Morning journal and courier., 1883-01-04
Sunrnsl arlA Gunrist.
Thursday, Jan. 4. 1883.
THE GOVERNORS MESSAGE.
 1CoNTISIrEn FEoNr rrRsr pAcr


 CONTINUED FROM FIRST PAGE but impressive This great in- terest of public education should, above all others, be managed with the most sturdy practical common sense. The purpose of all legislative action and control should be to provide the children in our common schools, not with superficial knowledge of many things but with 8 thorough knowledge of | the common rudimentary branches of an | English education. An ambitious boy, possessed of even these rude weapons, goes from the common schools well armed for the ! earnest battle of American life.
 In addition to the cost of public schools the State expended for public education $49, 500 for the Normal School, S5. .OOO for the Storrs Agricultural School and $8, 38S. O3 for the Board of Education.
 STATE NORMAL SCHOOL.
 The amount charged to the Normal School includes the cost of building, now nearly completed, toward the expense of which the town of New Britain contributed twenty five thousand dollars, and for the furnishing and equipment of which you will be asked to make necessary appropriation The school employs nine competent teachers and it's ad- vantages during the year have been enjoyed by one hundred and thirty-ive scholars. It is no longer an experiment.. The benefit of ] its influence and useful work has long been ' realized in the teaching of our common \ schools. The liberal donation of the intelli- gent and thrifty community in which the | creditable to the donors, but is an approval of the character of the school that should be understood and appreciated.
 STORES AGRICULTURAL SCHOOL.
 The Storrs Agricultural School, now in the second year of it's struggling infancy, has three teachers and eighteen pupils. It received last year five thousand dollars from the State, little less than three hundred dollars for each pupil It is feared that un- less it receives larger appropriation this
 year it will not be possible to maintain it.
 The large element in the Assembly directly
 interested in the occupation the school was founded to aid and honor will, it is believed | give their special attention to its wants and It's merits
 | CONNECTICUT NATIONAL GUARD.
 The National Guard, comprising thirty seven companies of infantry and one battery of artillery, cost the State during the year $158, ,1S2 9G. The communication tax, amount ing to $93, ,635 45, nearly equaled the usual | expenses. The excess is due to the expendi | ture of $50, GOO for armories and $10, GOO for a camp ground at Mantle. It is thought that the communication tax for this year, esti ! mated at S1O3, ,298.OO, will be sufficient to meet the expenses. The National Guard has for years been steadily improving in charac ! ter, discipline and equipment. It is to-day in such fortunate condition that the whole force could be mustered at any place in the l State accessible by rail in less than eight hours, in every way prepared for field service. This fine body of soldiers, many of whom have done service on the field of battle, de- serves the continued support of the State. and is entitled to the respect the people have always entertained for it. The colored troops of this organization, I understand, have not heretofore been encamped with the hrI ha ho for this exclusion, it should not be longer per mitted.
 RAILROADS, INSURANCE COMPANIES AND BANKS. The railroad companies contribute in taxa tion towards the expenses of the State $4S4, 732.4 42. The insurance companies, in ! cluding fire and life, foreign and domestic, I $342, .9S, and savings banks $252, 9S6 To- The business of the railroads during the year has increased 1n ratio corresponding with 1 the general business in the State, although ! the report of the commissioners shows that ! the usual percentage of net profits has not been maintained.
 The life and fire insurance companies are among the most prominent corporations of the State-some of them the largest and most prosperous in the world The last report of the insurance department shows that the fire companies had over 1928, 900, 900 of assets, and the life companies over $1O5, 900, 900.
 The savings banks of the State have on deposit over $84, 1000, 900, the largest amount ever held by them. There are 197,471 depositors, each having less than $500 to his credit, and 50, 522, each having over that sum.
 The three great monetary interests that pay tax of the state under your control The same care to avoid experimental legislation and the Iib- era policy of control that characterized the past and to which they largely their present prosper ity, should be continued. They shold receive such protection and be subject to restrictions wi without doing injustice to hem best promote the in
 The omission to mention other institutions and in tsress of the State is n9t from depreoiation of tihes' call your attention especially to them. TAXATION.
 Equal in importance to economy in expandi.ure is equality in taxation. The existing laws requiring taxpayers to report to list of their proper ty liable to taation practically make every taxpayer his own judge question often difficult to decide and one in which his pecuniary interests tend to warp and embarrass his judgment. The records of Probate Courts in the settlement of the of deceased persons frequently disclose the fact that large amounts of property, owned by of stand ing and character have years escaped taxation. Grecommend the passage of law requiring that the taxpayer, under the adequate penalty, either in person by list shall report to the all the property owned by him, wherever it may be and of whatever it may consist, and that the shall decide all questions of exemption subject to review by the Board of Relief.
 The law sufficiently provides for the recovery Of debt with interest and costs, but furnishes remedy in case property escapes taxation through even the mistake wrong of the taxpayer himself To remedy defect so obvious and important ommend the passage of law providing that upon the discovery that property subject ito taxation has net been assessed the town in which such property was taxable may recover in action at law, of such owner of his estate, amount equal to the which would have been assessed on such property had the owner thereof reported the to the The enactment of these proposed amendments would it believed largely increase the amount of property sessed and justly reduce the taxes of the great jorty of taxpayers whose only property continually exposed to the view of the assessors
 The apprehension sometimts expressed that capital will be driven from the State by the rigid enforce ment of laws taxation ought not to be enter tained. If the laws this subject unjust they should be altered repealed; if not, they should enforced against property whether visible a farm easily concealed a railroad bond or stock certificate
 Other States have adopted the policy of exempting from taxation under certain condition investments of capital in vessels, thus giving in measure needed encouragement to their maritime commerce. recommend that you consider the expediency of such policy that it may if found advtabie adopt ed by you
 SUNDAY LAW.
 Our laws in relation to the proper obser ance cf Sunday are incongruous that feel compelled to urge their correction and amendment. They now permit after sunset Sundsy the manufacturing establishment to be put in operation the workshop opened, the goods of the merchant exposed sale, a claim be secure by attacb-