thorough ilroad construction knowledge and managen| derstanding o} their own per emws should be of the question b sideration durin years, and by b railroad com of transportation| and many of th of edrrected. A| aws of that statd commisaioners complained hination of the ressouableness, the proof is on tions whenever them to establ of higher rates, schedules s not prevent e & higher rates rts and demon- the report of 881, page 20, hat ‘‘the right nded with great difficulties, but commissioners have made very eatibfaetory progress in that diraction. 1 also invite your attention to the laws_ of Iows, providing for the or- yers, and to their subsequent and proceedings, The gen- ¢ in that state have justified legislature creating the gport of the commis- of Illinois and Iowa, are interested in se- legislation upon this commiasion ticable mej problem, I has yet been d¢ strengthened the past fifteen ily gainiug in t Wwenty states, %o Will be guided i/ Whatever action you may takh m thi subject, I pass e other topl STATE BOARD OR EQUALIZATION, A common m! rehension exists concerning the duties and powers of the state board of egualization in con- nection with the assessment of rail- road property, and I theretors invite The operations of the military in neotion with the institute for the deat | Iature at the special session in May, and dumb, The buildi been | 1882, it is not necessary to enlarge ng has t o erected and completed %y contract | upon the subject at this time, but I under the general supervision of the | take pleasure in again testifying to board of public lands and bulldings, | the efficiency of the state troopa on and is now partly occupied. It is »|that occasion, and repeat the state- brick struoture forty-two feet (42) by [ ment then made that the results jus- storis, ingis needed., Other valuable im institute is factory condition, been added to the methods of instrue tion, been taught with the aid of the audi: remarkably successful, A prioting office The use of the vocal organs has sixty-six (66), with basement and three tified the wisdom of the legislature in An sppropriation for che | providing for a more thorough mill- purpose of furnishing the new build- | tary organlzation, o 'he recommendation of the adjut- provements have been made, and the ant general that an appropriation be erally in @ very satis- | made suficlent to enable the national t la recommended | guard to hold an encampment an- by the principal that an additional nuslly has my earnest approval, as it amount of land contiguous to the in- |is in stitute be purchased for its benefit, A | military organization of thls charac- number of interesting features have | ter without affording proper facilities is impossible to maictain an effective . | for instraction and drill, The very thorough and critical re- - | port of the inspector genesal will ena- phone, and the experiment has been | ble you to arrive at proper conclusions concerning the state of disciplive that is successfully | prevails and the legislation that is ne- operated by the pupils and they are |cesssary to give greater efliclency to issuing a semi-monthl; is very creditably conducted, aud al! expeuses connected with its publica: tion sre met by subscriptions and ad. vertising patronage. The total num journal which | the service, The principal causes of | | dissatisfuction mentioned by the in- . | spector general have recently been re. . |moved, Until the beginning of No- | vember, 1882, the companics had pro- ber of pupils in attendsnce is —, au |vided their own uniform, as it waa not increase of — over the number report. ed two yoars ago. The average cos! per capita per week of malntensnee of inmates has been §3.20. Applications have been made to se- | have been provided - | considered advisable to use any por- t | tlom of the military appropriation for f | that purpose, Within the last sixty days seven companies of the guard with United cure the admisslon of feeble-minded |States regulativn fatigue uniforms, children and I esroestly endorse the [end ar now in all respesis well your attention to the act of 1881 on this subject, wherein it is provided that the president, secretary, super- intendent or other principal officers within this state, of every railroad and telegraph company shall list and re- turn to the anditor of public acconnts for assessment and taxation, ‘‘the number of mlles of such railroad snd mqr:gh line In each organizad coun- ty in the state, and the total number of miles in the state, including the roadbed, right of way, and super structures thereon, main and side tracks, depot buildings and depot grounds, tion and tool houses, roll- ing stock and personal property nec- easary for the construction, repirs, or succeesful operation of such rail. road and tele raph lines,” The tangible property above de- :;:ln:nis.d llbtpelufly railroad property 8 subject to assess hat ) ment by the Section Larticle IX of the constitu- tion makes it the duty of the legisla- ture to provide for the assessment of the property and franchises of indi. viduals and corporations, but there has been no legislation to give efiect to that part of the constitation relating to francnises, and the board has no authority to assess this species of propesty, No official duty which the seyeral state officers comprising the board are called upon to perform is 80 liabls (o misconstruction and censureas that of assossing railroad property, The problem is complex in itself and s made more diflicult by'the loose man- ner in which all property is assessed for taxation, It would doubtlges be agrecable to the board to be rélieved of this daty if it could bs done in a manner not pregadicial to the best in- torests of the state, Ratlroad property has been listed for taxation by the various companies under oath as provided by law, and every means within the power of the board has been employed to obtain & fair and jost valuationof the property #0listed, In the judgment of the board such property has been acscsred at a valuation corresponding with that of other property throughout the state. In fact, it & comparison with aseossments of rallroad property, and of other property, made in other states may be taken as a guide, it will be found that under the present law the taxation of railroad property has been higher, comparatively, in this state than in most othe; The section of the constitution cited above declares that the legislature ! avall myself of the opportnnity to| “‘shall provide such revenue s may In aceordance with the act of the|expross my gratitude to the off be neeaful, by levylng a tax by valua- mv personal staff as well as to the|tion, so that every person and corpo- organization of a state roform,echool| (i sers and enlis'ed mon of the guard | ration shall pay a tax in proportion to for their fidelity to duty and earnest | the valuation of his, her or its prop- landn and ‘buildings on the 20th of | so.operation in every effort to Increase | erty and franchises,” and the present rovenue law provides for the valua- tion of personal property ‘‘at ifs falr cash value,” and realty ‘‘at its falr value estimated at the price it would bring at a voluntary sale thereof,” but through the influence of public opinion and an -established custom more potent than law, these provis. jons have been universally ignored, and all property has been valued for taxation at less than half its real value. The embarrassing position in which the state board ef equalization as well as all county boards and pre- cinot assessors are placed by this de- moralizing custom is obvious to all. I trust that this subject, in sll of its bearings, may receive the consid- eration that its importance demands, and that you will devise a mothod by " | which the difficulties encountered in endeavoring to fix a correct mnd uni- form valuation upon all property list- ed for taxation may be entirely re- moved. STATE LITIGATION. The several cases in which the state is intereated now pending or recently declded, are reported by the attorney general and published in the appen- dix hereto attached, The large amount of legal business of this character transacted during the past two years, has imposed no charges upon the state for counsel fees, and 1 call attention to this fact as a tribute to the fidelity and efficlency of the attorney general, to whom I am also under many obli- gations for the valuable aid that he has rendered me in the discharge of my official duties. FISH COMMISSION. The work of the board of fish com- missioners was seriously retarded in the early glrt of 1881, by the death of Hon, H. 8. Kaley, who was a member of the board. year Hon, B, 1n September of that E. B. Kennedy was ap- - | pointed to fill the vacancy, and nego- tlations were soon aftcr c)mmenced for the purchase of the hatchery of Mesars. Romaine & Dacker in Sarpy county, and in March, 1882, the pur- chase was consummated, ‘This prop- erty embraces 52 scres of land upon which 1s situated a water supply which 18 considered the finesh in the state for a hatchery, In October, 1881, the commissicners received irom -1the United States commisaicner of fisheries 500,000 salmon eggs, which were immediately hatched, and the ’ | young fish distributed In the streams of the state. In November of that it | year the o#mmission obtained a sup- Ply of Gerinan oarp, » very valuable S:h, which may be readily propagated r food by every farmer who will provide himself with proper facilities. The commissioners have also obtain: d and distributed a considerable nu.u- ber of brook and California trout. Substantial improvements were made in connection wlth?hs hatohery during the fall and summer cf 1882, The zeal and energy of the board in prosecuting its work is worthy of special commendation. I again call attention to the fact that the legisla- - | tare has provided no compensation for services performed by the commis- sioners, nor for the payment of actual expenses incurred by them while em- ployed in their official capacity. I refer you to their report for further detaile in regard to the work accom- piished, and the appropriation that will be necessary to continue their operations during the ensuing two years, . NEW COUNTIES, It will be your duty to fix the boundaries of one or more new coun- tles, to include portions of unorgan- ized territory in the western part of the state. The rapid extension of railroads in that direction and corres- ponding Increase of population, has created a necessity for immediate leg- islation upon this subject. I recom- mend that the act be framed so that it will clearly designate the jadicial district to which such new county or oounties will become attached when fally organized, JUDICIAL DISTRICTS, The administratiom of justice has been seriously retarded in a number of the }'udluhl distriots of the state by the large increase of business in the district courts, Legislation for the purpose of Increasing the number of judges and judicial dlstricts is in my judgment imperatively demanded PARDONS, Exécutive clemency has been ex- ercised in one case during the past two years, the reaspns for which will be found in the appendix published herowith, CLAIMS AGAINST THE STATE. The legislature of 1873, by joint re- solution, authorized the governor ‘‘to appolut an agent or sgents to prose- cute to a final decieion before congress or in the court of claims the claim of this state for the five per cent due from the United States upon the lands of thie state disposed of by Indian reserva- tione, and by the location of military land warrants and land scrip issued for wilitary service in the wars of the United Sfates and for agricultural college ecrip and railroad lande,” The compeneation to be such as may be agreed upon @y the governor and agent or agents 6o appointed, payable after the collection of said claims in whole or in part. In pursuance O the authority so confirmed, Gov. ¥Fur- Dnas entered into a contract with Thos. P. Kennard, under which said Ken- nard agreed to prosecute sald claime, | and recelve as compensation for bis '\