West-Jersey pioneer., 1868-01-17
GOVERNORS MESSAGE.

On Tuesday of this week the Legisa
ture of New Jersey met, pursuant to the
law, and after their organization listened
to the reading of the annual gubernator
ial message from Gov. Marcus L. Ward
The document is distinguished by plain
practical sense, and confines itself to the
simple facts of state finances and policy
and abstains entirely from references tc
the political questions which agitate with
such varying success the communities Of
the nation. 1t begins with recognition
OF the important position of New Jersey,
its wealth, its generous charities and
rapid advance, and then proceeds at once
to statement of its financial condition
at the present time. From the statistical
tables which represent that condition we
learn that the receipts of the State from
taxes and similar sources, together with
the balance of last year, amount to $563,
GIG 90. Of this sum S26S, ,25996 was
received from the transit duties of the
railroad companies. By this it appears
that nearly half of the income of the
state is from this source alone, and forms,
we think, a sufficient answer to those
persons who clamor for the abolition of
our railroad system, an abolition which
could not be inaugurated without the loss
of this entire amount, and the placing it
upon the shoulders of our already heavily
taxed citizens. In spite of this large in.
come, however, the extraordinary appro-
priations of the last Legislature involved
such heavy expenditures, that the regular
expenses of the past year exceeded it's in
come by s35, ,139.68, for which amount
the State is now indebted upon the cur
rent account The estimate for these
expenses, for the present year, is $780,
0Q0, while the estimated receipts are but
s450,000. The deficiency on this, added
10 the present deficit, will necessitate a
State tax of $4,000
The war debt of the State is So 1885,
600, decrease from last year of $685..
600. This decrease arose from the sum
of 100000 which had been paid by the
U. :. government, up to Nov. ~, 1867,
at which time this estimate W lade.-
Since that time the general .rnment
has paid s551 ,6l7.4S into the treasury OF
the State, and the balance yet unadjusted
and still due will, the Governor thinks,
be paid during the present year. The
Governor recommends the establishment
of the sinking fund as the wisest measure
for the gradual extinguishment of this
burden of debt that could have been de
vised. The amount of money received
from the general government has been
paid into that fund, and its commission
ers have now on hand, after deducting
the amount to be paid out for interest
next July, 1881, 1854. The annual in
terest of this sum, invested at 6 per cent,
would be S55,S00. At this rate its ac-
cumulation will be very rapid, and the
Governor proposes to reduce the amount
of annual taxation for the payment of the
principal and interest of the debt, by
whatever excess there is above the yearly
interest, and in this way the whole debt
will be extinguished in 1888 This plan
will probably meet the appreciation of the
people, for, while it distributes the pay.
ment of this war debt over a sufficient
number Of years, to prevent its being Sc
verely felt, it yet proposes TO extinguish
it in an amount of time that will keep the
credit of the State in its best condition.
For our ''schools" the amount of $780,
530.42 has been disbursed. This does
not include the sums raised for building
or repairing houses, or the tuition fees
collected for the payment of teachers
salaries. Of this large sum, thus appro-
priated for this object, S726,264 have
been received from township and city
taxes, thus showing a large advance in
the estimate formed by the people in ref
erence to this matter The Normal
School has had PIG pupils last year, the
"ModeP 525, and the "Farnum" ISL
All these schools are said 10 be eminently
prosperous, and in the process of accom-
plishing a great deal of direct and posi-
tive good. He thinks the General School
Law passed last year to be of great value,
and believes that all opposition to it will
vanish as soon as its provisions are tho
roughly understood by the people. The
State Agricultural College at New Bruins
wick is represented as doing all that was
expected at its hands, and as promising
greater results in the future.
The Geological survey by Professor
Cook is nearly completed and its map'
aud statements will be ready for the pub
lie in short period of time. Our Stat,
resources are exhibited in most crafty
ing form. While we stand the thirtietl
of the States in size, we are the twentieth
in population, the nineteenth in th'
growth of wheat, the eighth in potatoes
the tenth In the total value of our farms
and the FIRST in the value per acre o
those farms. We are only second anon,
the States in the market value of our gar
den products and the same ratio in smal
fruits. We are the sixth both in tn
capital invested and in the annual valu
of our manufactures. 250,00O tons c
} iron ore worth 81 100000 at the mine
, have been produced, and $4,000 tons {
zinc ore, worth $1,000,000 more hav
also contributed to the wealth Of tn
State. In this article of zinc we hay
given to the country half as much as hs
: been mined in the entire Union, an
5 more than is supplied by all the mines {
, Great Britain.
A quarter of the whole State, NOR
than million of acres, is still uncultiv'
, ted, but is rapidly being cleared an
t brought into market, and are among tt
e best lands in the State. 10000 acr'
are spoken of as suffering from imperfe
drainage, and he recommends Legisatic
: to encourage their improvement. 29
= 476 acres are in tide marshes and at
], cost Of from five to twenty dollars per ac
! can be made the most productive LAM
: that we possess. Much is being done
= their reclamation, and he hopes all pro
e er legislative encouragement will be gi
r en-. Our contiguity to the two gre
a. cities of the Union makes New Jersey