The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1906-01-09
GOVERNORS
MESSAGE
The Various Subjects Discussed
IN the Annual State Paper
and Views Thereon.
TAXATION AND FRANCHISES

70 the Members Of the Senate and Gem
eral Assembly:
congratulate you on the promising
auspices under which you meet. The sp1r-
it of our people moves toward better gov
ernment and better laws with every adj
vance in thought and morals. and in this
hour, when the awakened national con-
science calls for higher ideals. It finds us
not ha1ting laggards, but already enlisted
to execute the demands Of right and jus
tice Our legislation has kept pace with
the best thought OF the times and has led
rather than followed the trend of events.
Indeed, the work of this session will be
largely the continuance of policies pre-
viously outlined. With prophetic antici-
patton the last Legislature opened the way
BY providing for the appointment of COM
missions to investigate and secure infor-
nation upon many of the questions that
viii come before you. It is your good for
tune to have the opportunity Of settling
these questions and of associating your
selves with measures that will keep New
jersey an example for emulation.
state Finances.
The-fnances of our state continue in ex-
scellent condition. An income without a
state tax sufficient to pay the state ex-
penses and help defray municipal ex-
a i
not, however, justification of extrava-
gance either in expenditure or appropria-
tion. Economy must continue to be our
policy. The advertised surplus in the
treasury has invited many large and Of
ten thoughtless demands upon the state
purse. Oct 81, the close of the fiscal
year, nnds large balance on hand. This
is an overnight balance, however, and is
absorbed by its debts the next morning.
On Oct. 81, 1905, the overnight balance in
the treasury was $2.S58, ,39S.13. Nov. l. the
next morning, it was confronted by OBJ
legations in the way of appropriations au-
thorized by the legislature amounting to
$4301, 1881 so that the treasury balance
at its highest point is less than two
thirds of the annual authorized expendi-
ture of the state. This sum is suf1cien'
for practical purposes, but none too larg
for safe fnanciering and never a reason
for careless expenditure.
Care In Legislation.
had occasion last year to request the
Legislature to exercise greater care in the
preparation and consideration of bills.
Some bills were evidently never read by
the introducers. A vast majority of the
bills showed great carelessness in. capi-
talization and punctuation; in some cases
to such an extent that the meaning Of
the language was obscured. There is no
reason why public act should not be 50
phrased and so punctuated that it will
stand the test of good English and be
easily understood by the ordinary reader.
The titles of a large number of the bills
were defective, Under the decisions of
the courts defective titles are not neces-
sarily fatal to an act. For that reason ]
did not feel warranted in rejecting meas
ures solely on that account There is NO
reason, however, why the titles to bills
should not be correct, and, having made
a1Ip inn fO q f1Ir =, qd
vance, shall feel warranted In insisting
upon It's observance.
Cognate to this subject is the growing
tendency to multiply laws, to the confu-
sion Of our statutes.
For ten years the Legislature has aver
aged $50 separate acts a year. This in
creasing mass Of undigested and conflict
ing legislation much of it passed for
specific purposes, without regard to its
relation to our general system of juris-
prudence, makes 1t well nigh impossible
to know the law and more difficult to IN
terpret the law. This burdens the people
with litigation. not so much to settle dis
putes as to ascertain what the law is. II
makes difficult the performance OF Off
cial duty and especially the financing of
municipal expenses. Such a system must
in time fall of its own weight. Governor
Griggs laid down as the test of legislation
the rule that no law should be passed un-
rule Is more applicable today than when
he stated 1t ten years ago
Dependents.
In my inaugural / called attention to
the work Of the state in the care of its
dependents. About 80 per cent of the
states disbursements are given to this
cause. The state is today caring for OF
aids in the care of 5,257 insane persons,
sos feeble minded. S5 blind, and in addition
the Railway reformatory 1858 inmates.
The State Home For Girls contains 154
inmates and the State Home For Boys
47s.
To provide for more careful super
vision of the states charities the last leg
islature screated a department of chart
ties and corrections. The work OF that
department has fully justified its crea-
tion. Its expenses have amounted In It's
eight months OF existence to $5,S50.22. I'm
der the former system the architects fees
alone upon the sum appropriated by the
legislature for improvements would have
amounted to S25, 1863 IS. $l7,1sS.02 more than
the total cost OF this department for a
year al It's present ratio of expense
The legislature appropriated s55S,76e for
the erection Of a new wing to the state
prison. TOR one to the State hospital at
Trenton, Tor a new building at the State
Home For Girls and for various improve
mentS IN tne way OF lighting and healing.
Ordinarily deficiency appropriations are
required to complete Contemplated i'm
provements, Under the supervisory Of
this department the purposes of the legis-
lature in appropriating the sum above re-
ferred to win be carried out at an ex-
fpense of $5OS, ,267 and a saving OF $55.499
The department has not vet had time
to thoroughly investigate the question Of
what imposition the state may be suffer-
ing In the care of its wards. 1t is proba-
bile that considerable number Of those
now maintained by the state should be
cared for III whole or in part by their inn
mediate relatives. An enrolment Of the
inmates Of all our penal, reformatory and
charitable Institutions is now under way.
When this is finished the state win have
not only a complete. record of every one
Of its dependents, but will be able to as
certain how many are worthy Of the
states bounty and how many should be
cared Tor at the expense of relatives. who
have a legal as well as a moral duty to
ward the na&ortunate members Of their
family.