The review. [volume] (High Point, N.C.) 1908-19??, 1913-01-16
GOVERNORS LAST
MESSAGE READ
y
SUGGESTS MANY CHANGES TO
LEGISLATORS IN LAWS OF
THE STATE.
VETO POWER FOR EXECUTIVE
Recommends The Enactment Of Legal
ICED Primary Laws and Fixing Of
Penalty For False Charges Against
Candidates For Office.

Raleigh.-The reading Of the mes
sage of Governor Kitchin to the Gen
eral Assembly was a feature in the
Senate and House on the first day. The
House spent much time discussing
revised and very much hanged rules
governing deliberations of that body
offered by, Representative Murphy of
! Rowan, as chairman of the rules com
mittee.
The special contest is over rule IA
| designed to prevent the usual food
Of private charters and other acts
| that could be chartered by the Sec
rotary of state, saving time and ex-
| pense to the state through saving
time of the Legislature and printing.
Strong opposition to the innovation
developed and the discussion is still
in progress. Justice Of Guilford and
Murphy OF Rowan are leading the
fight for the new rules on the ground
of great economy to the state and
saving of the General Assembly's ex-
pense.
Governor kitchin's Message.
In his biennial message to the Gen
eral Assembly, Governor Kitchin said
the state has had unprecedented pros
perity in all it's departments and in
dustries. He declares the Legislature
must keep abreast Of the best public
thought.
Discussing the present deficit of
$75O,00O in the state treasury he says
he again appeals for the Assembly to
"cut the garment according to the
cloth" in making appropriations. The
last Legislature appropriated more
than the revenue for the period prov
ed to be.
He recommends that the Governor
be given veto power and that in ap-
preparation bills the Governor have
APPROVAL power for amendments reduc-
ing but not increasing appropriations.
The Governor recommends that
travelling auditors be provided to so
into every county and assist in equal
izing and listing all the property that
should be on the assessment books.
He is confident that North Carolina
property is worth two billion dollars
and it is listed at one-third of this.
He recommends that a legaliGed
primary system be provided for all Of
ficcrs, including United States Sena-
tors. with wrongful use Of money pro-
bibited as we'll as penalties for false
charges against candidates.
A general search and seizure law is
recommended to augment prohibition
enforcement And that the Governor
be empowered to employ detectives
and agents and retain special counsel
to assist the solicitors when needed. |
He appeal sfor the most liberal SUP
port of the public school interests SO ,
all can have common school educa-
ton assured and give some opportu- |
nifty of higher education. ;;
Stating that the number of state |
ccnvicts' has increased 20 per cent in |
four years, he recommends that the !
recorders and police courts be We.
quired to report to the Attorney GEN
eral as to prisoners sent to the roads
The Superior Courts, he says, dispose
of 10000 criminals annually. The |
states prison has prospered.
Prison Suggestions.
He recommends that the present
states prison be vacated and the farm
be used for receiving prisoners and |
working those that are unable to work
on the public roads. He believes that
penitentiary building can be convert
ed into a state school for the blind,
the present buildings used by this in
stitution being very defective and the
location bad. He recommends the
same Communication system for conv.cts
on good behavior now served by the
state be applied to county convicts
He recommends an indeterminate sys-
tenn Of sentences and a state pardon
board. He says 1,131 applications for
pardons reached him during the past
four years. He recommends that in
cases where .conyicts have families de-
pendent on them that one-third of the
value of their labor be. paid to such
dependents. And in cases of homi-
cides another one-third should 20 to
the dependents ofethe deceased
He recommends that a legislative
investigate all convict-aid-
ed roads and ascertain their condition.
These are the Observation-Disclosures
turnpike, Elkin & Allegheny and
Air Line, Mattamusket,