New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-01-13
NEM.JERSEY NEWS.
GOVERNOR GRIGGSS MESSAGE
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR LEGISLATION
NEEDED IN NEW-JERSEY.
THE ABOLITION OF GRADE CRossINGs-REfoRM
NECESSARY IN THE SYSTEM OF TAN-
ATloN-CARE OF TIE md
GENT INSANE.


ton of Robert Williams as President Of the Senate
| and George W. Macpherson Speaker of the AS
| sembly.
| Governor Gregs Immediately sent his nrst an
| nual message to both houses He began with REL
| erence 10 the various departments ana men pro-
ceeded that 'it IS cause OF satisfaction 10
know that all our State institutions are free from
| nartisan control and are being conducted upon
| bipartisan business basis.
The Governor warned the Legislature mat 'he
healthy condition OF the State Treasury must no.
be made an excuse for extravaganza. and ne caieo
attention 10 the fact that at the present time 'he
balance is s225.5e5 g. instead Of $,@J"'
Regarding the care of the insane 'o'e'"o'
| Griggs made these pointed remarks
THE CARE OF THE INSANE
The particular attention of the Legislature and
| the committees Of the respective houses TO whof
shall he assigned the subject OF the care OF the IN
sane is directed 10 the annual report OF the man
ayers and officers of the State hospitals TOT Inc
vcar ending October 81 1855 Especial attention Is
called to what the Board Of Managers have sad III
that report with reference TO county asSlumS Inc
| provision Of law which now gives 10 each county
maintaining its own asylum for the insane the sum
Of 81 per week per head for the care of persons con-
aped IN any county unatic asylum is Justly criticised
&C hoinc unfair 10 those counties which do not main
tain buildings for the insane and also as ehcoui"s
ing the erection of inadequate and improperi? con-
| Quoted and located buildings under the name oi
| The law governing tho admission OF INDECENT pa
ti,nts to the State hospitals tor me nlsane III a.
that they shall be supported there a, tht ~,
Of the county in which they are legally senltu W.
the price be paid for such supporl Is ,ian -
ths maximum sum of IS per week LOT eacn p@r' a.
~ is imnossible TO see any satisfactory reason ior
providing in one act That ndisent ihSa", i,h nx
shall be supported In the State asyiis, az ' IN
prnsa of the counties. and then providins III an
other thai If the COUNTIES MAINTAIN MN rar
INDECENT insane the stale sha!l pay 'v ,'borzinr
week for each patient. When me act IN
In county asyums was passed. in 1873 the
| sum was fixed at 81 per week for each patiem
srendrnoni was passed doubling the sum ana
dyjng s. per week tor each patient to De con'rin-
ia IN, the Stale 10 the respective counties mdn-
tanning asyums for the insane II Is we" ,h no CON-
slider whether any just srounn exists 10, ~, rate
see no reason why the amount Para sn n "9 an,
reduced the original sum 81 u Per Mrvn in st 80
| c,niihv informed that in som. OF the county "Sli-
| unions the whole OF maintaining tn in.,anr
! sm",,nts TO a considerable sum less per wr"k IMAM
| vice thus throwing the whole burden oi tne SUI
| bv another provision OF tne law they would nave
been required TO pay - per week LOT tie o Pr
n the State institutions. Inc STATE pau on u ;m
ING the last year TO the different counties having
county asyums the sum o 3l%S5 ro- on h mo Moneys
! Of IN. Srate toward the maintenance oi p per- ,hs
which The poicy Of the i@ Of the Localities in
which th"v are legally settled The expense TO me
S STA Sb OF ma'@'I period was only o sum
reeding nv less than $500 the amount paiH 10 ,,,e
p@1rht p a" ~ MANAGERS further call attention to
the rar, that whe the State hospitals are connc,ed
on a @ pparncnd nv the Boards of Chosen Free
! holders ar" naturally affected, At not iHil''u; ny
! Local influences poHtca ana oiherwiSs, i nrs
| = nor. , resident physician competent corps
of nurses ana that for political reasons III mos ~
the counties far higher rae OF WAGES Is PAD 10
t,enGants fhan il necessary, and an in erior order
OF service is obtained. They state ana concui ~
| their opinion that the growth of such institutions
viii in the End work many evils. besides detracting
| from The efforts Of the State in the esaniisnment
| and maintenance of the TWO great Distributors
which compare favoraby with all others Of their
kind I'm this country
THE ABOLITION or GRADE CROSSINGS
on the question OF grace crossings the Governor
said:
l, is unreasonable to apply ne +a "a reqpreme men
II would be a hardship IN require all grade cross
ings TO he lboisned a. ono nr, sh h i, nsa
rated IT is doubtful whether the law passed iast
year is M lower o m tracks i, IS quite certain
that sooner later We shall need body similar
states in which snail he reposed the TO decide
when any particular grade crossing snail be abo
! jshed and the manner and terms what part OF the
work shall in each instance he done by the city. ana
what by the railroad company and also the power
! 10 regulate the manner in which railroads snail
cross the tracks OF other raj roads ana TO supervise
the establishment Of crossings for new routes oI
railway. The great aggregation Of people that in
me ent hr i. nnsT NeuYork viii form a
boroughs separated only by imperceptble bound
n muny I it '9 s We To look anead TO such
dltion ana to provide a. far as possible that mis-
| other works sha no; be made which will have 70 he
aftcrward. AT great cost. corrected
EQUALIZATION OF TAXATION
What the Governor had TO say about equal tax
alton was closely scanned. After referring TO the
appointment of the Commission last year. he went
into the history of railroad taxation.
The Governor rcfrans from any direct expression
OF opinion except that he indicates a desire TO
retain the present system under which the income
from railroad taxation pays the expense Of the
State government and renders direct tax unnec-
cssary. The Commission appointed by the Governor
recommends that the half of one per cent paid
to the State by sccond-cass railroad property be
turned to the municipality This would reduce
the States revenue about $4,000 on this point the
Governor says.
Whether or not this additional conce ssion Is JUS
tiled under the cir Imstdnoes. and whether or not
the State can afford TO reduce its revenue are
questions for the legislature to decide. Such
cession would leave the policy of rail pad taxation
piactically unimpared. but it would be necessary.
irai the Legsla 'ure should exercise a correspond
INK rctrenciIment in State expenditures in order 10
Offset the reduction in revenue. To what particular
objects of State support such retrenchment be
applied is for you 10 decide. II is "A circumstance
of great Importance that this recommendation is
unanimously c0ncurred in by the Commissioners
and i, il desirable that question so productive Of
local irritation and agitation should be satisfac-
This is the only recommendation which the Com
missioners unite in making They do however.
unite in calling attention TO the fact thar the local
assessors 90 not succeed in listing all the taxable
property in New-Jcrscv. and that this Is either
from design or from careless performance Of their
public duty. They indicate that act providing
for the removal OF local assessors who wilfully
refuse to obey the law in this respect might. be
efficient to correct this evil.
They also recommend that the policy of the State
hereafter should be toward curtailrnent rather
than enlargement OF the list Of property exempt
from local taxation. IL seems 10 be generally be-
lieved that, in most localities the assessors delib-
erdtey violate the law and their oaths of Office
assessing property. not al its value required
by law. but at a fraction OF its true value that
fraction being greater or smaller in accordance with
the practice and public sentiment in each COM
munty. 1t Is undoubtedly true also that this
practice is not condemned by public sentiment II
1t We're IL could very sooi be corrected without the
Intervention Of the legislature Each assessor Is
required 10 take an oath thar he has diligently in
CURED respecting the nature and value of the real
and personal estate liable to taxation In his taxing
district. and has. TO the best of his ability. and
without favor Partially. valued all the proDs rty