Carson City daily appeal. [volume] (Carson City, Nev.) 1907-1930, 1915-01-19
State OF Nevada,
Executive Departmeu,

Carson City, January lS, l9l5
To the Honorable the Senate and As
s2cmb.y.
In accordance with the provisi 1us
oi the State Constitution, | have the
honor to submit herewith report ~
the conditions OF the State, together
with my recommendations Tor such
measures as appear To me necessar!
to the proper conduct of our affairs
and to the promotion of the public
welfare.
Your honorable bodies enter upon
your duties at time OF industrial
dcprcs ssion, resulting from conditions
over which none OF us can exercise
control. The people OF Nevada, while
suffering to an appreciable extent
i,Sm this general disturbance, are
still to be congratulated on having
thus lar enjoyed during one OF tbs
most trying periods i'll the world :
history, a degree of prosperity whlch
would have been impossible i'll anv
commonwealth not richly endowel /
with natural resources and not COM
prising a citizenship of unusual cour-
age and energy.
In times OF financial stress private
business is quick to respond to a de-
mand for retrenchment, but the same
cannot always be said OF puolic busl-
ness. There will be no argument ad-
duccd in this message that the eff
cheney of any branch OF our govern
mcnt, which, in the judgment OF the
people, is needful i'll our system Of
public service, should be impaired; ;
but it becomes my duty to call to your
attention in no uncertain terms that
a general and insistent demand exists
for the exercise of the same business
prudence in the conduct of the State ;
Affairs which the times demand in the
conduct Of the private enterprises to
Nlrch the State must look for its sup
port.
Apart from the luctuating CONNER
eal conditions affecting our general
prosperity, we must not lose sighi
of the fact that our problem in Ne
vada is peculiar. We have a State OF
vast area. approximately 10000
square miles; our population is the
lowest OF any State in the Union and
does not today exceed 10000 people.
We are State OF small and isolated
communities. These conditions ~
themselves place an unusually heavy
burden upon our taxpayers. We are
entitled to enjoy all the advantages
flowing from a good and modern gov
ernment, and we are too progressive
IT, acccos less from G"r govercire t
than progressive people are demand
ing elsewhere. But our public ser
wants must realize that the very nd-
turc OF things here requires OF them
an unusual degree Of consideration
for those upon whom the cost OF gov
crnmcnt falls.
The executive branch Of the Stare
Government is pie lged - the pcOi {
to exercise it's best efforts in holding
expenditures for state purposes 10 the
lowest figure consistent with proper
service. entertain no fear that the
legislative Department will fail t.
cooperate patriotically with the Exec
utiVc III the redemption OF this pledge
Reorganization of the Legislature
The cost OF each recent regular leg
islativc session to the State has been
III the ueighborhood OF $4,000.
There is no question III my m.nd
but that this session OF your honor.
able body should be marked by a sue-
sl3ultial r1 duction in TN. expense.
The system employed i'll the past
oi handling the clerical work OF the
legislature should be abolished b.
immediate action OF your honorable
bodies on the sufficient grounds that
il is obsolete. inefficient, costly. and
liable To introduce dangerous crrors
into the laws.
The creation OF modern organic.
alton TO perform the clerical work %
this session, designed with the para
mount idea of obtaining efficiency a
the minimum cost to the State
should be your first official act, il yo:
are 10 serve your own best interest:
as well as the best interests OF th'
public.
You are also respectfully urged Z
take positive action III reapportion
ing your membership TO effect a sub
stantial reduction in the number o
representatives in the two houses
NJ the present time, Nevada has on,
representative in the Legislature fo
each 100 OF her population, and on
representative for each 800 voters
mot including recently franchisec
women voters). This appears to m'
disproportionatc. and it is hoped thu
you will patriotically undertake tn'
task OF cutting your membership il
future sessions to the lowest numbei
consistent with proper service to- You
constituents.
The unsatisfactory condition OF III,
States finances as we'll as the genera
business depression existing through
out the country demand that some
thing more than the average consd