The Mena weekly star., 1911-01-19
THE GOVERNORS MESSAGE
George w. Donaghey Lays Before the General
Assembly an Able and Business Like State
ment of the More Important Affairs
of Arkansas. ea

The message of George w. Don.
aghey, Governor of Arkansas, was
read last Thursday to the 38th Gen.
eral Assembly. While it was Of I'M
usual length, it could not well have
been curtailed materially and at the
same time give proper treatment to
the many subjects of interest to the
people of the state
In part it follows:
To the Members of the Thirty eighth
General Assembly
When | was inaugurated as Chief
Executive two years ago, ! stated in
my address to the General Assem-
bly, that | had had no previous
training whatever in the art of
statecraft, and that whatever fitness
/ possessed for the Office of Govern
or must come from a rugged asso-
citation with human affairs. That |
believed statecraft to be only an
intensely practical matter, and that
as all my life had been accustomed
to do the things / had to do Nth
UhdfeDer / had to do them Nth, |
expected the forces of energy and
common sense to tide me over the
difficulties which | would no doubt
encounter. In giving to you an ac-
count of my stewardship, candor
compels me to state that | have found
many things to do, and, in most in
stances, but little to do them with.
One Of the greatest things with
which my administration has been
hampered has been the condition of
the states finances. My term as
Governor began at a time when our
treasury was greatly depleted For
several years the future had been
borrowed from to meet the then
pressing exigences of the state gov
ernment Year by year the threat
ened deficit had been growing great
er. Pay day was bound to come.
AT the meeting of the last Legis-
latIre the future revenues of the
state had been borrowed and used
to the amount Of about 100000.
The General Assembly appropriated
for various purposes in the neigh
borhood of $3.50. 600 more than the
states income for general purposes
for that biennial period. This, with
the amount already borrowed from
the future, made the threatened
deficit of the general revenue fund
about $1,000,000. After consulting
the various officers, boards, heads Of
institutions, etc, vetoed items in
the appropriations that | thought
could be dispensed with. thus great
ly decreasing them. Under this
plan we have worked. the institu-
tons of the state have all been run
ming, and, on an economical basis,
and have been run well. The four
agriculturalsch are all practically
completed, and some of them now
have all the students they can care
for. The tuberculosis sanatorium
has been built and has practically
its full capacity of patients The
new State Capitol is ready for occu-
pancy; a new dormitory is in process
Of construction at the State Normal
school, and necessary Improvements
have been made at the University
of Arkansas. All these institutions
have been conducted on a basis Of
the strictest economy, as have the
Deaf Mute Institute, the Blind school
and the Hospital for Nervous Dis
eases. And while there have been
many times that there was but lit
tie money in the general revenue
fund, yet all expenses have so far
been met and the state has been
saved from a scrip basis.
The tax commission created by
the last Legislature has been great
benefit, and its work has increased
our revenues very materially. With
the exercise of care and wisdom in
your appropriations during this ses-
sion, and by wise revision of our
revenue laws, these difficulties can
be avoided in the future and our
revenues increased so that we can
keep pace with the march of pro-
gress in other states. AT the outset
| urge upon you the Importance of
SO doing.
We are at the beginning of new
era of progress in Arkansas. We
can see the dawn of d new fnnnr-