Connecticut western news., 1905-01-12
MURPHY'S MESSAGE.
New Jersey Governors Final Recommendations 10 the
 Legislature.
STATE HAS LARGE SURPLUS

Surplus In Treasury Has Now Reached
 sS,ooo, ,ooo-A Portion Should Be Used
 For Crying Needs--Attention Called
 to Railroad TaSation-state constitu.
 ton Needs Revising.
 The third and last annual message of Governor Franklin Murphy was de livered to the New Jersey legislature on Tuesday. It Is in part as follows:
 The financial prosperity of the state has been 30 great In recent years that the amount Of extraordinary disbursements has become relatively large. but notwith- standing this the surplus has increased until it has reached the sum of & 000. coo. lt may be that now and then a year will come when the expenditures of the state. as provided by the legislature, will ex- cecd the income from the state for that particular year. but it must be remem= bored always that the surplus iS at hand io mako good any dcnciency, and that iH the first and principal service Of sur plus, We have too large a surplus to re- tain for this particular purpose. I have on former occasions expressed my opin- ion that this surplus should bo used for the present needs of the state. some of them crying neods and I rsitorate all that have said on that subject and shah have occasion later in this message to make some specific recommendations along those lines.
 Taxation of Railroads.
 The subject of the proper taxation of railroad property should receive the ear- nest attention Of the legislature. Many people sincerely believe that the property of these companies is not bearing its full burden of taxation, and in response, to a general demand ! appointed et the last session of the legislature a commission ta consider the subject of the taxation of all classes of property. This commission has held many pessionh for the purpose of hearing suggestions of all kinds and will shortly present it's report Meantime both political parties in their platforms have demanded change. and in my opinion the legislature will be derelict in it's duty if it does not seriously consider the pres ent situation and act upon it
 It may not be amisa at this time and in this place for me to call your attention to a feeling that seems to find some ex- prossion in tho state that our various charitable and reformatory institutions are costing too much money and that the legislature must call a halt nn to further appropriation, earnestly beg of you not to let this Idea settle In your minds. The expenses of the state for purposes of this kind have greatly increased it in true. but the population of the state has In. creased also. and the relative percentage of cost is no more now than it was twen. ty years ago when the state had less pop ulation. The care of the poor the help- less and the mentally afflicted is duty VIC cannot avoid and should not attempt to ahlri, .nnf T lhope the day will never conn when the legislature of this state or the people of this state will hesitate to take care of the claims of Its poor and its helpless.
 Department of Labor.
 The last legislature gave much connld- eration 10 the revision of the law govern ing the department of labor The age at which children go to work was raised to fourteen years. and many provisions were made providing for the efficiency of fac. tory inspection so far as regards nnnita- ton. fire escapes and those ordinary conn forts which should everywhere he nro- vided. Especial attention was given to that feature Of the law concerning child labor, SO that its provisions might he en- forced I was fortunate in securing tho services of the present head Of the dc. partment, and the results of his admin. istration under the new law are such that the inspectors under him report fully as to their work; that the general factory conditions throughout the state, 10 far as they affect the operatives have been greatly improved that what is technically known as child labor has practically dia- appeared.
 Hardly second in importance to any law that has been recently passed is that pro- vidinR for a tenement house commission, with power 10 regulate the construction of new tenement houses and to require that those existing at present shall be mod fled SO as Cat least to come within cer- tain reasonable requirements as 10 iiHht and air From this time on no tenement house will be constructed in the state of New Jersey that does not provide reh- sonablo quantity of fresh air for every inmate and where families may live their lives under wholesome conditions,
 Voting Machines.
 The last two legislatures made substan- tial appropriations for tho purchase Of voting machines which have been squitn- bly distributed throughout the state. These machines give, as a rule, excellent satisfaction. Hors and there as ia Co be expected some little criticism in made. but none that Is serious. and the advan- taRes over the old form of ballot arc 70 great that hope the policy of the state in this respect will be continued until every polling district is provided with a machine
 It is now more than sixty years since thers has been constitutional eonven- ton in this state. Amendments were made by vote Of the people upon reeommonda- ton of a commission in 1875 and upon leg islative resolution in lsaT Attempts have been made to effect other changes frem time to time. but have failed. repre- sentative body chosen by the people. with responsibility to the people alone. has not considered the whole subject of oenstitu- tlonal law since 1sA, In that period the population has multiplied nearly avs times the relations of the state govern mcnt to the federal government and to the citizen have changed, business con. dltions have been revolutioniEed, legal methods are no longer the same, taxation is greater and more varied in application and the state our fathers know it has altered in all respects 1t ia my belief that the time has arrived when repre- sentative constitutional convention should be summoned to give the people tho op- portunity to revise their fundamental law.
 I recommend that measures be taken 10 prevent the diversion of the waters Of this state to other states for domestic supply. I would suggest also that . limit should be placed upon the rights of both private and municipal corporations to exhaust the flow Of rivers.
 If Che number of accidents from reckless automobile driving could be collected their number would be appalling. and l think it Is not going too far to say that how- ever allurinE and interesting sport may be no one has right to pursue it at the cost of permanent or fatal injury to oth- CTS, I am informed by those who arc qualified 10 know thnt if the law were fully observed and no machine was ever run at speed to exceed twenty miles sn hour at least 90 per cent of all the present accidents would be avoided lt seems 10 me therefore to be clearly the duty Of the legislature 10 provide for the strict en- foreement Of the law. which limits the speed to twenty miles an hour.
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 New Hampshire's Dry List.