The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1897-01-21
GOVERNOR CARR'S MESSAGE
TO THE NORTH CAROLINA LEGISLATURE UPON ITS RECENT
ASSEMBLY.
Some of the Principal Features of the Document Which Was
of Unusual Length-The Various Recommendations
Made-The Administration of the State by
the Democratic Party Challenges
Comparison.

: He advises an increase Of the salary
soI the Adjutant General and that
/ Office be provided with electrical as
sistanCe.
! Discussing the repor; of the Com
missioner of Labor Statistics, the Gov
ernor commends the recomme ndatinn>
Of that officer
I. That law be passed limiting
the length of a working day to II
hours.
2. That no child under IL years Of
age be allowed to work in any build
ing, and those between IL and Il
only when they have a certificate
showing that they have been to school,
at least three months during The pre-
ceedlng year.
;. The salary of the Commissioner
should be increased to $4,000 and
tina: S., 900 be appropriated to prose
cute the work.
The work of the Railroad Commits
sioner is warmly endorsed. 1t has
| brought in for taxation SI4,15I,656
of railroad property, has reduced rail
road, telegraph and express charges.
Railroad tariffs are now lower in North
Carolina than 90 per cent. Of the
States Of the Union.
The Governor makes an elaborate
argument in support of the North
Carolina Railroad. 81 favored the
lease of this property" says he,
''and it was done by the board
of directors with my full concurr-
ence and endorsed by the stock
holders without dissenting voice.
believed and still believe that it is the
best thing that could have been done
by the State, and the future will de
termne the wisdom Of the transac-
ton" He adds: at may be safely
said that there is no other long term
investment in North Carolina bearing
SO good a rate Of interest as 7 per
cent, and the stock Of the North Car
olina Railroad is to-day the most val
liable stock bearing a fixed and per
mancnt rate OF income to be found in
the State" The Governor has sen
tire confidence that upon dlspassion-
ate consideration the lease "wlll
meet with the universal approval of
every impartial Citizen.
His excellency is proud of the re-
port made for the pententiary by Su-
perlntendent Leazer, and points to
this report as a vlndication Of the pol
icy adopted for the management OF
this institution.
The work Of the Board Of Agricul
ture is regarded as of "inestimable
value" He commends its economy
and apparently concurs in its recon-
mendatlon that the tonnage tax rr
fertilizers be reduced 2 o per cent. The
experiment station, the museum, the
Agricultural and Mechanical College
the farmers Institutes, and the subject
of immigration are all discussed some
what at length.
Upon the important subject of agrl-
culture the Governor says:
| regret to be compelled to report
the depressed condition of our State:
chief industry-agrlculiure. While oul
farmers are better off, probably thar
those in a majority Of the States, bet
ter off than those in England and con
tlnental Europe, yet the fact remains
that only the most meagre returns re
ward their patient and persistent IN
dustry In bad seasons it Is impossible
to make both ends meet, while on tht
other hand, when nature blesses tbs
earth with abundance, prices Of crop
often fall below the cost Of produc
ton. Thus are they ground betweer
the upper and neither milestone. Sure
Iva bad omen for the future, when az
rIculture, the basis of the wealth, OF al
civilization, and practically The onlj
means which we, in the United STATE
| have Of discharglng our foreign lndcbt
, edneSs, is thus reduced to 4 p ,inl .
. impossible profit. Prices are general
,ure, instead OF Frightening, srD"
: darker, with The passage OF cIc'
} month. The Stale government, no"
ever, cannot be held accountable
, even in the smallest degree, for IN
unsatisfactory condition Of the produ
GERS. The trouble lies far beyond III
ability OF the State 10 remedy. III
national gOvernmen; alone has powt
10 correct the evil, and the longer tn
presen, policy Of gold mono-tne,ai
S Ism Is pursued the sharper Is des,ln-'
: to gov our competition with Mckee
China, Japan and the Argentine,
D competition 10 which a majority {
a economic evils which affllCt US can /
: directly traced.
The State fair and the colored fai
l. are both endorsed.
d |, is shown that North Carolir
IS spends much less, actually and rel:
{ lively, tor the support OF her Cnlvers
" than many other States, and II
T, urged that the institution be fostere
o Inc great importance Of carrying {
- our educational work is insisted ups
or and the Governor dlsagrees Who'll
le with those VINO make the "s:artiiI
n proposition tha, ",here Is conf.
" between the Stale and the Church
N educational work. Improvement
e the efficiency Of the pubic schools
re noted. Compulsory education IS
IN vored, and four months terms OF
be schools, which, the General assent
IS reminded, IS "cOntlnulng m1