Gloucester County Democrat., 1912-01-11
ANNUAL MESSAGE
TO LEGISLATURE
GOVernOF Wilson Favors Many
New Laws.
FOR EQUALIzING ALL TAXES.

Recommendation include New Jury
System, Reducing Number of State
Commissions, Reformatory For Wos
men, Supervisor of Health and Aho-'
lition of All Railway Grade Crossings.
Trenton, n. j., Jan. 9.-The first an
nual message of Governor Woodrow
Wilson to the legislature was sent to
both houses. The message is as follows:
To the Legislature:
With the opening of another legis-
lative session it is my privilege to call
your attention to several matters with
regard to which we have the oppor-
tunity to serve the state by well con-
sidered changes in its law. 1t has in
terested me very deeply to note that
In recent years in this state the plat
forms of the two great parties. which
come every year into competition at
the annual election for the control OF
the legislative body. have usually been
In substantial agreement, so that one
is encouraged to believe that our cleo
tions are not so much contests for par
ty advantage or ACKNOWLEDGEMENT as for
the opportunity to serve the people of
the state-contests for the honor and
satisfaction of accomplishing the re-
forms which the conditions obtaining
in the state naturally suggest. II this
is true the winning party may count
upon the cooperation of the minority
in carrying out its platform program.
When the legislative session opens we
become colleagues in a common sery-
ice, and our standard is not party adj
vantage, but the welfare of New Jer-
sey We are, first of all, citizens and
public servants: our party differences
are secondary to our duty as repre-
sentatives and trustees.
| venture upon this preface to my
recommendations in order to afford my
self the opportunity to say with how
much pleasure l shall cooperate with
the present legislature in carrying out
every program that is judged to be for
the common benefit 1t is my duty, as
governor of the state and representa-
tive of all its people, to be the leader
of my party in the state, indeed, but
not partisan or strategist for mere
party benefit. l am glad to think,
therefore, that the matters to which /
shall call your attention do not lie
within the field of party debate. They
are matters which we can approach
without party bias or prejudice. What
avar d;ffora,,oos, of i,4do,,,a,,+ mo Y, rico
with regard to them, they need have
no favor Of party feeling about them.
At the last session we united in ef-
fecting reforms obviously necessary
and long desired, upon which opinion
in the state had for many years been
centered, but did not address ourselves
at all to certain other large questions
no less necessary to deal with, which
public opinion has not definitely fixed
upon, simply because of their COM
plexity and of the fact that only those
who can view them from the inside
can fully appreciate how vital they are
to the integrity and seryiceability of
the states government. l mean ques-
tions of efficiency and economy We
can get at the heart of these If we
choose, and we could not render the
state greater service than by doing
So Withouttthe very best administra-
tive organization the government of
the state cannot be administered with
entire integrity or with full and can
did responsibility to the people, for un-
less it is efficient and responsible it is
in constant danger Of becoming cor
rupt Wastefulness and ineficiency
are themselves virtually forms of
graft. They afford fruitful opportuni-
ties for every kind of abuse.
Plea For Economy.
1t is to questions of efficiency and
economy, therefore, that first invite
your serious attention.
The government of New Jersey, like
the governments of most of the older
states, has developed on its admins
trative side, not Systematically, but by
patchwork and mere accretion, by the
multiplication of boards and commits
sions, by the addition of first this piece
and then chat piece to existing depart
ments. There has been constant addi-
tion, no subtraction, no elimination, no
coordination. 1t has grown very much
as the statehouse itself has grown. but
without the necessity of at least some
semblance of architectural unity, with
out the connecting corridors and the
common roof which the statehouse
must Of mere physical necessity be
given.
The nunA,er and variety of state
boards and commissions is utterly con-
fusing. One wonders why there might
not be, for example, a department of
public works In which would be as
sembled all the functions affecting
roads. parks, bridges and waterways,
now divided up among a half dozen
boards and commissions, PERMANENT
and temporary; why department Of
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