The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1909-01-12

and Legislation Ifged-ihe 'i'"
PROGRESS of North Carolina During p.
The Past Four Years Re~yiewed-Iht 4,
Needs of the state To-Day-MessaSe
Read nv the Governor Before a
Joint Session of the House and Sem
ate Yesterday.
Governor Glenn yesterday read his
biennial message to the Legislature
his last. In it he reviewed the vast
achievements of the state during the
past four years and reconiltilueo
such legislation and amendments TO
the constitution as he deemed proper
evnedient and necessary. Every cltl-
zen of North Carolina should reao Tie
message. AS the State owes nothing
and is in need of many improvements
he advises a bond issue to accomplish
what is necessary to be done ne
urqes important legislation but says
+hat the fewer the laws that are pass
ed and the uuicl er the Legislature ad-
io1rns the better it will be Tor the
state. In the beginning of his message
he recommends that the salary CT the
Governor be increased to $6,OOC per
annum.
Governor CHM recommends the
repeal of TIE law creating the otale
ROafd OF EQUALIZATION anu
enactment Of a law that will quanze
+axation and provide a better mOde Tor
the assessment of real and personal
Dropertv. He advocates a legallzeu
primary law and amendment 10 the
election law. The States criminal pro
cedure, he says, should be amenoea,
uniting the solicitors IN salaries ana
dividing the State into two judicial
circuits. He favors the appointment
or election of recorders for the trlal
of misdemeanors, and the execution
of criminals convicted OF capltal OIL
lenses at the State P~enltentlary. All
conyicts he declares, should be placed
under the management of the State
authorities. h enlargement OF the
nowers of the Corporation Commission
is recommendedy
Governor Glenn recommends that
the Constitution be 50 amended as 10
give the Governor the veto power;
that State, county, township ana mu-
nicipaI officers be elected for tour
Years instead of two; and, that the
General Assembly meet every four
years.
TO the Honorable the General Assem-
bly of North Carolina:
Two years have elapsed since the
General Assembly Of the state met IN
regular session. and since thar uHne
many important matters have taken
place. doubt if in any admins
tration during times of profound peace
more impressive events have trans
pired thar nave during the last four
wears. Never in it's history has the
State been so prosperous, ana truly
can it be said that its progress and
upbuilding along all useful lines have
been so unparalleled that its name
and fame have now extended to the
uttermost parts of the earth. Even
though a sever panic, Gripping bust
ness. turning men and women out OF
employment and casting its shadow
over all who toiled and had money in
vested. has prevailed throughout the
country its blighting effects fell COM
paratively light on our people, and
seemingly they nave prospered while
others suffered. In order that you
may see the necessity of allowing
nothing to be done to retard our adj
vancing prosperity, but should pass
ali laws needed to encourage, not
hinder development, it may not be
amiss, not in a spirit of Boosting. but
of thankfu!ness to God for untold
mercies, to recount some of our many
achievements during these four years
of plenty.
Cotton mills have been uilt in every
section and, while We raise over 600,-
600 bales of cotton. we manufacture
more in our own mills than we raise,
unlll the rattle OF 0o,4fO lOO11lS anu
the hum of 2,S7S,14S spindles. make
sweet music to our ears and have
caused our State to take the second
place in the nations output of cotton
goods. We have likewise reached the
r 4st- 51a L > III If ttfhfta spraaarqa ffaaeatahrS r. 81 plaag-
and smoking tobacco, second place
n the manufacture of furniture. and
first place in the number of chairs
produced, while the largest pulp fac
NV ~, tho would &c. n1+aII;cIAl ~ /
western North Carolina.
Marvellous as was our educational
advancement under the prior amin
istratiOn, during his administration,
under the direction of our present
able and conscientious Superintend-
ent and his efficient assistants. this
progress has been even more wonder
full. During the last two years there
has been raised for educational rur-
poses from Ounty and local taxation
$490,342.15-mOre than in the two
previous years-and by donation and
bonds ~$74g,671.31. There was also
an increase in the value of rural
school property, amounting to $685.
III, and $593,541 in the value of city
school property. In these two years
719 new rural -schoolhouses, at an
average cost Of $685., have been built.
The school terms nave been Iengthen-
ed, the teachers paid more and are of
a higher class, and the attendance of
pupils greatly increased.
The last General Assembly dppro-
prlated $4,000 for high schools in
the various counties During the wear
l5t OF these schools were established
and 2.949 nHpils enrolled. thus giving
every deserving boy and girl a chance
Tor a higher education, which never
could have been possible for them
except Tor this appropriation. You
VIII be asked to give s., 200 more, so
that those counties not now having
these schools may likewise have mis-
added educational blessing, and | trust
that you, like the last Assembly. will
cheer1ully vote it. These are but few
stat1stlcs from many intensely inter
esting facts given in the Superintend-
ents report, but they are enough to
snow the deep interest the people arr
now taxing in educating their children
and account in a large measure for
the rapid growth of the State. provino
verify the truth of the old adaoe
knowledge is power, and power
wealth." "
Morals have greatly imnrovad.
V~agrancy, drunkenness and crime 49,
greatly lessened, while industry O.