tenant-Governor Milliman, presided over the Senate. Leslie M. Shaw was inaugurated Governor for a second term. In his message to the General Assembly the Governor made the following statement as to the improved financial condition of the State:
“The receipts of general revenue from July 1st, 1897, to the same date in 1899 were $5,079,403.29. There was a balance in the treasury July 1st, 1897, of $36,672.96, making the total revenue for the term of two years, $5,116,076.25.
“Against this sum warrants were drawn during the term, together with outstanding warrants to the amount of $4,165,786.58. The treasury is in better condition than it was two years ago by $1,008,580.50.”
The Governor continues:
“Iowa is exceedingly fortunate in her banking interests. She has more banks than any other state in the Union. At the date of their last reports, the deposits amounted to $163,715,560.85, showing an increase in two years of fifty-five per cent. Unquestionably the proportions of unencumbered farms in the State exceeds that of any other period.”
Speaking of the Board of Control provided for by the last General Assembly, the Governor says:
“The policy thus inaugurated has resulted in a very considerable saving to the State, and in addition, the service at most of the institutions has been improved. When the amount of work necessary to reorganize the operative forces of thirteen State institutions, and personally examine the practical operations of each, to inaugurate a system of bookkeeping applicable to each institution separately and to all jointly, to install a main office at the Capital with its corps of untried clerks and assistants is considered, it must be conceded that the three men composing this Board undertook on July 1st, an Herculean task. The results show more clearly than any words of mine how conscientiously this duty was undertaken and how earnestly, faithfully and untiringly it has been prosecuted.”
Among the more important acts of the Twenty-eighth General Assembly may be enumerated the following:
Regulating the taxation of telephone, telegraph, insurance and express companies; providing for the assessment and collection of taxes not found by the assessors; cre-
