Connecticut western news., 1905-01-05
H|GGINS' MESSAGE
New York's Newly Installed Gov ernor Favors Economy In
 State Affairs.
NO TAX ON SAVINGS BANKS.

In Face of a Possible Deficit Following
 Decrease In Revenues Executive Fa-
 voIs Retrenohment Rather Than
 Higher Taxation - An Extension of
 Civil Service Is Urged.
 Albany, N. r., Jan. A. The New York state legislature of 1905 organized today and listened to the first message of Governor Higgins, after which q recess for one week, until noon of Wednesday. Jan. II, was taken. Dur ing the interval the committees in both houses will be selected by tue respec. tive presiding officers Lieutenant Gov GFn0r M.LW ssr1l.le -and -A-,.,.. senute met " n sembly at II a. m. John Ralnes or On tario and Assemblyman s. Fred Nixon of Chautauqua were reelected respec- lively as president pro tempore of the senate and speaker of the assembly.
 The message opens with a state ment of the financial condition of the state, whose debt at the close of tlpe fiscal year, Sept. 30, 1904, was S9.4i0.- 900. Total receipts for the fiscal year were S25.54s. .082 .0S; total expenditures, $25, 900, ,T96.73. For the current year the comptroller estimates decrease in the revenues of S2, T50. 900. due to court decisions affecting the corporation tax law and other causes. while the ex- truordinary expenses of the state to meet the payment of judgments and other claims, will be large. The gov ernor proposes that this situation be met not by an increase in taxation, brt by the sternest retrenchment in ordl- nary expenditures.
 No Tax on Savings Banks.
 The governor strongly recommends the abolition of the tax on surplus and undivided profits of savings banks, which, he thinks, works hardship on depositors by decreasing rates of Inter est. The abolition of this tax will fur ther curtail the state receipts by ST20,- 900, but the governor thinks the reve- nue thus lost can be made up In some more equitable way. He also recom- mends that the corporation tax law be
 
 under the courts interpretation of the present law may be averted. He rec ommends that the appropriations be treated as far as possible as a sslgle act. so that they may be better kept within the amount of the revenues.
 The governor also recommends that the census of 1905, provided for by the constitution, be mere enumeration, which should cost but S250000 as against S600,0o0 for n complete census.
 On the subject of state insane hos pitfalls and charities the governor says.
 The management of the state hospitals for the insane. fourteen in number, with a total number of patients on Oct !, lyo4, of 25,01a. was completely centralized by legislation of 1902 abolishing the boards of managers of the various hospitals and leaving with the commission tn=lunaey complete Jurisdiction. both as to financial control and internal administration. The advantages of centralized control or the financial operations of the hospitals are evident It is Of the utmost importance, however that this great system Of hos pitfalls, involving the expenditure of so large a sum Of money annually and the care of so many thousands of peculiarly unfortunate and dofenscless persons, should rest upon a broad basis or public interest and public confidence and should retain the cooperation of philanthropie citizens throughout the state In my opinion this can best be secured by loav- ing the control Of all financial matters, as at present, in the hands of the com mission and by providing for each hos pital a board of managers, in general charge through the superintendent of the internal affairs of the hospital
 He says, further, that the use of the state hospital should he restricted to the absolutely dependent which would greatly reduce the cost of maintenance.
 Competition In State Purchases.
 The governor recommends more build. ings at the Newark and Rome institu- tons for the feeble minded and de. mands that provision be made for more public competition in the bidding for purchases for state institutions.
 On the subject of canals the governor says:
 The bids on six test contracts for parts Of the work on the 1000 ton barge canal seem to warrant the belief that the entire construction can be completed within the engineers estimates of the probable total cost of the work. 1t is gratifying to know that this great expenditure ordered by an overwhelming popular vote, will probably prove adequate so far as concerns that portion of lhe entire cost set spHrt In the