The record-union., 1895-01-10

Of the coyote law is advised, and the
charge is made that the State has been
| shamefully defrauded in the bounty busi-
ness. He advises that the Executive be
empowered to appoint three competent
persons to codify the laws of the State, as
an Intelligent codification and revision
would be Of incalculable value to the peo-
pie.
A new system Of counting votes of cleo
tions under the law is necessary to insure
rapidity; there is need also for revision of
the law relative to primary elections; in
these are the beginnings of government,
and they should therefore be guarded
against fraud, corruption and bossism.
The Governor says he has in his term
examined 730 applications for pardons,
and has sent to the Board of Prison Di-
rectors 167 cases for examination after
critical examination by himself. In all,
he has granted 118 pardons, less than q
third of the number granted by any of the
courts impose excessive sentences, and
our laws create too large a number of
State Prison offenses, which account for
the large population of our State Prisons.
1t is advised that action be taken author
izing the commutation of sentence in all
Chinese cases on condition of deportation
to China at the individuals expense.
The parole law is approved and its fur
ther trial advised. The extradition laws
put the whole expense of extraditing
from another State to this upon the COM
monwealth. This should be changed, so
as to charge the expense to the county in
terested. It is advised that Governors
mansion be erected at the capital. The
work of the State Board of Examiners, he
says, has saved to the State $4,000 an
nually.
Careful and thorough revision of the
revenue laws is advised, and the recon-
mendations of the State Board of Equal
ization regarding that matter are ap-
proved, especially the recommendation
that University mortgages be placed on
level with all others in the matter of tax
alton.
The Governor dwells at length upon
the wisdom of encouraging California
shipping interests. Thus, all ships regis
tered from California ports or owned by
resident citizens should be exempt from
State and local taxation, as is the law in
New York. a tax on shipping tends to
drive vessels away or to substitute for
eign for American bottoms.
The Governor devotes five pages to the
subject of the good road agitation, and
urges the Legislature to encourage it by
all lawful means, to recognize the ap-
preaching State Road Convention, and
the visit promised from General Stone,
the Engineer of the Road Inquiry Bureau
of the Department Of Agriculture at
Washington. He believes that trunk
roads should be constructed at general
county cost, and not at the sole expense
of rural dwellers; that the law should be
made to harmonic with the Constitution
as to the credit of the counties being
pledged for forty years for public works
purposes; that the State should second
the movement of the Federal Govern
ment to disseminate correct information
relative to road construction and road
economies; that the Legislature should
early in its session appoint committee,
to be aided by road experts and engineers,
to report what changes are needed in the
road laws to best conserve good road
reform, which the Governor declares lies
at the base of nearly all other great
economic reforms affecting Immediately
the conditions of life and prosperity in
our land.
As TO taxation and the 80 cent limit
pledge, upon which he was elected, the
Governor enters into an elaborate state
ment of the State financial conditions
and history, and his vetoes of appropria-
tons to keep taxation down, which was
done far within the limit named. He
calls attention to the fact that the State
taxes are too high-that it is the ten
dency of the people to look to the State
for aid in every direction. Out of 2S6, 900
voters we support 200 unfortunates. or
one to every thirteen voters. This he
pronounces appalling" and suggests
that the State is encouraging depend
ency by this system of unrestricted
charity.
On the basis of a % cent tax the State
expenses, on the line of the cost for 1894,
can be met and leave S550,O0O over. For
those who have said that the State can be
run on basis of 25 per cent. less than
present cost, he points to the fact that
such percentage would yield S3Il, 500
less than the sum Of the cost of public
schools, benevolent and judicial institu-
tons.
TURNING THE SCANDAL MILL,
Scarcely does the Legislature assent BILE
before we are given another indecent ex-
hIbition of the appetite of the San Fran
cisco journalistic slums for scurrility and