Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1911-01-10
GOVERNOR FORTS LAST MESSAGE.

OvERNOR FORTS valedictory is his last annual mes
VII sage, sent to the Legislature when 1t convened at Tren-
ton at noon today. The message is not retrospective. 1t
does not recfte promises made and kept There is no summary of
the achievements of the present administration during the last
three years. The Governor contents himself with the general OBJ
servadon that the affairs of the State are in "a very satisfactory
condition" a statement that conflicts with the general belief that
the Legislature this year will have very serious reform work to do
Governor Fort compares the amount OF free money IN ne treasury
October 81, 1908, and the amount in the treasury on the same date
last year, a difference of 81 530,960. 1t might be asked how much
free balance would be in the treasury o the latter date if the Iegs
lature had not seized upon revenues dedicated by statute to the pub
lie schools. What credit can be claimed for financing of that char
acter? In connection with the public schools Governor Fort keeps
up the, fiction of State disbursements to the public schools, when,
in point of fact, the State is only a selfapponted agent for the dis
tributon of school revenues derived from taxation on municipal
property. In so acting, also, the State appropriates a large slice of
these municipal school revenues for State purposes. The Governor
reviews the principal recommendations he made in former mes
sages. In all probability some of his recommendations will ma
terianse in laws. One is the institution of a State board for the
purchase of supplies for all the State institutions. Another is the
abolition of the voting machine. Governor Fort recommends a suit
able appropriation for a womens reformatory and an appropriation
for a new building for the convict insane. He renews the recon-
nendahon that every State official whose Office is statutory should
be made subject to removal by the governor, a step that would
enormously increase the power of the executive. Mr.. Fort says;
mo governor would exercise this authority other than discreetly."
What guarantee can there be that every future governor would be
discreet9 The point is that a governor should not be invested with
powers that could be monstrously abused. Every intelligent man in
the State will indorse the position taken by the Governor that the
State should own and control the states potable waters and that
private ownership in waters to take and sell the same should not be
chartered by the State. If there are any absolute needs outside of
the State that must be supplied let the State be the purveyor, not
n RNifotC OAuhCAot OAhpuhJ nv 'Nho
that the supervision of all weights and measures inspection should
be placed under the State Department of Labor seems to have been
written some time before the exposure of the worthlessness of fac
tory inspection under the State Department of Labor. State super
vision of weights and measures should be entirely separate from any
other department. 1t has nothing to do with labor or the labor
laws, and it should have nothing TO do with partisan politics. 1t
will be the bounden duty of the Legislature to rip up the State
Labor Department and make a new and effective working Organiza-
ton. As the Governor remarks, the Atlantic coast is one of the
greatest assets of the State. So is the Hudson river waterfront.
So also are other State possessions which the State does not under
take to capitalize. The proposed ocean highway, which the Gov
ernor says should be maintained entirely at the cost of the State,
will chiefly benefit private property interests in the counties through
which it will run. Why should these interests receive such a
costly local improvement at State expense and without any cost
of maintenance? Why should revenues be diverted from the public
schools in all the counties Of IL @late q pay Tor this improvement?
Governor Fort renews his recommendation for State control of the
county hospitals for the insane. The consensus of opinion is that
these hospitals would fare much better under the management of
wellselected county commissions. In this respect, also, the Gov
ernor would initiate the power of the State executive. A very good
recommendation is that of State aid TO county hospitals for the
Treatment of tuberculosis. No doubt there will be a radical reform
effected in the system of State supervision of shell fisheries. The
existing system is an official farce. a single commissioner can much
better do all that the many oyster commissions only pretend to do
Governor Fort is not a military man and his knowledge of the Ma
tional Guard has been obtained at Sea Girt, not the most favor
able point of observation. With better technical knowledge he
would know that the State Guard has not yet attained a degree Of
efficiency as q military organization TO make the state justly proud.
Such eulogy is calculated to blind the Legislature to defects that
should be remedied. The annual report by AdjutantGeneral Sadler
to the Governor does not Justify the eulogy pronounced. In his
peroration Governor Fort saws in regard to legislation: IF there
was failure in this, as think there was, am unwilling to assume
any of the responsibility With whomsover the responsibility may
be placed, there is no question of failure.