Newark post., 1915-01-13

perform those duties which are de-
fined by the Constitution of the
State, and it becomes my duty to
present for your consideration such
information and recommendations
concerning the affairs Of the State
as will enable you to properly per-
form the Legislative functions with
which you are charged. | bespeak
your indulgence, to offer some sug-
gestions which seem proper to pre-
sent to you at this time. The best
interests of your constituents will
be served by cordial cooperation
of the members Of both Houses,
each with the other. This spirit
should exist regardless Of the fact
that different political parties are
represented in the composition of
the membership Of your respective
bodies. The session of a General
Assembly which is productive of the
greatest benefit to the people of a
state is generally the one at which
the least, not necessarily the most
laws are enacted. In order to fa-
cilitate the proper transaction of
the business Of the session you
should select, as early as circum-
stances will admit, a definite date
designating the time after which
new legislation shall not be intro
duced.
An important feature of your
work at this session should be the
adoption Of legislation to correct
and amend a number of defective
laws now upon the statute books.
whereby the intent and meaning of
these measures may be more clearly
understood and their provisions
rendered more effective. By pro-
ceeding promptly to the considera-
tion Of the legislation which may
be presented to you, the business
OF the session can be expedited and
the necessity for prolonging the
session beyond the limit of time
prescribed by the Constitution
avoided. To accomplish this your
committees should give prompt
and dlligent attention to all bills
which may be introduced, and so
far as possible your Committee
work should be performed during
the evenings, or at such other times
as will not interfere with the full
attendance of the members upon
the regular sessions of their re-
spective bodies.
| extend to each one of YOU a
cordial greeting and warm welcome
and the assurance that I shall at all
times be at your service to render
you such assistance as it NAV be
proper for the Executive to f,lr-
nish.
STATE FINANCES AND APPROPRIA-
TIONS
The General Assembly, at the
session of 1913, allowed several ex-
traordinary appropriations which
have obliged the State Treasurer to
pay out during the past two years
more money than that official has
customarily been required to pay
heretofore during the same period
of time. These appropriations, to-
gether with the expenses incurred,
and the appropriations made by
the extra session of the General
Assembly in October last, together
with other unforeseen occurrences,
render it imperative that you
should be intelligently informed at
the commencement Of this session
concerning the resources which will
accrue and the disbursements re-
quired to be made during the
years 1915-1916, before you pass
any appropriation bills. Having
these matters in mind and in order
that you may be fully informed re-
garding these affairs, | have had
an accountant prepare for my in
formation and your guidance
financial statement taken from the
books Of the State Treasurer. (In
this connection / desire to acknow-
ledge the valuable and cooperative
assistance rendered by the State
Treasurer and his deputy.) From
this financial statement I have had
prepared printed excerpts which
will be placed before the members
OF your respective bodies, for the
purpose of advising you in a con-
densed form what will be approx
mately the resources and fixed dis
bursement for the years 1915-1916.
1t is my wish lin which I hope
you will concur) that you prompt
ly appoint either joint committee
from your respective Houses, or
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