Norwich bulletin., 1913-01-09

I in three months. and probably by the l middle of March.
 The State Is Spending More Than Its I Income. ] have obtained from the cemptrolier, l and now submit for your censidera- l ton, comparative statements of the 1 receipts and expenditures of the state during the past ten years. | It shows that our current expendi- i lures, during the year last past {end- 1 ing September 30. 1sl2), exceeded our l current receipts by nearly $187, ,0e0. In each of the nine preceding years. the current expenditures were kept within l tn current rcefpts l This indicates an unfortunate change ]! in our financial policy. 1 The deficit was not due to any re- | duction of income. On the contrary. | larger than 1t had ever been before. with one exception.
 The increase in our bonded indebt- edness, during the last i've years. has been rapid, and unaccompanted by any provisions either for a sinking fund I or for paying them off by degrees. The treasurer, in his report for the past year, recommends the setting apart annually enough of the ordinary income of the state to meet the bonds as they fall due; with liberty to him to buy them up, from this source. from Sne to time, as occasion offers. He also urges, for this object, the laying of a state tax on the several towns. of not less than three-fourshs of a mill. each year. l join in these recommendations.
 inaugural message to the last general assembly, that state purveyor be ap- pointed, with proper salary, to make all large purchases of supplies for state plain economy.
 Grants of Gratuities and Legislative
 Souvenirs.
 Grants of gratuities seem forbidden by the spirit of our constitution. venture to express the hope that none will be made by this general assembly or by either house, and that, if any Legislative souvenir" and picture book be issued 1t will be at the risk of the publisher. without aid from the pulp lie treasury.
 Repeated complaints have been made to me. during the past two years, of misconduct or inefheicncy on the part of prosecuting officers. It is through them that the sanctions of the law are mainly applied. and law without a sanction is of little worth. If pros ecuting officers do not prosecute, crimes, great and small. will go un- punished. If they do not make the necessary investigations, when crime Is charged. to determine whether a prosecution should be brought, justice may fail.
 There is no executive office created by the general assembly, the incum- bent of which ought not to be subject to the power of removal for due cause, and the natural depositary of that power is the governor.
 Inheritance Taxes.
 Inheritance tax laws now exist in most of the states. in which the cit izens of Connecticut have business in- terests. The result has been that the privilege of succeeding to a share in the estates of deceased persons has often been taxed twice; once where jurisdiction where personal property forming part of the estate might be situated
 The tax commissioners biennial re- port favors such a modification of our statute as will avoid what thus vir- tua1ly becomes double taxation.
 He also favors an exemption from all inheritance taxes of property left to charitable, religious or public uses.
 I advise legislation on both these lines.
 Consolidation of Offices.
 The number of public offices in this state, appointment to which is sought mainly for the sake of the money or me far too great.
 The following changes would seem to me for the public interest:
 1. The abolition of the office of
 
 the duties attached to it to the com missioner of the bureau of labor stat- tistics, and naming him henceforth la- Dor commissioner.
 2. The abolition of the office of building and loan commissioner, and of the bank commissioners, with a transfer of the duties attached to these positions to a single bank commission CT.
 3. The abolition of the offices of commissioner of domestic animals, dairy and food commissioner, and state ornithologists and also of the creation of the office of commission s3,ooO.
 4. The abolition of the board of ex- of such of it's powers as it may be thought worth while to preserve to the state board of health.
 5. The abolition of the Connecticut and the transfer of such of its pow CTS as it may be thought worth while to preserve to the state board of health.
 s. The abolition of the Board of directors to Establish County Homes for the Care and Treatment of Per sons Suffering from Tuberculosis, and the transfer of the oversight of our afflicted with that disease to a single tuberculosis commissioner, at a salary of $2,5o0, who shall also be ex officio a member of the state board of health.
 There are now four state tubercu- loSiS homes; at Hartford, Meriden, Shelton and Norwich. The biennial report of the board of directors shows that there is no present occasion for building any other.
 Fisheries and Game
 We have three shellfish commission CTS, receiving salary of $500 each, with a clerk and engineer, besides nu- merous inferior agents. Their biennial report shows that their activities for the past year have been quite limited, and recommends restricting them still further by discontinuing the policing of oyster beds.
 If the assembly does not think proper thus to add to the powers of the commission. I should recommend it's abolition.
 If so abolished, I should recommend that the office of commissioners of fisheries and game be also abolished, and a transfer of their function, as we'll as those of the shellfish commits sioners, made to single commissioner of fisheries and game. with a salary of not less than S2,0oo. and with power to appoint necessary deputies, wardens and inspectors.
 A single commissioner would seem to be enough to look after all our fish ->H &> %>