Middletown transcript., 1909-01-09
MIpDLEEowH. DEL., IAE. 9. lsos
nnvRpN0R ~ s MEssAGE

that body q variety OF subjects OF
interest to all the people. He
makes suggestions and he reports
upon the general condition Of the
state affairs in a brief yet COM
plete way. There is nothing left
untouched, and it will be well for
the members of The General As
sembly to read the message with
care and be guided accordingly
"Among some OF the points
made BY the governor is the sug-
gestion of the propriety Of enact
ing q state law by which state
funds shall be placed on deposit
in certain designated nationa! and
state banks and trust companies,
to draw interestat the rate of two
per centum a year, with the nee
essary provisions for protecting
such funds. This is an excellent
proposition.
"The governor renews his sug,
gestion, made in his previous
message, that rigid economy oe
exercised in the appropriation OF
state money. He says the MAJ
ter Of levying direct inheritance
tax may well be considered BY
the General Assembly, but adds :
81 do not leok upon tax of that
character as a method for the re
duction Of swollen fortune, but
views il "solely as another effort
to equalize the burdens Of so
ciety." In regard to the taxation
and revenue commission he calls
attention to the necessity Of con-
tinHing that body as now made
up, with the view rthat our en-
tire revenue and taxation laws
may be reduced to a coherent an0
logical system founded upon well
defined and basic principles.
But he cautions the General AS
sembly against levying state
tax upon farm lands, as they
now bear their full measure Of
public burdens. =
IAN especially interesting por-
ton Of the message is that iu
which the governor calls atten-
tion to the need of a new codifica-
tion Of the state laws, properly
classified and brought down TO
date. There has been no coditi
cation Of the laws for fifty six
years, the codes of 1873 and 1893
being merely revisions Of the
code Of 1852. This is a matter of
vital concern. He also touches
upon the necessity of having an
early publication Of new statutes.
and thus urges thas the work be
pushed rapidly in order to have
the proper volumes ready for de-
livery as soonas possible. aud not,
as has been the custom, held back
for months. This matter of
particular interest to everybody,
especially to public officers, the
courts and the lawyers.
'sThe governor favors, and
wisely, that more attention be
given to general laws, citing as
an illustration the necessity for a
general law "for the erection or
renewal of municipal corporations
Of the several classes into which
the towns and cities may be di-
vided," adding that thus "the
several towns and cities may be
able to secure every reasonable
power necessary" This plan, be
holds, would relieve the various
communities ''of imposilions and
burdens which the legislature
has been induced, unwittingly,
to impose upon them through
amended charters, reincorpora-
tions and renewals of such town
charters.
tAttention is called to the need
OF a primary election laW-such
as Is provided in other states
that would be applicable to the
entire state; that the primaries
Of all parties should be held on
the same day, at the same place
and at the same hours, the neces
sary officers being provided BY
each one Of the two principal
parties naming a man, the gov
ernor to select the third man.
ssAttention il called to the i'm
mediate necessity Of providing .
better state library in order X
protect the valuable books and
records OF the stale The STATE
Is advised to cooperate in every
possible way in the tight being
made against tuberculosis. The
advisability Of providing d system
of medical inspection Of tbs
schools Of the state is presentet
10 the General Assembly, eacl
torn and city 70 establish anc
"a