The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1908-01-07
[ LEGISLATURE MEETS.
Smith Beats Baxter For Ms
York Assembly ClerkShip.
GOVERNOR SUBMITS MESSAGE

Endorses Direct Nominations, Advises
LiberaIity Toward State Fairs and
Uphoids the Wisdom Of the Public
Service and the Insurance Laws.
Albany, N. Y, jan Z. Governor
Hughes message was read in both
houses of the legislature. The message
begins with a financial statement
which shows that the state received
during the fiscal year ended Sept. 80,
1907, a total Of $43, 9S0,37347 as com
pared with $35, SOC. 96692 for the year
ended Sept 80, 1906. Disbursements
were $39,012, 6S7. % against $30,350,
B96.21 in 1906 The increase in expend-
iture was due chiefly to canal and
highway work and forest reserve pur-
chases. The net surplus for 1907 was
$13,678, 138.47, an increase of $780,
693.1S. The state debt increased dur
ing the last fiscal year from $10.630,660
to $17,29O,660 This was due to the
issue of bonds for canal and highway
purposes.
The governor submits, with his in
dorsement, the recommendations of the
Hepburn commission on banks and
trust companies. These recommends
lions, which were published some time
ago, call for radical reforms in the
state banking laws, particularly insist
ing on putting trust companies doing
banking business on the same basis
with banks.
Unholds Public Service Act
The governor reports canal improve
ment work under contract to the
amount of 500, 100000, contracts have
been awarded for $7,067 900 more, and
~e1Ans are ready for further contracts
to the extent of STOP 900. During the
past year 1856 miles of state roads have
been built and 564 miles in addition
have been contracted for Plans are
ready for 1908 miles of road.
The message deplores the great legal
expense incident to the liquidation of
insolyent banking institutions and rec
ommends that provision be made for
liquidation under the supervision of
the superintendent of banks and that
he shall have authority to appoint liq
uidating agents and necessary assist
ants to enable him to wind up the
business in the most speedy and eco
nomical manner
The governor upholds the wisdom of
the insurance and public service COM
mission laws passed by the last legis-
lature and advises that they be not
amended until experience shows ur-
gent necessity for changes. He does,
however, recommend the enlargement
of the scope of the public service act
TO take in telegraph and telephone com
panies.
Favors SimpIifed Ballot.
On the subject of elections the gov
ernor says:
I renew the recommendation for the
adoption Of a simplif1ed form of ballot
without the party column, in which the
names of candidates for the respective
offices shall appear but once grouped un-
der the names of the offices The present
form of ballot is unnecessarily cumbrous.
No candidate should have more than one
place on the ballot, so that there may be
the smallest possible opportunity for
fraudulent contrivances to secure the adj
vantages OF duplication. Appropriate des-
ignation OF party may be placed opposite
each name.
Each voter should be required to ex-
press his choice for each Office separate
w. All parties will be placed upon the
same footing. and the effect will be to
encourage the nomination of candidates
who will not suffer by reason of separate
consideration. Experience in other states
shows that partisan fears of the effect of
a simpler ballot are unfounded.
Governor Hughes also advises that
1No
ing voters with proposed constitutional
amendments, He emphatically in
dorses direct nominations.
The governor declares that article /,
section o. Of the constitution prohibits
gambling on race tracks as well as
elsewhere, and he wishes race track
gambling expressly prohibited by the
penal CODE He proposes that in lieu
of the per cent gross receipts at
frotting and running race meetings.
which now goes to agricultural socie-
Ties, the state give those societies
direct appropriation. 1T is better"
he says, that they should be support.
ed directly than that the state should
derive revenue for this purpose
through an indefensible partiality In
the enforcement Of the fundamental
law
The governor expresses his firm be-
lief in the encouragement of agricul.
ture and suggests that the state estab-
lish a secondary school of agriculture
at Alfred university to supplement the
work of that at Cornell He also adj
vises liberality toward the state fairs.
He urges war on bovine tuberculosis
and state inspection of meat.
Merritt Is Majority Leader.
There were several surprises in the
ehairmanships. Merritt of St Law
renee heads the ways and means and
will therefore be majority leader, and
his rival for the place, Phillips Of Al
legany, is chairman of Judiciary, as
was expected, Instead of the expected
appointment of Murphy of Kings to
the craftsmanship of the cities commit
tee, which was understood to be de-
sired by Republican State Chairman
Woodruff, that place was given to
Hammond of Onondaga. Hammond
would have had the place by reason of
seniority in the committee, but Senator
White, also of 0nondaga is chairman
OF the senate committee on cities. and
it was not expected that Syracuse
would get both committees. Murphy
gets the craftsmanship of the almost
equally important committee on the