The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1912-05-21

stout men be neVred to more deter
mined efforts. The completion OF
the system and as the best eugi
neering talent advises, the perma-
nent protection of the delta lands
from overflow are but questions OF
more money and renewed cndeaNor.
| Our State is and always will re-
main essentially an agricultural
State and its greatest prosperity in
the future depends upon the highest
| development Of lis wonderful agri-
| cultural resources. All are agreed
| that the greatest aids 10 that deNcl-
Opment are the reclamation of the
waste areas, drainage and good
roads. 1t shall be the policy and
earnest endeaVOr of my adminisLra-
ton to encourage and assist in every
way possible the intelligent prose
cution of such work. In the State
| there are lands Of almost every va
riety of soil, highlands and lOWlands,
capable of producing products of
every variety most
Useful and Profitable TO Man
| The lands of no State or country
afford better homes for desirable
| hOmeSeekerS or respond more read
| lily and abundantly to the touch OF
intelligent cultivation.
| han ,ttl,i,oI ar fol al
ance at this time is the assessment
and taxation Of property. The pres
ent system distributes uncqually The
| burdens of government now press
ing heaviest on those least able to
| bear them, is subject to much ad-
ministrative abuse, and is generally
crude inadequate and unjust. The
people have demanded its radical
| change or entire revision. However,
the problem presented is one Of such
great difficulty and will require in
It's proper solution so much time
that the General Assembly would
| necessarily be unable to give it dur
| ing a regular session that thorough
| consideration it demands. An extra
| ordinary session might be convened
for that purpose, but it is my DELHI
| crate opinion at this time that the
desired results could be more con-
| veniently obtained if a Constitu-
tional Convention should be called
with a limited membership and its
powers restricted to the one general
subject of assessment and taxation.
The expense of the convention would
| not equal in all probability that of
an extraordinary session and would
be of small moment as. compared to
the losses suffered in consequence
| OF the gross inequalities of the pres
ent system. The State and people
can i'll afford postponement of the
work much longer.
The policy of conserving the nat
ufai resources of the State of every
nature is wise and necessary one
and should not be abandoned direct
iy by the abolition of all system for
the enforcement of conservation
measures or indirectly by devising
totally inefficient system. There
should be
Statewide System
so provided that if can not be made
the means of centralizing too much
power in the hands of the executive
or OF expressing the people by bur
densome charges
A great and unnecessary burden
which afflicts thousands of the citi-
zens of the State and bears with
staggering weight upon many who
are poor or of moderate means is
the excessive cost of the administra-
ton of municipalities under the old
political form of government. These
governments can and should be rem
dered less expensive and more eff
cient and responsive to the peoples
will.
The commission form as applied
to the government Of municipalities
is no longer an experiment. 1t is
sanctioned by the highest and latest
thought on the subject of municipal
government and is approved by the
experience of those municipalities
which have tried it. I heartily en-
dorse and commend it.
The time has come in my opinion
when the State should, in addition to
the supervision of railroads, steam
boats and telephone and telegraph
lines, assume the supervision, con-
troll and regulation of all other pub
lie service corporations in order to
prevent and correct abuses in the
charging of exorbitant rates for ser
vice and otherwise, There does not |
appear to be any good reason why |
the Railroad Commission should not
be converted by constitutional pro