The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1895-01-09
GOV. Pattison,s ValeaietorY.

The chief points of the Governors mes
sage are as follows:
" As to the finances of the State. while
the Governor finds the revenues ample,
if not redundant, and thai the State debt
has been reduced to the low figures of
s. coo. 600 net. ne warns the Legislature
that some Of the sources of revenue the
last year or two have been exceptional,
and the situation docs not justify waste
ful expenditure or reckless legislation
The Governor gives to the revision Of the
tax law the greatest prominence. He
holds. as in former messages, that the or
dinary expenditures of the State govern
Inent can be met by a reasonable tax levy
on the gross receipts, franchises. and cap
ital stock Of corporations. and by the tax
on inheritances, on writs and county OIL
GERS fees. He believes the counties are
more able 10 ascertain the whereabouts of
personal property than the state authori-
ties, and If they are charged with its col
lection. for their own and not q pay over
to the State, equality colld be reached in
the taxation OF rea! and personal proper
~ based on actual value.
'While maintaining the proprie,y Of
the inheritance tax, the Governor sug-
gests that charities of semi-public n8-
ture, educational Institutions aud church
e be relieved OF the ; per cent. tax they
now pay on bequests. He advises legis-
lation that the uncXpended balances of
the State Treasury. instead Of being de-
posted with riro-e:l banks, should be put
out at interest for the benefit OF the State.
and believes an annual income Of $4,000
coald be had from this source on the av-
erage current balances Of S5.O3l0l0.
The Governor suggests an important
amendment to the election laws, 80 thlt
the right OF every voter may be iUdicially
determined before election day by the
purging of the registration lists. The
system prevails in other states with eN-
cellent effect. lie also points ont the
enormous evils of political committees
paying the taxes and holding the tax re-
ceipts of voters. In cities the number of
voters whose political duties are attended
to by party committees rams up to the
hundreds of thousands, AID in Pnilaiel-
phia alone S59.0)) has been rails Il aad ex-
pended for this purpose by political par
ties in q single year.
The Governor has good words for the
buildinE and loan associations Of tn State
as an important agency in encDIraging
thrift aud economy. and scoring homas
for the working people. BI. h o5je.ss
10 the state being 0yorrun with foreign
associations imposing On the ccedaloas
with gliue-ing inducem elts. anI rec5m-
mendS that these foreign societies. b. pro-
hibited from soliciting business in the
State unless they have been chartered by
orr Laws. or have a main oil e or proper
ty subiee. TO orr jurisdiction. without be-
ing Subjected to State Inspection or dcp1s-
iting adequate sec1ri.y to protect home.
As 10 the Labor question. the Governor
maintains that co-ope-Ation and arbitra-
ton are the best methods OF arranging
disputes. and he advises that our arbitra-
tion Lax, which - far has been Of little
use, shall be made more elective. and in
stances Massachusetts rs a state where
under State direction. has
met reasonable degree OF success. Tae
Governor thinks the frequent calls by
citizens for military inter
vention in labor difficulties most discrel-
table, but much more 50 the abject sur-
render of the constituted evil authorities
To the turbulent by the failure 20 organize
an effective Sheriff7s posse. The spectacle |
Of the Sheriff eringing before a mob he
regards as most disgracefHl, and he a1-
vises that the Executive be invested with
power to promptly remove such cowardly
and fill their places with compe-
tent men.
The increasing importance Of street /
railways and the promise held ont that in 1
the fu;ure they viii perform many Of the 1
functions, in the carriage Of mails and /
freight, performed by steam railways. the T.
Governor says. elll for legislation guard /
ing streets and highways, to secure prop /
er returns to municipalities, to prevent |
the watering Of capital stock, and to pre- /
vent the consolidation OF competing lines. /
lie thinks the provisions Of the 9th arti- 4
cle of the Constitution. regulating steam 4
railways, shoald be applied 10 electric 1
roads.