Show THE GOVERNORS MESSAGE EXECUTIVE OFFICE salt lake city utah january 13 1890 gentlemen of the legislative assembly on behalf of the people I 1 we welcome you to the performance of the important duties imposed upon y you 0 u toy by law and in referring to matt matters which I 1 shall present to you shall beam be as brief as dosal possible ble OF territorial OFFICERS I 1 transmit herewith the report of the territorial treasurer markel marked exhibit exhibit 3 all A and the report of the territorial 9 1 auditor marked exhibit B for your inform information tion PUBLIC institutions I 1 have not been advised of the needs of the deseret university and can therefore do no more than bespeak for it your favorable consideration the board of directors of the insane asylum the trustees of the reform school and of the agricultural college and the board of commissioners of the capitol grounds will submit detailed reports 0 1 As to the legislative assembly fa from 0 m which you will learn what has been done by them respectively during the pait paa two years I 1 shall only refer to them in a general way the condition of the insane asylum is deplorable the inmates afflicted with the saddest type ot of human suffering are crowded together in the rooms halls ante rooms and byways by ways of the institution the officers and attendants are compelled to perform their duties illy provided for the purpose I 1 urge immediate action looking to the enlargement of the present building the asylum should be made the foremost institution of the territory the agricultural college is an institution that ought to prove valuable to the agricultural elms class this important class clam of our population has derived but little benefit from public appropriations and if the college can be made of use and benefit to them it should be done you are the immediate representatives of the people and will have to decide how far you can go in supporting this important institution the reform school has been formally opened and is now in active operation the necessary appropriations ap pro should be made to enable it to be successfully conducted during the next two years the board of capitol commission Commis Comm aion limion ers era have improved the grounds donated by the city of salt bait lake to the territory upon which to erect the proposed capitol building I 1 believe it would be wise and prudent to appropriate a sufficient sum to erect a wing that will supply the present needs of the territory and shall be glad to have the opportunity to operate cooperate co with you in this matter the action of the last legislative assembly with reference to the selection of the directors of the deseret agricultural manufacturing society has virtually made the association a territorial institution during the ye years rs 1888 and 1889 successful fairs fain were held and the exhibits made were in the highest degree creditable considering the limited means at the he disposal of the directors director these fairs have been remarkably mar kably successful these annual fairs do much to bring the people together and encourage a friendly rivalry among the industrial classes the experience of the past two years has shown show n that the present building is entirely too small for the purpose the building should be completed according to the original plans adopted by the board of directo dl recto s and should be supplemented by other buildings which are much needed by exhibitors I 1 submit for your consideration the idea of establishing in the exposition building a territorial museum where the many objects object of interest which annually come to our notice in the territory may be preserved and where may be gathered a museum that will grow in interest with each succeeding year the territorial library mat as at present conducted practically nullifies the purpose of the law which created it it t should be moved back to a central part of the cit yand sufficient appropriation be made for its maintenance and support including the publishing of annual reports for purposes r oses of exchange with other states tates and territories THE CRIMINAL CODE I 1 append to this message a letter from the united states district attorney marked exhibit C recommending om mending certain amendments to the cri criminal mirial code whit h I 1 submit for your consideration with a recommendation ommen dation that they be adopted HOUSE OF correction the law establishing the reform school provides that when a boy bay or girl under the age of eighteen stajl be convicted of any crime except murders murder they may be sent to the reform school there is no provision made in the law jaw for boys and girls of similar age who though not convicted of any crime are incorrigible and refuse to be governed by parental restraint numerous instances have ube W necessity of providing a refuge fw such children before they are led into the commission of crimes Ibel I 1 believe deve it to be just as important indeed of greater importance to society to reform wayward youths if it can bo be done before they have incurred the disgrace of a conviction for crime I 1 therefore recommend the establishment of a house of correction for boys and girls under the age of eighteen whose conduct may be such as require them to be placed there THE BANKING LAW the present banking law section 22 imposes certain restrictions with respect to the loaning of money to toofil officers of a bank and provides that the office of any officer violating the law shall immediately become vacant the amount which any one ode officer may borrow is limited to in the case of the incorporation of a bank with a capital of twenty five thousand dollars three officers may exhaust the entire capital 1 I 1 recommend that the amount which may be loaned to the officers of a bank be limited to one tenth of the capital subscribed or to such percentage of the capital as you may think proper section 25 directs the secretary of the territory to make a thorough examination into the affairs of banking associations there to is an implied responsibility rest resting ingon on the examiner to carry out the spirit of the law without giving him the necessary power to do so in case he shall find a bank becoming insolvent tg he has no power to compel the officers or stockholders to take such steps as will put it in a solvent condition or to close the bank if they lail to respond olid I 1 recommend that the duties and powers of the examiner be accurately defined and if he is to be the public agent in such matters that his authority to examine everything connected with the business of the bank be made clear and explicit the law should require every bank to keep a certain percentage of the deposits available under the pie sent cent law there is no do obligation to hold any part of tho the deposits in reserve PAYMENT OF INTEREST BY PUBLIC institutions during the past two years nearly seven thousand dollars have been paid by institutions in this territory as interest on money borrowed or warrants discounted this was necessary to be done in some cases to enable the institutions to carry on the purposes for which they were created in every case the ap appropriations made for the use aus and maintenance of these institutions was ample for the purpose but it was round when the warrants were presented to the territorial Treas treasurer uror he had no money to pay them I 1 respectfully submit that a fiscal policy which makes it necessary for public institutions to discount the territorial warrant a defective and recommend an immediate change I 1 can find no authority in the statutes for the payment of inter estby these institutions from the public funds AIN RATE BATE OP OF INTEREST under the present law the le legal 9 al rate of interest is 10 per cent the city of salt lake and the territory of utah have been able to place their bonds at the rate of 5 per cent under the circumstances it seems to me that the rate now fixed by law should be reduced to 6 per cent and I 1 so recommend assessment OF PROPERTY the revenue law provides that property other than money shall be assessed at a fair cash valuation the fact is this requirement of the law has been practically ignored I 1 am of the opinion the fault to is in the administration of the law by the local officers the assessors have made the assessment ses upon an arbitrary basis fixed by themselves or which they think will be about the standard fixed in oth mothr r counties and thus the taxes are not dot laid upon the fair cash value of the property taxed nor is the assessment thereupon uniform and equal the law should be administered according to its terms and the power to determine the amount of revenue necessary should be left to the legislative assembly where it belo belongs rigs whether justly or not I 1 am not dot prepared to say but there exists among many the belief that the present law or the way in which it is enforced does not permit of a close and correct assessment of taxable property that in the larger coun counties fies of the territory it is practically impossible for one man to make a correct return of all the taxable property the assessor should be directed to appoint a deputy in each preCi precinct Det persons of discretion intelligence and integrity acquainted quain ted with the residents and familiar with the property of their respective precincts preCiDe ts to the of property and to the amounts that never reach the tax books at all is largely due to the fact of the treasurer not being uble to pay warrants when they are presented to him an assessment of all classes of properties at a fair valuation is the hobt practicable way of securing equalization there is 18 also a belief that corporate and accumulated wealth is not fairly assessed and therefore does not lot meet its just share of the public burdens I 1 suggest such amendments to the law la w as will secure a perfectly just and equitable assessment and that in cities the assessment be made by blocks and in townships by sections BOARD OF equalization at the last session of the legislative assembly a board of equalization was created for the years 1888 and 1889 it wits was charged with the duty of equalizing the different standards of value which had been adopted by the assessors in the counties in my judgment a law should be passed providing for a board of equalization to consist of five seven or more persons as the legislature may deem proper who shall serve for or a term of two years and until their successors shall be appointed and qualified I 1 believe the attention of the people has ben directed to the necessity of action in this matter they are anxious that athe burdens of government shall be fairly distributed statistics I 1 recommend that a law bo be passed creating a bureau of statistics at the present time federal territorial county and municipal officers and men of every class clas and sand calling are constantly called upon to furnish statistical information with respect to the territory and its people which ought to be supplied by a bureau specially created for the purpose nearly all the statistics ce cs furnished now are gathered by private expense our territory is rapidly growl growing dg it in wealth and population and we ought to feel a just pride in securing and preserving in enduring form the information which will enable the world to judge us correctly and which will prove valuable in the future this bureau burean should also be charged with the duty of guaring our streams say semimonthly semi monthly in order to determine the proper distribution of water with the measurement of snow in the mountains in winter to warn the farmer of probable scarcity offloads of floods in the springtime spring time and the approximate amount and with making tests of evaporation rainfall and temperature in all important import nt localities all of this information will be of great interest to the agricultural class and hence the people of the territory geological GEOLOGIC AI SURVEY I 1 suggest for your consideration the importance of a geological survey of the territory there is a widespread opinion that a survey which would accurately show the extent and character of our varied resources would prove of great benefit and would aid materially in promoting RIO ting the prospect of the territory we need information respecting our mineral 1114 Deral lands industrial resources oue ou soil should be analyzed and we should experiment with our structural material in we ought to get better acquainted with the territory in which we live FREE PUBLIC SCHOOLS I 1 can present no subject for your consideration of greater importance than the condition of the public schools throughout the territory it is the bounden duty of the territory to give to every child the opportunity port unity ty of receiving a free public education on this is denied by the exists exie ing laws I 1 earnestly recommend that you etian such legislation as will lay jay the fOUD foundation dation of a system of education that will progress until the highest standard is reached you will serve your territory well by so doing HIGHWAYS WAYS the highway law authorizes the county courts to maintain and work such public highways as are necessary for public convenience As a rule the highways throughout the territory are not in good condition I 1 believe that smooth easily traveled roads are of substantial benefit and that money expended in making them so is wisely spent if the present laws are not dot adequate or if the funds which the courts are authorized to use are not dot sufficient for the purpose I 1 recommend such legislation as will meet the cast case and suggest the appointment 0 of f precinct road masters irrigation the subject of irrigation and the water supply to ia a matter of great importance to the welfare of the territory I 1 urge the enactment of a s broad aud and comprehensive law with rel to the use of water in irrigation and tho storage und and reservation preservation of the water supply the he question is a vital one and is worthy enlightened consideration PROBATE JUDGES the probate judges of the territory are required tp to perform duties imposed upon them by law for which the status provides no compensation pensa tion in some of the counties the performance of these duties is a matter of daily occurrence I 1 recommend e orn mend such a ch inge in the law so as will secure them adequate compensation pensa tion WORL WORLDS DS FAIR I 1 recommend that provision be mado made for or collecting a complete exhibit for the worlds fair to be held in 1892 of all the natural and artificial products of the territory such as minerals flora fauna agricultural ani and horticultural products and manufactures of every kind FISH AND GAME LAW I 1 am informed b by y reliable authority that large quantities of native trout destroyed by the use of dyna mite giant powder quick lime etc are exported to eastern markets such agencies destroy fish of every age arid and size within their reach and will ultimately destroy our trout 8 supply P 1 y 1 recommend that county courts r pt 0 e authorized to offer suitable reward for information that will lead to the aart st and conviction of persons guilty of violating the flan fish and game laws colorado and other states prohibit the exportation of fish caught in weir public waters I 1 recommend such a law for utah I 1 also recommend a law coffis eating cating the seines boats etc belonging to or in the possession of sons gous tin unlawfully lawfully taking fishthal fish that persons and companies owning ditches mill races canals eto etc should be made to put and maintain suitable and serviceable screens to prevent the fish from descending or ascending such watercourses water courses they should be also made to build the necessary fish ways by law defined this I 1 believe has been totally neglected almost every state and territory in the union has a 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