The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1895-01-08

arsenal uses. Should there prove to be
Insufficient land for both purposes, the
arsenal could be located on other lands
OF the State. sufficiently remote from the
sea coast.
/ am decidedly in favor of a State re-
| formatory or intermediate prison Tor
| youthful and first offenders, and, alb
stractly stated, l would prefer the erec-
ton of reformatory to the enlargement
| of the present prison. But the necessity
| of the case demands immediate relief,
and that can be afforded much more
cheaply and expeoitiously by the en-
largement of the prison.
| / beg leave, however, to direct the at
tention Of your Honorable Bodies TO the
suggestions of my first annual message
| concerning the erection of reformatory,
and also to the report OF COMMISSION
| ton of a reformatory, transmitted by
the the EegislatTre LassaaTa; ea q iS9s. Hpg''a'
| THE NATIONAL GUARD, STATE TAI
| CAMP GROUND AND ARMORlES.
| The National Guard consists OF slS
| officers and 3,4S7 enlisted men. Tnls
| force is organized into fifty-six com
| paIlies of infantry, one gatling gun COM
| pany and one troop of cavalry.
The National Guard is in every way
| honorable to itself and the State. 1t has
| developed a marked Improvement IN u.s-
cipline and soldierIy qualities during the
| past year. The Second Brigade, under
| the command of Brevet Major General
| William j. Sewell, was encamped at
| Sea Girt from July 16 10 July Il. The
period of time covered by the encamp-
| ment was coincident with the closing
| events of the serious outbreaks which,
in the months of June and July last dis
| turbed the peace and good order of sew
| eral of the Western States. For sew
| eral days anterior to the .encampnent
| wen grounded apprehensions existed
that the violence and disorder. prevail
! ing In the West might spread to the
East and this State. Preparations were
accordingly made for the speedy con
oughly armed and equipped, at any
| threatened point. Happily, the necessity
| for such action did not arise: l. how
| ever. fully concur in the opinion OF tie
nual report, that had occasion occurred
| for its services, The National Guard
| would have afforded ample defence to
the persons and property of the citizens
| of the State. There can be no doubt
| that, at the time referred to. the conf
! dence reposed in the National Guard,
| and the fact that brigade tnereof was
encamped ready to move promptly upon
| any threatened point, afforded a sense
| of security to the entire State. 1t is al
| such times and in such emergencies (al
! in truth the indispensability Of the
| National Guard, are felt and recognized.
| In craftsmanship, under the direction
| of Brigadier General Bird W. Spencer
! Inspector General of Rifle Practice, the
| National Guard has attained great pro
| ficiency The record of each regimen
| in this branch of service for the pas
! year is superior to that of any preced
| ing year.
| The number and Importance of tht
/ contests at Sea Girt in the past twt
| ton, construction and management .
the ranges there situate, have establish
ed their superiority to any others in tn
| country. 1t is desirable that the rept
/ Its beneficial effect upon the morale g
J the National Guard cannot be over
| estimated.
| The experience of the past year has
ranges is too limited for the work re
| quired of them. 1t is impossible TO ex
| tend them sufficiently without encroach
! ing upon that portion CT the s-oussa she4
! should be reserved for the purposes OF
| the annual encampment.
| Adjoining the camp ground, on the
south, and between the ocean and Stock
| ton Lake, lies large tract of unira-
/ proved land, difficult of access. except
| by crossing the camp ground This land
thereof should be acquired to permit
| the necessary enlargement of the rifle
ranges. 1t will ultimately have to. be
forego the advantages that the ,exten-
sion will confer. I recommend that
| measures be adopted for the acquisition
| of the land referred to.
| During the past year work has pro
| gressed upon the armory at Jersey. City
which is now substantially completed.
commenced in the city of Paterson, which
| will probably be completed within the
next twelve months.
The last Legislature passed an act,
| chapter 157 authorizing the formation
of naval reserve. The organizati ton has
mot aetnay h been eested put will prob
| SION.
| In my first annual message called at
| tention to the fact that the Columbian
! Exposition Commission was unable to
1 meet all it's obligations. That shortage
of $4,000, or the1rseahouts, existed .S &c.
| fact that the commission, in the prose-
| cution of it's work. had paid bills and
claims that might properly have been
| paid by other departments. 1t was hoped
| that the claims of the commission against
such other departments might be ad-
justed without requiring reimbursina
| otherwise an appropriation might better
be made to the commission in the first
instance. It has been found impossible
| to adjust any such claims, or, in fact,
to ascertain the amount thereof with any
exactness. owever occasioned, the de-
fciency still exists, and the credit of
the State, in degree, suffers thereby.
An appropriation to meet the shortage.
less the amount If anything, to be real
| ICED from assets in the hands of the
commission, seems to be the only remedy
The assets In the hands of the commits
sion consist of the various exhibits az
the exposition, and the furniture thar
exhibits include the educational, agri
| cultural. geological and sea-coast ex-
hibits These exhibits were very. fine
and cost large sums of money. If pre-
| served intact they are worth more than
| their original cost as it would be i'm
possible to duplicate them. The furni-
ture was quite costly. The exhibits an6
furniture are now stored in the Fidelity
| Storage Warehouse, in the city Of Tren-
ton. In my opinion; the exhibits should
be preserved and the State should pro,
I-vide some place or places where they
may be placed as a museum or educa-
| tional exhibits, They could not be sold
as a whole and to sell them piece
meal would produce but an insignificant
| sum, and destroy what can never be
| replaced.
The furniture should either be sold or
divided around among the. various insti-
it could be used to good advantage; its
sale would probably mean its sacrifice
| and many of the State institutions are In
need of furniture that could be supplied
in this way. But whatever disposition
is made of the exhibits and furniture II
should be done speedily. The expenses
of storage are considerable. and, IL CON
tinued, will soon exceed the sum to be
| realized from any sale.
PUBLIC WATER SUPPLY.
| I deem 1t of great public Importance
that measures should be speedily taker
by the State for It's control of the sources
| Of notable water within it's borders This