Gloucester County Democrat., 1909-01-14
MESSAGE BY
GOVERNOR FORT
Names Needs Of State to the
Legislature.
ASKS POWER OF REMOVAL.

of Providing Adequate Water Supply
For Cities In Northern Part of State.
! Many Matters of Moment Discussed.
Trenton, N. j., Jan. 12.-The annual
message Of the governor, John Frank
| lin Fort, to the senate and general
assembly says:
Gentlemen Of the Senate and General
Assembly:
By the express terms of the colStitu-
ton of our state, adopted in 1874 it is
made the duty of the governor ito
communicate by message to the leg
islature at the opening of each session
the condition Of the state and
recommend such measures as he may
deem expedient"
Our constitution has few, If any,
serious faults, and these can be RENE
died in the way pointed out in that
instrument for its amendment.
Constitutional Amendments.
Four amendments were referred by
the last legislature for your concur
renee.
Fhe first increases the salaries of the
senator's and assemblymen to $1,000
per year, which should be done.
The second would make the term of
the governor and the senators four
years and the assemblymen two years.
4 The third authorizes the districting
| rf %ha o1n of
bers of the general assembly, and the
! fourth relates to the reorganization of
the judiciary
Concurrence in the amendments is
earnestly urged. During the vigorous
political campaign, through which we
have just passed they were not criti-
cised by any one.
Power of Removal of Officials.
In my annual address I earnestly
urged the enactment of law giving to
the governor the power of removal of
public officials, not under the constitu-
ton protected from removal, except by
impeachment / repeat that recon.
mendation.
If the objection is to giving this pow
! er to the governor, then give it to the
courts or to the senate or to a commits
sion consisting of the governor. the
president of the senate and the speaker
of the house or some other body which
may commend itself to your judgment.
The power should be somewhere.
| If there be fear that the power will
be abused, limit it to the following
causes:
| -Malfeasance in Office
Second Offenses which are made
misdemeanors by statute.
| Third. -Misappropriation of public
funds
Fourth-Conviction of crime
| Surely there can be no objection to
such power as this for such causes
as these.
The governor and other constitu-
! tional officers may be impeached and
removed from Office. A senator or
member of the general assembly may
be expelled and his Office vacated by
his associates, but there is no way
now, except he resign, to get statu-
| tory official out of Office, even after
conviction of crime.
Surely this cannot be thought to be
right by any reasonable person.
County Boards of Taxation.
| So far as I know, no reasonable ex-
cuse exists for the further continuance
| of the county boards for the equaliza-
| tion of taxes. They cost the taxpay-
ers of the state and counties about
/ $4,000 per year. If they ever had
any useful purpose, which l doubt,
| they have served it, and their further
continuance can only be justified
upon the low and absolutely indefensi-
| BILE ground that places are provided
| for eighty-four persons to draw sal
aries from the public treasury which
| are not earned If these county boards
| are abolished provision can be made
| for board or body in each county with
| power to fix the tax rate and to equal
| ize taxes by simple method of proce-
dure and at small expense. All the
other duties Of county board can be
/ cast upon the state board for the
| equalization Of taxes.
Department Of Corporations.
The creation of the department Of
corporations, in accordance with the
Recommendation of the commission on
the revision of the corporation laws in
its report of last winter, is strongly
urged.
| New Jersey should continue and, If
possible, broaden her past policy as to
the organization of corporations. They
came to us because of the conservative,
settled character Of our judiciary and
the fairness of our past legislative
treatment Criticism Of our corpora
ton laws by citizens Of other states
has about ceased except as to few
unreasoning and unreasonable persons.
Motor Vehicle Department.
What was said as to the creation of