Potosi journal., 1915-01-13

State Of Missouri. Executive Depart.
ment, City of jefferson. Jan. 6, 1915.
To the Senate and House OF Repre-
sentatives OF the Forty-eighth Gen
eral Assembly:
Article 5 Of the constitution Of Mis-
souri among other things provides,
''the governor shall. from time to time,
give to the general assembly informa-
ton relative to the state of the gov
ernment. and shall recommend to its
consideration such measures as he
shall deem necessary and expedient."
As chief executive of the common
wealth l have no political or partisan
measures to present. The governor
Of q commonwealth should have none.
The people Of the commonwealth
have been given a good. clean public
service. The record has been written
and can speak for itself. The great
masses Of the people. irrespective Of
political parties, In every section Of
the state. are satisfied with the labOrs
of the administration. In handling
the states affairs it Is purely mat
ter Of business on the one hand and
tho securing of constructive and pro-
gressive legislation on the other.
There are many things which pur-
pose to present in this message for
the consideration Of the legislature,
subjects which the Democratic, Re-
publican and Progressive parties have
each declared in favor Of in their
state platforms, and to which I shall
later refer: The departments created
by the last legislature. in each in
stance. took the place of some depart
ment which was abolished. The pub
lie service commission act abolished
the railroad and warehouse commits
sion, the board of pardons and pa
roles abolished the pardon attorney
and his department., and the highway
commissioner supplanted the state
highway engineer.
state Finances.
One Of the important matters in the
conduct Of the states affairs is the
condition Of its finances. 1t will be
news Of public interest to know that
during my administration we paid
debts made by the preceding adminis-
tration In 1911 and 1912 and left un.
paid In the sum of S622,572.33. My
administration had nothing to do with
the making of this Indebtedness. but
was called upon to pay and did pay
the same. The appropriations made
for the biennial period which closed
ON the 31st of December. 1914
amounted to $12,384.14264. A large
amount of this sum, however. was
merely paper liabilities which were
not expected to be called for. and
which were not called for, as it repre-
scented appropriations made solely and
purely to meet contingencies which
might possibly arise, but which did
not arise. The revenues for the same
period amounted to $1O.7OO.616.23. The
states indebtedness for transactine
its business in every department dur
ing the biennial period just closed and
presented for payment amounted te
$7.3OO,54825 Each and every claim
was paid promptly. and there is now
on hands a balance of $534,944.13.
Management Of state Institutions.
Some of the state hospitals for the
insane have industrial training depart
ments. and are conducting same with
benefit and profit. Each institution
has improved its system and appa
TAtus for treatment of patients.
state Purchasing Board.
l will suggest. however, that 8
splendid service can be rendered The
institutions and the state by having &
state purchasing board for all institu
tions and departments.
The Blind.
The state supports the Missouri
School for the Blind. located in st
Louis. which has an attendance o.
more than 100 pupils. The state.
obligations to the blind do not cease
when it has furnished them with al
eight or IL years course of study ant
training. but the duty still rests upoI
It to see that the training and educa
tion given the blind is turned to use
ful labor.
Contract Labor.
The last legislature took initia
steps looking to the solution of tn,
question Of the employment Of tn,
2.400 men and women confined in th'
state penitentiary. 1t proposed Il
abolish the contract system and sub
>~~~<~eo~~.es~ser
Fort Worth Metal Workers Strike.
Fort Worth. Tex.-Thirty sheet met
al workers struck here for increase il
wages Of so cents per day. They ar.
now receiving $3.50 and IS. per day
The contractors declare they are II