The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-01-11
Mann's Message TO the General Assembly

| WV PRODUCTION Oh sea Ipou.
nm, and have been for years, In
s ayHr Of paying iair salaries .nd to our
lcct tho foes now allowed by law and
paying them into the treasury of the
state on the. first OF every month
ehansc VIE poss 81 The ssa hs
should be made to apply at first only
to tho cities and to counties contain
habltants. OF which thoro are thirty.
one in the State. This plan would not
Involve In ,i any possible risk to the finances
revenue and would correct most OF the
abuses complained OF. and could be
gradually extended until MI of the
counties would be brought under its
operation. This recommendation, which
is conservative and In the interest of
sood government, has another ndvunt-
age ~ could be put In operation by
act passed at the present session,
which will not be the cuscif the reform
is made TO apply to every city and
county In the State. Having very care
point OF Wow. and for reasons given
above | earnestly recommend the pass
age OF an net for the payment OF
salaries instead OF fees In the cities
and thir,y-one counties having more
| than twenty Thousand Inhabitants
state Hospitals.
The reports from these institutions
show that they are In good condition,
and with tho exception OF the Eastern
state Hospital, at williamsburg, are
sa aRah care Of their patients at a rea-
to state that tho hospital last named
has only about cighty-two ncrcs OF
a a,onn Ian, land while the other ins,i,u-
need new furnaces to enable 1t 10
reduce it's fuel bill. and its distance
from the railroad makes the transpor-
| lapon OF coal and supplies costly
| Tho present superintendent, Dr. G. W.
Brown is wisely working to reduce
expenses without impairing efficiency.
three months he has gotten the per
capita cost to a sum of about $1,000
or S22.oo less than that OF last year.
Ing upon the claims OF the other hos
pitfalls. but In order 10 put the Eastern
on An equal footing with them. re-
commend an appropriation of $1,000.
sum sufficient for furnace repairs
or the purchase and installation OF
Purchase of supplies.
hour cured meat. q co fs s sea Sugar a:
molasses. and the like. could he done
( IN bulk that is. for all OF the hos
p ,I,n.s to be deiivered a. specified
| lieve considerable saving would re
| snit and J recommend that the duty
t OF purchasing these supplies be en-
pitals / commend to the General AS
| sembly the Inspection OF the rcports
o.. o. these Institutions, and especially
the report OF the Commissioner Of Hos
capita cost Of ali OF them
Virginia Mineral md Timber Exhibit.
After the closing of the Jamestown
| Exposition. the specimens constituting
| this exhibit were boxed UP and stored
on the exposition grounds. and IA care
taker employed TO look after them.
! After became Governor. Hon w. ".
Baker. member OF the commission
having charge Of the exhibit. called my
attention 10 IT. and suggested that II
| In the handsome room at the southern
end Of the Library building which had
been prepared for It. He also called
my attention TO a balance in his hands
Of s4,o54.e9 applicable to the expense
| OF installation.
The Norfolk and Southern. The Nor
Coast Line Railroads transported the
exhibits to Richmond without charge.
and the Norfolk and Western kindly
P PEI !. US ss, to have the services Of
skilled In this work and one OF the
few men in the State to whom the In
stailation, which requires technical
ed DR.. Schubert was informed OF the
| amount In hand and went at his task
with enthusiasm He soon saw that
\ more than the funds in hand, but
thought he could easily raise the need
ed excess from parties interested In
benefited By the exhibit. He there
ore. said nothing to the commission In
reference to the debts he was mourning.
but devoted himself for about eleven
months to the work of installation.
which was splendidly done. The cx-
hibit. composing seven thousand spc-
cimens. shows Tor itself. 1t is one or
country, and in the opinion OF DR..
Schubert is worth at least sl00,0oO.O0.
When the work was done, the cost
was found to be se,oos.se. of which the
| commission paid S4.054.2o. leaving So
e9!.iT due. Of which DIR. Schubert
raised s2.44+.47, leaving due bal
ancc Of $500. which ask the Gen
Norfolk and Western Railway Company
did not make any charge for the SER
Woes performed by DR.. Schubert, which
were worth at least $4,000 or $4,000.
That company deserves the thanks and
commentator OF the General Assem-
bly,. as do the other railroad companies
I have mentioned.
| Primary Elections.
| Primary elections should be optional
with the political parties of the State.
but not more than one such election
should prccede the regular election.
The State or cities and counties should
nay the expenses OF these primaries.
! The burden now placed on candidates
! practically disqualif1eS men Of moderate
means. They should be guarded in all
| elections and hold by the regular cleo
ton officers The amount to be ex-
pended by a candidate should be limit
ed to one-haif of the salary of the of
| fee for one year to which lie aspircd,
and the expenditure OF Il larger amount
by the candidate or any one for him
| and with his knowledge should dis
| qualify him from holding any Office In
| the State for FIVE years.
| General Elections.
| The necessity for more stringent laws
| governing general elections must be
| apparent to those at ali conversant
with the registration of voters and The
| conduct of such elections. Men should
| be obliged under heavy penalties, 10
discharge the duties OF electoral
boards. registrars. Judges and clerks of
| elections. Judges who now appoint
electoral boards would then be able
to secure the services Of good men and