The Penn's Grove record., 1914-01-23
GOvERNORHE[DERS
INAUGURAL ADDRESS
Takes Oath Of Office as New
Jerseys Chief Executive in
Taylor Opera House
REVIEWS STREET PARADE

Trenton.-James Fairman Fielder
of Jersey City, was inaugurated Gov
ernor OF New Jersey In impressive
manner in Taylor Opera House, and
after being dined at the Hotel Sterling
reviewed q great street parade from
q stand In front of the Capitol. The
invocation was offered by the Rev
William M. Curry, pastor Of the
Fourth Presbyterian Church, and the
oath of office was given by William
S. .Gummere, Chief Justice of the
Supreme Court.
The benediction was pronounced by
the Rev. Joseph A. Mulry, President
of st. Peters College, Jersey City.
Governor Fielder's inaugural adj
dress was as follows:
Gentlemen of the Senate and General
Assembly:
Taking advantage of that provision
of our Constitution which employers
the Governor, whenever he considers
1t necessary, to communicate to the
Legislature the condition of the State
and to recommend such measures as
he may deem expedient, and follow
ing the custom of incoming Governors
to deliver an inaugural message, |
submit for your consideration certain
matters which | believe of interest to
the people Aof our State. 1t is unnec-
essary to refer now to all subjects
which will or should be brought to
your attention at this session, and it
Is my purpose to speak only of those
which appear to be of pressing i'm
portance, r~eserving other matters for
future messages.
/ am much concerned that this ses-
sion shall be marked with care, de-
liberation and earnest thought, so that
hasty and ill-considered legislation
shall not be enacted. Too many bills
are introduced of not the slightest i'm
portance to the State at large and too
many unnecessary and defective laws
are enacted each year. N~otwithstand-
ing the constitutional limitation
against special legislation, / venture
" dSoCIL ludt IWO-tnlluo "a Jul laws dAC
passed to meet special cases or to
serve special purposes. At last years
sessions, nearly fourteen hundred bills
were introduced, of which about four
hundred became laws. While it is the
duty of each member to serve the
people of his county by endeavoring
to secure legislation for their benefit,
it is also his duty to the State not
to clog the processes of legislation
with useless suggestions in the form
of bills or to attempt to secure special
advantages for those who should be
governed by general laws. The proof
of a legislators capacity and useful
ness is not to be found in the great
number of bills he may introduce and
pass, but rather in the quality of the
few which bear his name. Each mem
Der should carefully scan and consider
all bills offered to him for introduc-
ton and he should have the courage
and good sense to refuse those he
knows canno or should not become
laws. / am informed that not so many
years ago, legislative bills were not
printed at State expense, but that each
member paid for the printing of his
own bills. II that were still the rule,
I could easily imagine that neither the
volume of bills introduced, nor the
laws enacted, would be so large.
One of the evils of legislation has
been due to the introduction and pas
sage of bills up to the closing hours
of the session, when in the attendant
rush and excitement, imperfectly pre-
pared and improper legislation has
been enacted. The Governor has only
five days within which to consider
bills after they reach his office and he
cannot give time for consideration that
he would wish, to the mass of passed
bills thrown at him at the conclusion
of a session. In these days the veto
power is not considered a sufficient
barrier against improper legislation,
and the failure Of legislators to act
with elaboration, thought and good
Judgment, has helped to produce a
distrust of legislative bodies, result
ing in the suggestion of various de-
vices and expedients to curb and limit
their action.
With these thoughts in mind, | COM
mend your proposition to limit the
time for Introduction of bills and
to require that a reasonable pc
Rod shall elapse between their intro
duction and consideration, as also the
provision l understand you are to
make for a legislative reference bu-
reau and for a legal adviser, who
shall prepare and criticise bills. The
adoption of these remedies for check
ing the evils of which / have spoken,
entaihng but slight expense, indicates
your desire for safe and sane legisla-
ton and merits general approval.
Our State expenditures have increas-
ed from year to year, in consequence
Of our growth in population and the
natural placing Of heavier burdens
upon our departments and institutions.
This increase in expenditures has
been met by a gain in income, but
the difficulty which has confronted
preceding administrations is that our
income has not kept pace with the
demands made upon it. We must hus-
band our resources, exercise a more
careful watch over our outlay and see
that each dollar expended brings its
full return to the State. There Is a