The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-01-03
GOV. FLOWERS MESSAGE.
TIE STATE oUF or DEBr FOR 1HE
FINS TINE IN sRTBN1r-EIVE YEARS.

Reee'pts Under the Indirect Tau Laws 80
Hssreeiy tscrenrea that Direct Tsrut,o-
May sson ne Di.psasea wttA-Ap r.t,.
stated srrpns % More than $4,000 900
sor ,he Currsst Fisrni Ysar-ereat a..
sres.e In the state Fore., rr.-tr,s-The
uuestio- or the Constellation OF New
Yorh aud nrookiyr shouIi ~. sphr,iuea
60 vote-P-o-peror- season for the C.nnI.
-u's &c .erieuS a. . Motive Power.
srATr or Nsw YonK. Evrcuuvt .cn,ynER. |
ALBANY, Jan. 2, lS5i.
For the lrst time In more THAI scventy-nve
years I've Executive Ia able TO announce to the
Legislature that the state II entirely free from
debt The last verties Of debt was paid during
the year Just closed in the redom ptiou Of
the outstanding Niagara Reservation indcbt-
edhssa
THIS result IL not the only Indication OF the
patisiact ory condition Of cur State finances.
OWING TO the very thorough and successful sd-
tnintstration Of the Indirect tax laws. the 70.
eeipts from these sources have been largely
Increased. and with continuance Of these ia
Noring conditions the time IL elose at hand
when. for the general purposes OF government
We may dispense altogether with direct taxa
tion.
The TAX rate fixed BY the last Legislature
vas m 10 M OF ninety ght hundredths OF a
mill for school purposes. thirty-thre and one
third hundredths OF a mill for the support Of
che Insnns. thirty.seven and two.thirdf hun
eiRhty-nine hundrehthA Of mill for general
pnrpo.es, That tax rate was fixed ngon the
sEsI. fund on Sent. 80. ,isa3, would 6e
As a MISTER o. fact the surplus on Sept Sept.
-, last was $4,000. ~. Assuming con-
che Comptroller estimates that the actual
surplus on SEPT ~ next OF the end e ,hs cur,
The tax. rate Tor the present year this amount
OF surplus on hand could have been assumed.
TIVE HS as G% SHsS Gssn
purposes Instead OF eighty nine hundredths OF
g MIL. Or to,ni tux rate Of one and ninety
The present legislature can. therefore. look
forward 10 liking m even lower tax rate. Not
only viii 1t have this large surplus at the end
with. but il the ad N Inistrstion o. the indire,t
pus, there Will be greatly Increased receipts
from these sources. Moreover. there IL occa-
ss we're Necessary during the ~ past year as. as.
ier Instance ,h ~ for hs pStHhI Fire
Threatened /, pslcn o. cholera that for tho
MoIld's Feir. that to pay the balance Of
Taking those facts Into consideration. Il 10
safe to predict that. with rensonable economy
q IT," present session. and without parslmonv.
and poasisy thea The canals al ?SIs viii be
a sSSuS Ss n sm 81 Sc 81 srst
bring about such a result Certainly the reo-
have been msnaerd 90 surcessiniy in the
past. and they viii expect the came earnest
Observation-Disclosures office iro IL the iuturs anu
Let us not disappOint them.
FOREST PRESENTATION.
The year Just ended has marked the begin.
~ "A N 70 A~n la, ha Pa. in q
sstsbilsRed' wSose good results are airss sS
lar pleasure to announce this fact and to con-
gratnlste the Legislature that this STATE ,un-
telligent foundation.
year ago recomm end" ' the creation Of u
cinaI suRgcc.tions as to wha tire policy Of the
state should be In the matter 81 forest pre-
/. That vast tracts 81 tho 2dironl.cs forests
now owned by individuals or private ashocin-
tions an used mainly for purposes o, rccrea-
lion might be secured as part ut the state
Forest Preserve and forever guarded against
liquidation 10y "ontrnc; between the owners
forest protection furnished 10y the state ami
exemption from state taxation, the owners and
Imposed hy the State. such contracts, urged.
lions Of dollars for purchasing lands.
? That without injury to the forest. bnt
rather with benefit the State, could acquire
TO fell trees above a certain diameter on State
These e Go re tic were promptly en-
bodied In Law, and tho new Forest Commits.
Sh G sSs bs s%' to
State upon the terms Of tho propos ed contract,
and that rtandinc spruce timber exceeding
17.4'SI acres Of state laud, from which II ia ex.
pectsd that the flrst years cutting will yield
TIN. SrpsaS. that 'f tss Sts Ssa'FI arast
.5yy a million dollars ''' worth Of lands lands
without any direct appropriation Of public
sdministraton under the new f law has insured insured
TO the state an annual revenue largely in eN-
% vsrS % II tso Raro oh:
daeks aud every friend OF forest preservation
The oas T"ss the
Etate. II from SO small a portion OF the iores.
preserve so considerabe a revenue Is received
look forward to the time when the forest pre-
serve will not only he the great conservator Of
but will contribute large pnrt OF the money
required for the support Of the State Govern
Al sales ~ stumpage were to the highest
bidder rpications tor sales were nu m erous,
Com mlssion thought wise to sell at that tins.
They Indicate that there will bs no difficulty
rot 0 only render the sn dsnartmsnt s whsn
ing. But VIII leave large balance. which. for
on the PSS"SS.s q lands :1 and nd tRs %
OF the preserve.
The legislative policy declared two years
ago OF selling scattered and detached tracts ~ |
State forest land lying outside the limits Of |
the Adirondack Park has been pursued dur |
Ing the year. but not mAnT Gales have been |
mad, owing TO the depression In financial |
eirees
There has heen a notable absence OF forest |
nreS, although nelghboring states have sui |
fered considerably in this resreet This alb |
sence Is In large part attributable to the en- !
cheney OF the town IRE wATdeus and TO the |
officers.
The threatened loss to the State Of hundreds |
OF thousands Of acres Of forest land by cancel- |
lattons OF tax sales was happily averted by |
legislation last year passed In TeApOnse IL my |
earnest solicitation. The law governing these |
cancelati ions still nceds strengthening in some |
kespects, and your attention is respectfully |
directed TO the subject.
MUNICIPAL CONSOLIDATION.
There seems to be considerable public sentl- |
meEt in favor OF consolidation under une \
municipal Government OF the cities OF New /
York ami brooklyn and contiguous territory. |
Many advantages OF such a consolidation 20 1
the people Of the localities have heeh urged. |
and mis- sion which ~ aSf 81 Gd a