The star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1908-1909, 1909-01-12
THE GOVERNORS MESSAGE.

TUESDAY, JANUARY L. Ea
THE GOVERNORS MESSAGE.
Governor Forts annual message is a business document. 1t presents "
ephome the most important affairs Of the State apart from tine nance "n'"
subject is reserved for a special message 1t is concise as we'll as comprehensive
and it is eminenty practical There is nothing in 1t Of IN academic or 'o"iD
soraal character While there will be dissent TO some o. inc Views so,
tbae vii be 10 qucston as % the moderation, as ell as earnestness' with whrCh
hey are presented BY tr the most important subject treated of Is that OF the
onservato of the waters supply. Governor Tor submits an origins anu PCT
f@alv feasible proposition, namely. the taking over by the State or by districts
of al the Naterr rights nw existent the oonstrueto Of reservoirs rF suppnsnS
many municipalities and the acquisition OF forest snos $40 po".. e 49, .wos
sppplv. 1t is shown that the value OF the plants acquired would any times
exceed their cost las in the case with the Newark plant, nj mt a reasonaur
water rental would yield an incon sufficient to soon wipe nut the bonded debt
created. A proposition involving millions looks formidable b"t this oe is really
anpIe. After he courts shall ave passed pon the question Oh private ~a'P
rights, this proposition will surely take shape.
eomnor Fort reneus. n a modified form, his recommendation that the
Governor be- given power of removal Of public officials n suggests that 1t De
limited to four causes he enumerates He refers to thu laws o. ohe STATES
eaqerrinr such powers. In most of these, however ts power is limited to the
emoval Of appomtve officials The objection in thss State is to the moVa Oh
the peoples elective officers by the executive 1t wa a matter OF eenr~ rsn Ss
that Governor Stokes had nj power of removal of the secretary of state upon the
latttrs refusal to resign. The power to appoint should be tn power to remove
when it touches their representatives in office. The Newark community would
be shocked to see their Mayor hailed before thu Governor for dismissal pc
cause he vas unable to 0mp me same oSef'a" :" q" e
in a country town.
The county boards of taxation cost about $4,000 a year Governor Fort
declares hey are more ornamental than useful; that thu none thus expended
Is public waste, N he suggests a moree economical plan 1t may be remarked
that the act which created these boards alsoe reatda powerful political ae"ne
Tventy-one county boards WELD a strong influence at rentop IND they hase
the support asoo of the railroad interests. for obvious reasons. The conomy OF
saving about 100000 annually to the State treasury. however sur ses ss+ "s r 20"
payer mos favorably. A more busnesshke adnhnharar0n o! us STATES iN
with III corporations and with motorists is recommended" h income
from miscellaneous corporations which was s2aoo" last ear coua DC muen
Increased with close I'M careful administration by a single commissioner The
administration of the automobile law could also be made more productive of
IeNehW anu he
The .xchs ouestton is briefly discussed. Governor Frt recognizes the
ineradicabe differences that's exist locally in a STATED a matter of social customs
n habits. and the extreme difficulty of uniform Increment of stringent resu-
latons. But he renevs, in another form, the suggestion for comforting thu power
TO revoke licenses upon some authority outside of the municipality. He suggests
a county board IF excise appointed b y the Governor ito grant INT revoke licenses
The objection that applies to a state board n certainly ne ursea against
county board 1t might be asked in this connection, if a county board be created
why the income from licenses should not De paid to the county instead of to the
municipality, ma would oe a logical sequence Nse1 oou"s o 1917 ~
ark would not object to that arrangement Governor Fort consistently avs he
stands rrevocabty committed to the present excise law
Jrhe control and needs of the State institutions are discussed in business
lid vavb Nv GOVERNOR Fort, He has personally visted the State utut n-E
CURED into their affairs md hs seen things with his W eyes He rightly be-
neves that tn managers should be compensated for their time labor and
also suggests smaller boards, with a general State board of control to consist
Of a commissioner ant W other persons. 1t stands to reason that in thu mere
matter of supplies such a board could effect arge NON by akin pI
chases In bulk. Governor Fort estimates he saving at not lesst than s5oO0o
annually a State board would also give proper supervision, better con-
tracts could BE made for permanent provemen An original sussesnon IS
that the so-caned reformat~y at Railway be used to supplement the State
AM pmv" I o~ra II +a nrroosas If second staten rtson. and a mfmma-
tory car De established in a rural section, with a large farm attachment for the
convfcts to cultivate A womens reformatory and house of detention for insane
conyicts arr favored but these improvements seem tmpractcable his year.
Governor Forts experience IF special commissions has evidently Disguised
him. He is appalled, at the magnitude of the cost and the meagreness oft the re-
suits Evidently all that he CLEANED for his annual message came from tn ma
,Onty report of the Dependency and Crimes Commission. He recommends that
Investigations be given a judicial character De made D a supreme Court
commission. Governor Fort renevs his recommendation for a public utilities
favors a jury commission, to consist of he sheriff and W other persons
appointed by the court which plan would strip the sheriff of all authority and
make The our The realp power. AS the justice is appomtve by he Governor
control of IN grand inquest would be twice removed from the lay public, which
M grand noues vas established to represent and protect from arbitrary prose-
cution. AS the Governor views the voting machine he percdves their objection
able character and unpopularhy, but is inclined to believe in al deal machine
not yet invented. AS the device now a burden or the statec cannot b doctored
into an ideal instrument w al get rid of wait for the ideal to come along
We believe the people Of the State are well enough CONTENT with the present
paper ballot. Governor Fort likes the blanket ballot He favors a employers
liability act n an improvement In the Law taxing collateral nhertances He
would prohibit any further riparian grants o the Hudson river, Newark bay.
and Kill vn Kun n recommends leases for me hundred years Consolidation.
of State boards and abolition Of unnecessary officers are recommended. The
State waters Supply Commission of five members at 81 500 each, with clerical
nafneering snd Other pens is a useless body A single commissioner at
$1,000 would be sufficient. Governor Fort is gratihed with the results of the APP
preparation for an inland waterway from Bay Head to Cape May, and recon-
nends ar extension from Bay Head to Manasquan river % utilize 5000 acres of
oysterla lands Not the least important recommendation in the message is that a
state commission be appointed to axe Owe all the highways from county seat
to county seat n along the seashore, N maintain them without expense to
tic localities all the revenue from automobile travel which is certain % reach
sa5oooo q year TIC be given to the commission for maintenance. To facilitate this
plan annual appropriations for new roads can be omitted for the present The
scheme is practicable. 1t is an improvement on the present system of roa build
ling IN maintenance. 1t would establish road making maintenance OF the
Frencn plan, which has given to France the finest highways in the world
Governor Forts messagei is neither too long nor toe short and. as las been said
4 is a business paper throughout