The record-union., 1895-01-10
SECOND BIENNIAL MESSAGE
Of Governor H. H. Markham to the
Legislature.
A Review of State Affairs in Detail
Many recommendations
cial Showing,
STATE OF CALIFORNIA.
EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT,
SACRAMENTO, January Z, 1S9

STATE OF CALIFORNIA,
EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT,
SACRAMENTO, January Z, 1895.
To the Senate and Assembly Of the State
of CGtJ0rnld-GENTLEMEN: In accord
ance with constitutional requirements,
herewith submit my second biennial
message as Executive of the State, with
such recommendations as experience and
judgment have suggested as beneficial to
the best interests and future advancement
OF the commonwealth.
During the past four years death has
removed from our midst five prominent
citizens, who have each occupied the posi-
ton of Chief Executive of this State l
will name them in their order: Hon. Le-
land Stanford, Hon. Frederick +. Low,
Hon. Newton Booth, Hon. George Stone
man and Hon. K. w. Waterman. Their
memories should be honored and re-
spected, not only for what they were able
to accomplish for our people, but for
their loyalty and fidelity to the interests
of our State. Before leaving this subject
l desire to extend i'll this official manner
my congratulations to the States first
Governor, Hon. Peter II. Burnett, whom
Providence has spared to witness the
marvellous development of California. so
ably introduced into the sisterhood of
States by him. | would suggest that
some suitable resolution expressive of
this fact be spread upon your minutes and
forwarded to him. 1t will cheer and
brighten the pathway of his declining
years, and stimulate our youth to better
deeds and feeling that their real worth
will never be forgotten.
On October Both of this year Hon. E. @.
Waite, Secretary of State, died at his
home in Alameda. At the request of his
family he was laid to rest in the State
burial ground. His funeral was OF a
public character, and in recognition OF
his public services and in accordance
with precedents, l recommend that the
expense attending his funeral be paid by
the State. The claim for that purpose
has been recognized by the State Board
of Examiners and should be allowed.
Two years ago l prepared my first BIZ
ennial message to the Legislature, and in
many instances the leading papers of our
State published it in full. In this mes
sage l shall strive to be as candid. You
are at liberty to receive it for what it may
be worth, for 1t Is for your benefit.
Please bear in mind that four years Of
constant vigilance is the price paid by
me for this information and these sugges-
tions, and that no man living can investl-
gate and verify them during the brief
space of time allotted to the average
Legislature, in addition to the other
pressing demands. Therefore, l shall be
doubly sure that what l say is correct.
No Governor could have been more
kindly treated than | during the last two
Legislatures, which encourages me to as
sist you as far as possible with reliable
data. While l regret the fact that many
very important subjects were not acted
upon, fully realize that 1t was due to
lack OF systematic organization as we'll as
time in which to intelligently handle
those important subjects. From all di-
rectiOnS come demands Tor economy and
reform. Valuations are decreasing while
demands for State aid are increasing.
Nevertheless, l shall faithfully point out
TO you our actual needs as the law now
stands, and at the close of this message
will give you a candid resume Of our
true situation, which must guide your
action whatever the results may be.
In view of what has been said l would
suggest the propriety of referring this
message to a committee, who can seq
regate and refer the different subjects
TO appropriate subcommittee with
instructions. While this method has not
been the rule in our Legislature, it has
been adopted in other States, resulting
beneficially, and L see no good reason
why its adoption here Will not prove
profitable, as bringing the experience of
the Executive into closer relations with
the Legislature, which has a right to ex-
pect from him all the information and
assistance at his command. While it
may be an innovation, it will prove prac-
tical, as it is the only way that so many
so brief time as that allotted you for
your deliberations.
California, like all of the States of the
Union, has suffered from the financial
and business depression OF the last two
years. In addition TO this, the lack of
winter rains caused partial crop failure in
many sections of The State. Owing to
the diversity of our climate total failure
of crops is an impossibility. The fruit
crop has been uniformly abundant but
the markets Indifferent. The timely and
abundant rains of this year should insure
good crops and tend To restore to US our
normal prosperity. While stagnation
prevails in some localities, in others busi-
ness is almost as active as ever. Be
assured that on returning prosperity to
this nation at large, California will be the
first to respond. There has not been a
time during the last two years that bona
fide resident laboring men of the State
could not have found employment had it
not been for the rush of unemployed to
this State from other localities, who en-
tirely displaced them. While we invite
all classes, the tramp and transient laborer
are not needed and should in no manner
be encouraged. 1t was most clearly
demonstrated that three-fourths of the in
dustrial army of last year were from
that class, and they should not be en-
couraged to come.
BIENNIAL REPORTS.
It is gratifying TO note the marked i'm
provement III the biennial reports of the
several State officers and Boards of Trus-
tees of the various institutions as COM
pared with those made in past years.
Condensation and not expansion is now
the rule. The result has not only been
successful financially, but has been the
means of causing these reports to be
sought after and read. Many of them are
replete with valuable information touch
ing the varied interests of the State and
should be, as they now are, couched in
language plain, simple and clear.
So many have performed their work
we'll that it would be Invidious to make
selection for comparison. There are a
few, however, Notwithstanding my sug-
gestion to the last Legislature on this
subject, who have evidently forgotten the
enormous cost of printing their produc-
Labor Statistics" This report evidently
shows great painstaking III its
compilation. 1t contains 2S2 pages
of solid legal-cap typewriter mat
ter and 90 pages of large table sheets
of statistics. Examination OF It's pages
evinces laborious research; but the ques-
tion arises, Is it of character worthy the
cost of publication? 1t has just reached
me at a time when l am least able to give
it the intelligent consideration which
probably it deserves. Too late to place it
in the hands of the printer, 1t could hard
ly be expected that L should read it in
manuscript. This is to be regretted, as
falling to see the necessity Tor this Office,
l might have found within its pages rea-
sons for its continuance had the report
been in proper form for critical examina-
ton. The manuscript is in possession of
the Board of Examiners, and If desired,
can by your order be transmitted to the