National Republican., 1883-01-05

commonwealth upon textile nbrics) do not sup-
port their families by their individual earnit "a
alone. Fathers rely, or are forced to depend upon
their children for from onC-quarter 20 Onc.thiTd
ofthe entire family earnings.
Especially is this so, MS we can find nothing
in the subsequent reports of that bureau, to
show that that condition of things has altered
within the eight years since IL was written.
He calls for thorough investigation of tho
expensive management Of insane asylums and
poor houses lie recommends measures TO
make the labor Of prisons pay the expense of
the prisons ofthe state.
On the subject Of
CIVIL SERVICE REFORM
the governor says: congratulate the COM
monwoalth that one branch, of what is known
in political circles rs civil service reform"
is, and has been since 1879, is most full, c0l-
oiont, and thorough operation in this COM
monwcalth, and that is fxedncss of tenure of
office, as have before demonstrated.
The civil service reform" manner of ap-
pointment, by competitive or other cxamina-
tion, has boon wholly ignored On the CON
trary, the practice has been quito generally
obtained of the officer having the ap-
pointmcnt putting his wife, his son. his
daughter, his sons wife, aud his sister i'm
oilicc as assistants and clerks and into other
official and salaricd places. Whole families
are sometimes appointed TO salariCd places
Besides the rule is hardly with exceptions
enough to prove its correctness, that all the
salaried and paid officials, mt least of the
higher grades have been, and are of u given
political faith. If IL we're profitable enough
could give very many instances in illustra-
tion in each of the truths above stated. and
will do so whenever called upon. In addition
TO these there are other defects in the civil
service of the commonwealth which need
reformation very much indeed, which have
never been discussed, so far rs am informed
even by any ofthC clubs of political reiOrmcrs
Certainly they uro of rs great interest to the
people of the commonwealth as either of the
other matters of civil service reform. They
are these: First. There are very many more
officers and salaricd agents and employees in
the commonwealth than are necessary to do
its business.
3 They are paid on an average quito one
half more than the salaries for which compc-
tent persons could be obtained to do the same
work, or which are paid in other like business
by employers in the state. | would there.
fore, advise as u measure of civil service re-
form that at least one-third of the paid on-
cials doing the business of the commonwealth
who are not embedded i'm the constitution and
cannot be reached by law, should be cut Off by
stringent cnactmonts of law, and the salaries
of the remainder reduced on the average Mt
least onc-haf in amount and cmolumcnts,
travelling and official expenses These latter
~
legislature will cut down and limit the officers
and salaried agents of the commonwealth and
the amounts of their salaries, as |
have indicated, and give power to the
governor so to do, lac will undertake
TO carry on the needed business of the state
with the reduced number of officers, agents,
ana employees, and if the present officers and
agents resign their places (Which most of
them will not do ON account of the reduction
of their salaries, will I'LL their places and any
others which may become vacant with equally
good and efficient incumbcnts, selected and
appointed under the most carefully prepared
rules of competitive examination, for the es.
tablshmcnt of which he trusts the legislature
will make provision. Especially would this
DO true in the higher grades of educational
schools of the state. lie dwells mt some length
upon
THE EDUCATIONAL SUBJECT,
and states there are by far too many schools
for special classes which draw from the gem
eral funds, and which should be for the use of
all alike. The salaries of principals in most
of the higher schools are very much more
than they ought TO be- But the same is not
true Of the teachers of the lower grades, of
whom more than 81 per cent. are women,
whose salaries in comparison are by far too
low, Do not take the common fund and give
il to the few or have it expended in such a
manner that all cannot equally enjoy its ad-
vantagcs.
After lengthy and very careful review of
THE EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM OF THE STATE,
which he criticizcs in many very important
respects, the governor closes his address ms
follows:
Honorable senators, and gentlemen of the house
Of representatives: What is the practical sOlu-
tion of the educational question? Take the
matter into your own hands, You are prac-
tical men. You know what kind of an educa-
ton the people need and ought TO have Re-
strict the branches taught in the primary
schools by law specifically to spelling, read
ing, writing, grammar, arithmetic geography,
history preferably of the United States--and
require that those shall he taught upon the
same system, TO the same grade of scholars,
i'll every common school in the common
wealth. When the scholar can show
by an examination that he is well
grounded in the elementary English
branches, then let him be admitted to n school
of higher grade, where line drawing for in
dustrial purposes shall be taught, hook lSkeep-
ing, algebra geometry, the rudimcnts of
the Latin and French languages, chemistry,
physics, with natural philosophy in rudi-
mental degree; and there common-schoOl
education should stop. When by this sys-
tenn of schools we have brought Massachusetts,
from her present position to be the first state
in the union in tho reading and writing of
her citizens there will be somebody here,
doubtless, more competent to advise what is
best to be done.
Legislators: have presented the result of
my best thought upon the topics occurring to
me as of interest to you, and the discussion
of which would benefit the state. Time has
not been possible TO me to give to them the
needed care classification, and condensation.
1t has been my endeavOr to exclude there
from every partisan consideration, | have
every induccment and no temptation TO do
otherwise, for L much desire that my sugges-
tions shall have weight with all of you. From
my Recommendation no personal advantage
can come, for | now and here declare that
have neither wish nor intention again to ask
the suilrages OF the people of the common
wealth for the position which / hold for
which high honor am filled with the most
profound sensibility. 1t is both my pleasure
and duty to give one year of the best energies
of my life to the service ofthe commonwealth,
thereby to pay the earnest penny of my graf
itude.