The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1901-01-03


The feature of the session was the read
ing In each chamber Of the message OF
Gov. Odell, which was listsned TO with
great interest By members and spectators
Ihe organization OF both houses was car
risu out in compliance with the detsrmi-
nation Of the caucusss held last night.
Governor odell said in part:
oDELL's MESSAGE.
The governors message is general
Recommendation for the reduction OF the
expenses Of the state and lea for more
rigid economy In the different depart
ments and commissions. lie recon-
mends the consolidation OF the board OF
mediation and arbitration, the bureau of
labor statistics and the state factory In
| speotion department into one commission
| 20 be known as the department OF labor,
| He asks that the stat5 board OF charities
and the prisons commission be abolished
| and the work of these departments be
| done by single commissioner. He also
objects to the present system Of employing
special legal advice and recommends that
the CONDENSATION OF attorneys be hxeu
| by statute on a percentage basic.
| The governor Is Of the opinion that the
corporations are treated mors literally
In other states than they are In New
York. The burdens placed upon domestic
to go to other states where more favora-
bile laws exist and as a consequences New
| York Is losing revenue which other
| states are enjoying at It's expense. The
| Legislature is asked to enact amendments
which will IlberaIIzs and make more
popular the state q corporation laws. 1--WE
shonld exercise the same supervision over
foreign corporations who seek TO do bust
meas within our stAte,'' says Mir. Odell,
''as over our own. and they should be
subject to the same limitations, Many
complaints now made against large COM
binaJions OF capital are just, but owing
TO our lack OF jurisdiction we are unable
| to control, and therefore no law can be
framed which will reach foreign corpora
| tions effectively. Even though We deny
| their right to file certificates, the greatest
penalty is the withholding or the right
60 uss our courts. and this in effect is
but slight embarrassment, as the
UniLed States court can be used for the
| same purpose. Liberal laws, therefore,
which Will accord the same rights as
| those given to individuals, restrictive as
1 to their powers and the safeguarding or
the peoples interest, Will accomplish
much more than defamation against cor
porations, and Will at the same time AID
us by relieving the burdens OF taxation
upon the homes OF those who can i'll
afford to bear them.'
| The governor says that he has looked
forward with plea surahie anticipation to
the day when the state of New York
| would no longer find it necessary to levy
a direct tax for state purposes. In re-
Ierring to the taxation OF corporations
MIR. Odell says:--
IAN corporations receive from the state
certain rights. 1t seems to me. therefore,
| that capital OF this character In our state
| should pay a tribute to the creating power
for that which they have received. This
Justifies the present laws taxi g corpora
1 fen tafa NM mi n
corporation tax laws should be baeed
upon this principle. That the prese mt
| law works hardships to some and is not
| fully enforced in other cases is apparent.
This no makeshift remedy will correct,
| but an entirely new system should he
framed to meat existing conditions and a
fair and equitable recompense from all
corporations enjoying stateprotection and
| favors should be exaoted. Exemptions
should be given by the localities rather
than BY the state, because It Is the former
which receives .ths greatest teneft, and
all corporations should therefore pay
| tax hased upon their earning power. But
| few Of the many corporations In the state
are now taxed in this manner, and there
fore an unfair discrimination exists
AS to the correction OF evils In the city
OF New YORK aud the need OF husbanding
the resources OF ths city the governor
says: ~ WI .,.
corrective legislat on. Especially Is this
true OF those partmeuts whose admin
| istration Is 90 Aimed 10 county linss. In
| this direction desire to call your alta n
| ton to the TACT that many OF the public
officers in that city are receiving larger
remu neration for their services than that
which is given to the President OF the
United States. Your atte ntion Is called
| 10 a few insta noes OF this character 1he
saeriff OF the county OF New YORK recsives
an annual salary or $20, 00J, AMI ona half
| OF the fees, which ara said to amonni TO
| x6), 100 per year II ora. The claim has
| bean made heretofore that the sheriff
takes ersat hn3nJial responsibility, ana
| is therefore entitIed 10 additional COM
ps n salion This Is not now true II effect,
| because he can at all times demand
tond OF indem nifty and thus save himself
| from all harm. 1t would seem 10 me
that salary of $4,000 would bs ample
| for his office. The same may be said OF
the county clerk and ths registrar of the
coanty of New YORK, whose salaries ara
| ex eessive In the comfy OF Kings the
co m bined salaries of the sheriff, county
nlerk and registrar aIuonn5 10 $780,
| 8boiishing the fee system and substitute
ing therefor salaries, the balance TO he
paid into the treasury for the purpose OF
reducing the taxes upon property.
The police department. of New York
city receives considerable attention In tne
governor HISS AAos OActa IL VI tnc
opinion that much of the difficulty now
existing in this department is due to
divided responsibility lack OF ali CEN
| iFalization of authority. "MhAt remedy
have We" he asks, "for this manifest
evil. which has brought the police force
OF the city OF New York into suoh disrs.
putsY. A state constahulary has been
suygefted, but the strong disinclinntion
upon tue part of the other municipalities
throughout the state TO aoquiesce In
this solution renders this plan valuelsss.
| A metropolitan police system Is open 10
the criticism that it Ia violation OF the
principle of home rale guaranteed by the
constitution. We are therefore brought
to face this proposition, with no apparent
rsnlady as yet suggested In my opinion
thers should be a complete eentrAiiza-
| tion OF power. There Is 70 necessity, 1t
| seems to me, for commissioner who Is
not in effect as we'll as in name the aDso-
lutte head of the police system OF the city
OF New York, An efficient man, the
choice OF the mayor, IA sipgle-headed
commissioner, with all the powers now