Governor's Message to the 56th legislature. Page: 5 of 41
21 l. 19 tables.View a full description of this book.
Extracted Text
The following text was automatically extracted from the image on this page using optical character recognition software:
Twenty-three years later when General Houston addressed the Legislature
as Governor, things were not in much better shape. He said in his message:
"Not a dollar has been at (my) command for months. .. Treasury warrants are
already selling at a heavy discount.. " He complained that Comanche Indians
were threatening within 50 miles of the Capitol.
A short time later, with our Nation and our State split asunder by a civil
war, Governor Lubbock, in his message to the 9th Texas Legislature, said:
"No Legislature of any State has ever been called
upon to act under more embarrassing circumstances...
The State Government is absolutely without a dollar."
After the War Between the States and carpetbag rule had ravished our
State, Governor Richard Coke told the 14th Legislature: "That the Treasury is
empty we know to be a fact."
In 1905 Governor Lanham in his message to the 29th Legislature said:
"There is now and for some time has been a deficiency
in our revenues, and the Treasury is unable to meet the
warrants of the State upon presentation."
Thirty-eight years later Governor Coke Stevenson, while I held the
gavel on this rostrum as the Speaker of this House, told the 48th Legislature,
"We now have a deficit of approximately $31 million in the General Fund. "
Only 12 years later, Governor Allan Shivers reported to the 54th Legislature
that the Comptroller estimated a $61 million deficiency for the ensuing
biennium and said that the Legislature "faces more problems of major import
than have confronted any other session during the Twentieth Century. " During
the first five years of this decade, there were four separate annual tax increases
totalling more than $134 million. In the last four years no new taxes have been
levied. It is the longest period since 1950 without substantial increases in taxes,4
Upcoming Pages
Here’s what’s next.
Search Inside
This book can be searched. Note: Results may vary based on the legibility of text within the document.
Tools / Downloads
Get a copy of this page or view the extracted text.
Citing and Sharing
Basic information for referencing this web page. We also provide extended guidance on usage rights, references, copying or embedding.
Reference the current page of this Book.
Price, Daniel. Governor's Message to the 56th legislature., book, January 21, 1959; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth5870/m1/5/?rotate=270: accessed April 24, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; .