The evening times., 1899-01-04

the first time. put the organization of the Guard
III this State a proper footing. We now have
I rsaior general who Is in fact, and not merely
in name. the head Of the National Guard. The
sfdJutani general i to work in conjunction with
him; ne Is not an independent officer, still less
4 surerior officer lie can do more than fe
liver tie orders OF the governor and act As his
representative. The major general has the ,Uw
ct. and he should he given every possible ia
cility for the exercise OF this power. II he fJilS
10 do his duty. fails to bring the Guard NJ 10
the proper pitch Of efficiency, he sh p1li be r.
moved and another put IN his place; but long
as he Is in Office he must he given a free hard
In other words, he must be given full power,
that the responsibility be settled noon him.
and then he should be held responsible L. the
exercise ot this power and responsibility.
call your especial attention to the arms pf
tho Guard The lanentable result OF keeping the
GTard armed with archaic weapons, utterly an
N f"r modern warfare, was shown very conclu-
SlNch IN the late contest with Spain. IL
la'der-st4tement OF the case TO say that = single
first t-cla-S regiment armed with the kfa2 Jos-
a,nsoG. Is worth three regiments armed with
l"r-Powrr. single shot, black powder piece Ike
the Springfield The National Guard should he
armed with a small calibre. high ,~pwcr lie.
preferably that used by the regular army. IN
any even. The cartridge should be the Tie
last point / of the utmost impOrtanca. Al I&c
fighting forces OF this country should the
same cartridge. II Is a great mistake for the
army and navy different rife- but il i
an even greater mistake for the army and the
N-Is'id4 hldlu 10 Use inherent IlIt>- me
Springfield musket as a modern ann has two
drawbacks. First. owing 10 the limited range,
II Is OF small value against 4 toe armed with
high power. repeating rifles. Second. OWN. 10
tie black powder. II Is source of utmost danger
10 whoever uses il, as the smoke that 1t makes
serves a. target. and The body OF men using it
Immediately become the object OF all the hostile
ire from every part OF the field within range
This shown. Rot merely by the experience
Of tie National Guard in Cuba, hut by the ex-
pcrieHCc Of the regular artillery. which also had
hlacA powder weapons. and which suffered in
sequence exactly aS the Guard did IT has been
proposed remedy to supply smokelcss pow
der for Tie present weapon Ii Is doubtful
whether not this could be done, but If done it
""uld merely render The weapon less dangerous
10 the user. without rendering it more formida-
lie 10 The foe. ANY such half measure would be
a failure. our National GuaTdsnen entitled
10 The best type oi weapon. In a riot they could
probably DO The best work with shOtEGnS but
must have rifles, and these rifles should be
OF rhe highest type. and should take the same
cartridge that is used by the United States reg
uiar troops.
The regimental hospital corps should be kept
mp and encouraged. The with Spain has
demonstrated the necessity OF the rcgimental
h"SIjtgl.
The Naval Militia did admirable work in the
late WAT. iustfying their existence completely
the National GIiard did. The State should
carefully preserve and build up this arm OF the
service. IL must be remembered. however. that
IL i exactly What its name shows. namely, a
Naval Militia and not Naval Reserve. 1t was
called upon IN the late war to do duty which
should ordinarily be done by the regular navy.
or hy 4 proper naval reserve, composed OF
sedfaring men, similar in type TO those who act
Ually man our warshipS- The Naval Militia ought
normally 10 be used for coast defense purposes.
IN with formidable power than
Spain it would be highly undesirable to put any
part Of our naval force To the for which ii
j not best fitted though IL may always be nee
essary 10 do this, if we do not greatly enlarge
regular navy. that in number of ships
AID men ii may more nearly than at present cor
respond Ia tho greatness and the needs OF the
nation. Oar Naval Militia should be kept up and
built up. but il = to be earnestly hoped that
they VIII be supplemented by naval reserve
proper. called into being by the action Of the
Federal Government.
On the civil service of the State the
governor says the methods of appoint
ment are in utter confusion, no less than
three systems being in effect-one in the
city OF New York, one in other cities
and Cne in the State at large. He recon-
mends that law be passed intToduc ng
one uniform practice for the entire State
and providing, as required by the con-
stitution, for the enforcement Of proper
civil service regulations in the State and
its subdivisions.
The governor invites the attention of the
legislature to the evils of over-legislation.
saying the tendency TO pass laws which
are utterly unnecessary, even when not
pernicious or which are enacted purely to
favor certain special private interests,
seems to grow instead of diminish. At
tention is directed to the custom of the
British Parliament which Dut upon the
would-be beneficiary the cost of all pri-
vate and special legislation, and makes it
difficult to obtain at all, and impossible to
obtain without full advertisement and dis
cussion. No special law, he says. should
be passed where passing a general law will
serve the purpose.
Under the head OF economy the governor
says:
Every effort should bc made to reduce the ev-
penses of the State government. Appropriations
should bc itemizcd and not. in eases.
made in lump sums. All needless offices should
H. abolished. For instance. the attorney generals
cf,icc >hould do the work done by the spc-
ci4l council for the different hospitals for the
insane; and these special council should I've abo-
iShcd. Wherever possible commissions should he
consolidated and the number Of commissioners
and OF their employees reduced. In the State
charitable work, which is now very expensive
especially as regards the care of the insane. care
should he taken not needessly to multiply in
stitulions TO erect buildings costly than
is absolutely necessary, and the salary list should
Toe kept down.
In New Yorl, city. even more than in the State
there j. need Of cutting down the salaries of
tain officials. OF forcing Others to do more work
and of altogether getting rid of vet others. I
suggest that you investigate carefully whether
there is need 10 retain in existence such Offices as
those OF the chamberlain of the CITY, and the
special commissioner of jurors; whether the fees
given TO the sheriffs of the county of New York
and Of the county of Kings. and the county
clerk and register OF Kings should not he turned
INTO the counties. salaries being allowed the
officials in their stead; and whether the Judges of
the municipal courts of the city should not be
required TO sit every day. that working men
who the chief patrons of these courts. in
such suits those for the payment of wages
may not be compelled TO lose day after day in
attendance. Very many clerkships Inspector
ships. and positions held by deputies should be
abolished. The evils of the police system in New
York have become very serious; l may find it
necessary to communicate with you again on this
matter.
The governor favors continuation of the
movement for better roads, the general
extension of the reference in which the
suffrage can be exercised by women, pre-
servation of the forests and improved
rapid transit for New York city.