The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1902-01-03
THE GOVERNORS MESSAGE.

THE GOVERNORS MESSAGE.
Governor Smith has adtlcd to his
reputation as an able and practical
Chief Executive by the excellent mes
sage sent to the General Assembly on
Wednesday. 1t is replete with useful
information and the Legislature will
be wise if his suggestions are needed.
The States finances are shown 20 be
in prosperous condition. During the
two years of the Governor admins
tration the public debt to the amount
of 1925 Cos &C has been paid off, the
net reduction being 1925 sos &c, the
Legislature at the session of 1900
having created the State Building
Loan of 100000. The public debt at
the close of the fiscal year on Septem-
Der 3Oth, 1901, was S65O9.326 As
an offset to this debt the State holds
sinking fund securities and marketable
assets amounting to S3,S46,9 6l 81 :,
leaving the net debt $4,000, 344 80.
In these assets the annuity of $50, 900
from the Northern Central Railroad
Company is capitalized and listed at
Sl,500,G00. If the Supreme Court of
the United States confirms the decision
of the State courts in denying the
right of the company toextineuisl the
annuity 10y the payment of million
and a half dollars, then it is believed
the State can sell the annuity for about
three millions. Another item in the
States assets is $3.50, 900 of the cecil
stock of the Washington branch OF lie
Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, or nearly
a one-third interest in that valuable
property. 1t is believed that this
stock is worth far more than its face
value, although the Baltimore and
Ohio Company has withheld dividends
for the past four years. The State is
now involved in litigation with the
company over this retention of the
dividends, lawsuit which the Gov
ernor explains.
Attention is called to the fact that
the revenues of the State tobacco ware
houses have decreased because of the
competition of private inspections.
We have always endeavored to impress,
upon our readers the Importance of
sustaining the warehouses. Governor
unless they have their tobacco in
spected by the State they will soon be
at the mercy Of the corporations which
own the private warehouses.
That portion of the message relat n
to public education is particularly in
teresting. In speaking Of this the
Baltimore Sun says: "The Governor
has always taken deep interest in this
subject and is the author and p,o-
moter of the law for providing school
books at the public expense. The
present annual appropriation for the
purpose is sl5O,0OO. The Governor
believes that now, since the first cost
of the system has been met, the ap-
preparation ought to he reduced to
$I25 900. The act Of 1900 rtoryaiZ NJ
the county school boards, he thinks,
has had the effect of eliminating poll
tics from the schools. He recommends
some change in the method of buying
books and the revision of the law es-
tablishing manual training schools.
Among other recommendations made
by the Governor is the formation Of
an unpaid commission to devise some
means for mitigating the ravages of
consumption, the erection of an adj
dition to the House of Correction, the
expenditure of $1,000 in spreading
oyster shells in the waters Of the State
to hold oyster spat, the appropriation
Of about $4,000 to bring the interest on
the Federal endowment Of the Agri
cultural College to 3 per cent. and so
save the $4,000 from forfeiture, and
the enactment of a primary election
law"