Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-01-02
No MORE SIAIE IAXES
Almost Total Abolition Of State
Taxes In New York--0dell's
Message.
Meeting Of the Empire State
Legislature Brings Out Sig
nificant Fact.
Local Option and Sunday Oh.
servance Law Discussed
By the Governor.

By the Governor.
Albany. N. Y, Jan. 1.-The general
assembly convened in annual session
yesterday. S. Fred Nixon was reelected
speaker of the house and the other re-
p,pblican caucus nominees of the house
as well as those of the senate were
elected. The annual message of Gov
ernor Benjamin B. Odetl. Jr., was deiv-
cred to the legislature.
Governor Odell deyotes a considerable
space in his message to a discussion
particularly applicable to New York
city. In one division of the message the
governor observes that the almost to-
tai abolition Of state taxes will bring
home to tax payers the fact that his
expenditures are to be peculiarly local,
and If they are exhaustive the remedy
rests with him to rebuke those who are
charged with the administration CT mis-
local affairs" The legislature is rec
commended to frame a law which VIII
give the state board Of tax commission
ers greater power to enforce the rule
against excessive as well as low assess
ments, and to make the state board a
reviewing court to investigate ana corr
rect inequalities In the matter OF as
sessments, and thus become not only a
mediator as between counties of the
49, 49, 49, . = ~arxyn tA rrnfnnf hn
rights of individuals in each locality.
The governor also suggests that there
should also he a safe margin to enable
each local legislative body to absolute
ly fix and determine the percentage OF
total income to be expended for safar-
les. "In looking over the salary list OF
the city Of New York" he says, ut VIII
be found that there are several officials
who receive q large salary than the
governor of the state, or of the cabinet
officers Of the United States, and 1t can
not be claimed with any degree OF
truth that the services rendered are al
ways commensurate with the compen-
sation given Discussing the corre-
lated subjects of sumptuary legislation
and local option, the governor says IN
part:
Local option, as 1t relates to the ID
quor traffic is understood as meaning
that in all communities other than
cities the inhabitants thereof shall have
the right to determine whether liquor
shall be sold in such communities six
days of the week, and upon the deter
mination of that question the excise
department predfcates its administra-
ton. This right was given because Pc
fore the enactment of the present ex-
else law, 1t was within the power OF the
voters or of the appointing authorities
in the municipalities ard villages to abb
solutely prohibit the sale of liquor by
electing or appointing a board opposed
TO the granting of such license. 1t is a
we'll known fact that in the original
draft of the state constitution the same
rights as to local option were sought TO
be given the municipalities and that
they do not possess them is due to the
opposition of their W representa-
tives. There can be no objection to
submitting this same question TO the
voters OF the cities If 1t Is SO desired,
as it would be treating all parts OF the
state alike. But If by local option is
meant the right to determine whether
~the.doors Of the saloc ms may legally re-
main open on Sundays. then a different
proposition IS presented and a depart
ure is proposed from the fixed rules
which have governed the admtnistra-
ton OF our excise laws, and 1t then be-
comes a question which concerns not
only a particular city but every portion
Of our state. Each locality owes to all
others a due regard for their rights and
convictions. and their moral and physt-
cal comfort. No such departure should
therefore be sanctioned nor power dele
gated to localities touching as this
would, upon the fundamental principles
which have had their growth from the
foundation Of our country. unless clear
ly desired by a majority of the people of
the state. Before substituting a refer
endum to the cities, the whole question
should be passed upon by the people at
large in the same mannr as were the
provisions which gave the mayors the
right OF veto and other features of
home rule nov guaranteed them by the
constitutions enacted in 1894. If open sal
looms should be authorized in cosmopol-
itan cities, demands would soon follow
for lincenses from other branches Of
business, and might reach an extent
that would arouse the consciences of
every man and every woman in our
commonwealth, who believe not only in
a day Of rest, but In rendering to God
who has blessed us as a nation, the
homage that is due to Him"
The excessive cost of ~receiverships of
public or semi-public institutions is Civ
en- attention in the message, the evils of
the present system being illustrated by
the fact that the total expenses involved
in the liquidation of the affairs Of seven
ty corporations during the past ten
years have been $1,666. 223. "a. The gov
ernor, therefore, recommends 1.-The
amendment of the banking and insur-
n C laws SO as to provide that all pro-
ceedings affecting insurance and bank
ing corporations under the control of the
state banking and insurance depart
ments shall not only be instituted by
such departments respectively. but that
they shall be placed absolutely under
their control during the liquidation"
The governor expresses his approval
of the proposition to make the tax upon
mortgages on realty s mills, which
would produce an annual income Of 49,