The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1908-01-03
HUGHES MESSAGE
Governor Talks Plainly to Lawn akers
at ALBANY,

| ALBANY, II. Y, Jan. 2.-Governol
Hughes message was read at the open
ing Of the state legislature and is re
garded as one of the strongest, most
radical and yet, paradoxical as II may
seem, the most conservative that has
ever been submitted by an executive
| of this state. The dominant note in II
Is retrenchment in unnecessary ex.
| penditures wherever possible. At the
same time the governor favorS increas,
ing the facilities of the state depart.
ments and the bringing about of need.
ed improvements.
Colonel Archie II. Baxter of Che.
mung, after twelve years service as
clerk Of the assembly, closed his func.
tons In that capacity by calling the
house to order, presiding during the
reelection of Speaker James w. Wads.
worth, Jr., of Livingston county, and
then giving way to Ray B. Smith OF
Onondaga, for six years his assistant,
who was elected clerk in his place.
The prayer at the opening of the
senate was offered by Right Rev. vii.
liam Croswell Doane, the venerable
Protestant Episcopal bishop of Albany.
Assemblyman George NJ. Palmer OF
Schoharie as the choice of the Demo.
cratic caucus for the speakership re-
turns after years absence from the
assembly to the position of minority
leader.
Mr.. Hughes makes several radical
recommendations, among them the cur.
tailment Of the privileges which he
says trust companies have arrogated
to themselves under law which gave
them only a limited field Of operations.
He calls special attention to their pres
ent unrestricted operations In conduct
ing a banking business, declaring that
legislation should be enacted which
would put them on the same footing
as banks and smaller institutions In
the matter OF cash reserve.
He condemns severely the exploita.
ton Of schemes for their aggrandize-
ment by groups of powerful individ-
uals. who use numerous banks to Dor
row money on worthless securities,
and leaves no room for doubt that he
believes II was this practice that help
ed to bring about the recent financial
furry. He calls for the enactment of
laws giving the superintendent Of
banks more power over the trust com
panles not only In the matter of their
organization. but in the conduct of
their affairs. He also urges the pas
sage Of law compelling boards of d.
rectors to give closer scrutiny to loans
made by officers and holding them re-
sponsible for bad ones.
He would erect proper safeguards
against loans and investments in aid
of promotion schemes represented by
unmarketable securities. stop the prac-
tice of trust companies engaging in
the banking business on Q large scale
and compel them to keep larger cash
reserve. delimit each distinct field OF
operation carefully, reduce legal ex-
penses incident to liquidation, which is
now grave scandal. and provide for
the winding up of an insovent fiducia-
ry institution under the supervision of
the department of banks.
He favors laws to enlarge the scope
of the public service commission, Civ
ing it power over telephone and tele-
graph companies SO as to regulate
rates and service. to take effect Oct /.
1905
Perhaps one of the most startling
recommendations of the governor Is
that the PercyGray law permitting
betting at the race tracks he repealed.
He declares that it is in violation of
the provisions of the constitution. and
he vigorously denounces the practices
that prevail under il. He not only IA
vors a new law prohibiting bookmak-
ing and pool selling, but demands that
it be made more rigorous. He would
do away with fines as a penalty for
violation and make the punishment i'm.
prisonment alone.
Mr.. Hughes comes out strongly In ia.
vor of a simplified ballot. doing away
with the present one, which he says
is too cumbrous and complicated. He
would have the names of candidates
appear but once on the ballot He also
puts himself on record as approving
direct primary.
He would abolish the offices of the
three quarantine commissioners at the
port of New York and reduce the board
Of port wardens to five.
He also favors equalizlng the salaries
Of judges Of the supreme court.
He recommends that fitting prepare
tons be made for the celebration in
1909 of the .hree hundredth annlver-
saries of the discoveries of the Hudson
river and Lake Champlain. He touch
es lightly on insurance. the national
guard. pure food, public health, high
ways. canals. state institutions and la
Dor and concludes by saying that in
every department Of administration the