Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1889-01-04

more enact jussics could be done to all cid
ems aike-vhich 10 indeed the highest duty
Of Stase government
Il 10 worth while also to observe in this
eo0necsioa shas while our TAX for the gen.
efal purposes Of the State government can
next year be reduced to . nili and 8
quarter on our presens Suts valuation. it
would be little more than half q mill. if
levied on . valuation spproxim4ting the
total wealth Of the State. This sho~s that
Maine 10 really. % far ~ the levy of the
State government is concerned, one of the
most lightly taxed States in the Union. The
locsl taxxtlon is of cuurse beyond the con-
troll OF the State government and. outside Of
certain absolute requifsm nts. 10 just hat
tue citiz Ms of the several cities, towns and
counties may themselves determine and au.
rnorize-
SAVINGS BANKS.
The report of the Bank Ex,mirer, givins
the condition of sxvIngs hanks. trust comPs-
MES and loan and building associations IL
the State, will coon be laid b. fore You. !
viii prove both interesting soi satisfactory.
IL will sno~ that the aggregate deposits
The fifty hSe sayiags banks snIouot TO near
ly forty millions Of dollars This larg
sum is divit. j o-tweeR l24 SO, iepo-itors, OF
whom n-4riy los, 900 r.pre.rnE d posi-. OF
lees than five handred dollars eacn. The
.svIngs banks have proved source of large
ly Increasing the wealth OF the ) ate They
have inspired = spirit of thrift and econom.
and have been the mesns of saving to wor-
thy individuals AMI families man, million.
,.f "A LII. fh.f rsv ~.
fri,t,r d away in needless indulgences or III
hurIful disstpations.
OIe of the most important duties devolv-
ing urol the government of the State is the
careful guardianship of these large sums of
money. The savings banks d posts must BE-
rigiily p detected against all forms OF risk OF
speculation. Ii individuals choose to sprc-
uate with their own money they take the
risks themselves and If misfortune over
takes them, they must abide the coDse-
quences. But the State has no right To per
init the guardians of trust funds to take any
risk whatever ia their investment. l COM
mend, therefore, vita heartiest approval the
cautions contained in the Bank Examiner =
report against permitting the funds in our
savings banks to Be invested in western farm
mortgages. l make no r. Election whatever
upon the security of such investments fur
ther than to say that cash go placed cannot
be promptly realized, and that fact alone
destroys in large degree the usefulness OF
such investments to the savings banks.
/ Insurance.
| recommend T. at the legislature make
close examination into the exi-ting system
of insurance in this State in all its depart
ments. There 10 a vast cum of money in
vested in fire, life and other insurance and
no vigilance which the legislature can en-
force should be spared to the end that the
companies shall conform to every require
ment of wise and judicious Law. The grea,
voiu ne of underwriting 10 the State is done
/ by I ,eign companies but we have consld-
crab insurance interest growing up in the
State, and close supervision should be given
to each class. The fees paid by the I'M
ance companies relieve the State from all
cost of maintaining the insurance depart
ment, and lay upon the State the duty OF
maintaining adequate supervision as due alike
To insurer and insured. The sup, rgi.ion
should guarantee to our people the best
and most reliable insurance companies.
In this connection valuable intorEsation
could be derived by providing that the in
surance commissioner shall collect and
classify all statistics relating to fires in the
State; viz, their causes, he losses of prop.
erty. separately and in the aggregate, the
amount Of insurance written thereon, am
the amount of insurance paid and the name
of the insurance companies. A provision
of thus kind, accurately and rigidly enforced
would expose the extent of three evils
over-insurance, iBcen iiarism and insuranc.
by unauthorized and unreliable companies
THESE statistics would suggest various rene
dial aids and the exposure of illegal prac
tees would in large degree tend to cor
rect them.
PROHIBITION.
The great evils of the liquor traffic, tn,
perm cious influence of the saloon upon tn,
public morals and the disorder and crim
resu ii & from inteDpersnce, have rendere,
restrictive an prohlbtory legislation i'm
prratvely necessary in the opinion of
large majority of the people OF the State
Both by constitutional provision and b,
statutory enactments, Name has permanent
ly prohibited the manufacture and sale o
schoholic liquors. except tor M decimal an
mechanical purposes. Long experience ha
demonstrated the wisdo :, and advantages o
this policy.
Yet like all other laws against public evils
That against the liquor traffic has Its violat
ors, those who wantonly disregard the int r
ests of the community aud the authority o
the State. Tits renders it necessary tina
tho entrusted by the people with the en-
torcement of he laws should be promp
and fsitNful in the discharge of tael
sworn obligations. So long rs it shall b.
incumbe upon me TO d scharge the du'ie
of the Executive of the 5 ate, it will be NJ,
endtavor to enforce the Laws with vigor an,
imp-rtislty. To successfully discharge m
fficisl tnty in this connection, II is necessa
~ that b Governor shoull have the ear
nest and hearty aid of all other executiv,
officers and the active cooperation of tn
people.
AGRICULTURE.
The report of the President of the Stst,
Colleg of Agriculture and the Mechanic
Arts will he laid before yon and commen'
to your favorable consideration its variou
recommendations The college will b.
largely aided by the benevolent legacy O.
the late Governor Coburn, soon to b,
realized. Its sphere of usefulness will b,
enlarged just in proportion to the increase
of Its resources. 1t is qualification to not,
that the agencies for the advancement of az
ricultural informal on, and the improvement
of agricultural practice in Maine are secone
TO those of no other State in the Union
They embrace. beside the college Just al
lu1ed to, two State Agricultural Societies
one State Pathological Society, State
orancn of the national agricultural expert
ment station, a State board of agriculture
a State grange, having IL 600 members
thirty-seven incorporated county agricul
tural societies receiving bounty from the
State and many other local organic atoms OF
similar character not directly aided by the
State.
These agencies and organizations enlist
ing the interest of county, State and Ma
tional governments show how actively and
energetically the science and art of agri-
| culture are promoted. Agriculture always
has been, is now, and perhaps always will
he the leading financial interest of the
United States, and must always engage the
most earnest attention of the Legislative
power of the people. l commend to you
the various recommendations contained in
the reports and documents that will be laid
before you.
1 call attention with special pleasure, as
directly and strongly interesting to the
farmers of the State, the rapid reduction of
State taxation of which they have always
paid so large proportion. The burdens
have been growing lighter for some years
past, and for the future, according to pres
ent prospects, the taxation levied for the
State government will be lighter than the
average of the other States in the Union
With the extinction of the war debt the
burden will grow still lighter.