The record-union., 1897-01-06
GOVERNOR BUDDS MESSAGE
TO THE LEGISLATURE.


vary contracts, and therefore its ac-
ton must be- in many cases, advisory
only. 1t does, however, have the power
of seeing whether the employees are
mghtfully working under the appro-
priation, and of rejecting bills for sup
plies not ON contract. Were bt empow-
cred, either independently or as a part
of other boards suggested, to regu-
late the matters complained Of, many
thousands of dollars now needlessly
paid for wages and supplies in violation
of law would be saved, and lit could, by
regulation of the employees and their
salaries and of contracts, coupled with
the right to cause an exchange of the
products or supplies of one institution
for those of another, save large sums
annually.
Il have heretofore contrasted few
of the salaries and wages paid in diff
ferent State institutions and when
call your attention to the variance i'll
the price of supplies during the past
six months, you will readily perceive
how the Board of Examiners, by elect
ins or awarding contracts for the va
rious institutions, could, by choosing
the lowest and paying the difference
in freight, be of great benefit to the
State.
'1t is hard to understand, even ad-
mitting a difference in quality and
freightage, why beef at Whittier should
be 612 cents per pound, while at San
Bernardino it is AZ cents per pound,
or cents less; and why in other insti-
tutions of the State 1T should vary from
4 cents per pound to 6l2 cents per
pound or why the same kind Of beans
should range i'm price from l 1-3 cents
per pound at one institution to ~
certs per pound at others; and bacon
from 631 cents per pound to 1112 cents
Der pound; Goldfish from 3.37 cents per
pound to Z cents per pound; coal oil
from IA cents per gallon to 26 cents
ger gallon; eggs from 16 cents per
dozen to So cents per dozen; hams from
6. % cents per pound Ito 12A cents per
pound; lard from 512 cents per pound
to 61 cents per pound; cornmeal from
| 81 80 per 100 pounds to 81 80 per 10O
pound rice from 2.36 cents per pound
to Az cents per pound; dried prunes
from 2A cents per pound to 512 cents
Fer pound, and raisins from cents per
pound to 61a cents per pound; and
| when we consider the immense quanti-
ties of these goods consumed, the mind
it ait once struck by the possibility OF
saving in their purchase"
STATE TAXES.
Referring to the matter of State
taxes the Governor calls attention to
the burden falling readily on things
tangible, and with difficulty placed
| on corporate rights, privileges and i'm
munities and advises that under Arti-
Gle XIII of the Constitution there be
imposed a graduated income tax on
corporations doing business for profit
| in the State. If appropriations are only
for regular running expenses kept
within reasonable bounds, the tax rate
for the next two fiscal years should not
! exceed SO cents on the 500, and with
the income tax and an excise license
tax raise 81 10000 and reduce the rate
| to 26 cents on the 500.
INHERITANCE TAX.
THE tax on collateral inheritances is
working great hardship on charitable,
| educatiorrable, eleemosynary, religious,
and hike institutions; and as it is the
| spirit of our laws to cherish and fos-
ter these beneficent agencies, l strongly
urge such legislation as will relieve
these and similar institutions, when
recipients of bequests, from the opera
| ton of this tax.
while it is complained that the
amount expended by the State for the
care of orphans, half f-orphans, etc, con-
| tinues 10 increase with alarming ra-
! pidity, and some safeguard must be
thrown around this law, if we are to
keep within the bounds of reasonable
economy I hope you VIII not be de-
TERED thereby from including these
classes, and the institutions devoted to
| their care, in the exemption.
THE laws bearing on the subject
might receive your careful scrutiny
| The State pays far less per capita fol
them than for the other wards of the
| State. It's insane receives from SO 5(
/ inward, monthly; its infants in reform
! s4ories more than double that; its deaf
! dumb and blind S27S per annum; its
/ f eble-rniaded $16O 60 per annum AND
! these amounts do not include the pro-
| duce of the farms. the cost of lands
buildings and furniture. and othe,
costs. or the interest thereon. While
II costs. in a reformatory SD per month
for boys under IA years. we cannot
! complain of a cost Of less than 50 pei
| month for full orphans and a cost OF
! s.6 - for half-orphaDs and abandoned
| children, which includes clothes, care
/ and a moral and reformatory education
IF we could have had our insane and
ether wards cared for on the same
terms. it would have saved us millions
in buildings ard many additional mill
ions in maintenance"
LIQUOR LICENSES.
[ He advises regulation of the liquor
traffic and collection Of its share o
revenue for State support. There arr
over II 900 places where liquors are
| sold under license to be drunk on tht
| premises. A State license tax will regu
late them and compensate for the priv
| ileges they enjoy and for the burden:
they create. He holds the present sys
| tenn of collecting nquor licenses to- b'
illogical and incomplete. and the ap
| portionment of the total unsatisfactory
and frequently unjust, while it Otter
harasses those engaged in the business
Various interests in local Jurisdiction
are not satisfied, and temporary com
promises are unsatisfactory TO all par
| ties.
To put an end to this perpetual civi
| strife, and TO secure TO the State I
revenue commensurate with her bur
dens. 1t would be well to adopt Stat
excise license tax, equal throughout TIL
State. and in such amount as woult
insure an efficient regulation of thi
traffic raise a revenue OF such magni
;ude as would materially contribute +
the support of the State Government
and secure TO the citizens adequat
compensation for the burdens arising
f~or, sts existence While such a Ia.