The Penn's Grove record., 1915-01-15
GOV. F|ELDERS
ANNUAL MESSAGE
STATE OF NEW JERSEY,
Executive Department.
Trenton, January IL, 1915

Assembly:
But few differences of importance
can be discovered in the platforms
adopted by OUT, two great political lar
mes at their recent conventions, and
therefore, in fulfilling pledges it should
not be found difficult for party repre-
~sentatives to work in harmony. Mem
bers of both parties must realize tina
the election Is over, and that they are
now units of a legislative body, whose
aim should be to secure by co-opera
ton the best results from it's session
and it should make no difference in
action that one party did or did moi
make a specific promise upon any par
ticular subject. The honest desire tC
Mve up to his oath of Office is the sole
motive which should actuate each
member. /, therefore, look to the
members of both parties to redeem
their party promises, and l ask thai
each shall aid and not hinder the other
in so doing. You may be sure of my
assistance in all legislation for the
good of u people.
The few subjects to which l propose
to direct your attention nearly all
come under the head of unfinished
business, and are mainly of a financial
nature. The first relates to the re
organization or consolidation of State
boards and commissions with a view
to economy and a higher degree OF
efficiency in operation. A special in.
vestigation of this subject was hardly
necessary to convince anyone who has
had experience with our State govern
ment that commissions and depart.
ments have increased beyond necessi
ty and reason, and the mere calling at.
tention by Governor Wilson in his
message of 1912 to the wasteful man.
ner in which the government was be.
ing conducted should have been stuff
cient to produce a remedy. A CON.
mission recommended by that message
to study the subject has presented two
reports, and as its investigations are
not yet concluded, a further report
may be expected at this session.
The annual report of the State Board
Of Equalization of Taxes, recently filed
with me, shows an increase of over
seventy-five million dollars in the to-
tai valuation of property for taxation,
exclusive Of the stocks of banks and
trust companies and railroad prop.
erty, and that, Notwithstanding this
increase in valuation, the average tax
rate Of our municipalities is twenty
seven points higher than last year. I
know that the great majority of our
citizens are willing to bear their lust
share of the fair cost of government,
but they rightfully object to excessive
expenses and inequality in assessment.
The attention of Legislatures has fire.
quently been called to high and in
creasing tax burdens, and I venture
to refer to the subject again and to
reiterate by opinion that the diff
Guilty is largely due to the unwise and
improper method of selecting asses
sors and to the fact that in many in
stances the compensation they receive
Is insufficient to secure the services
OF competent men. The choice of as
SCISSORS by election usually brings
them and their Office into politics.
We shall never obtain relief unless
we clean up the source of the trouble.
and renew my recommendations that
assessors be no longer elected, but be
appointed under Civil Service rules
for accnCen0nDf dic{ ~ +1s fIoA 49,. l.
paid proper salaries; that their assess
ments be made under uniform rules
to be prepared by some higher tax
authority; that their tax lists be open
to inspection before confirmation, and
that some appellate board be given
power to hear appeals from the vaIua-
ton proposed, after which the tax lists
may be finally made up and filed.
I have been strongly opposed to leg
islation which compels municipal ex-
penditure for higher salaries or for
any other purpose without requiring
the consent of municipal governing
bodies. I am not satisfied with legis-
lation of this character, even when it
provides that the act shall remain in
operative until accepted by popular
vote, unless in the first instance it
gives the right and imposes the duty
upon governing bodies of approving
the proposed expenditure. Those
charged with the administration OF
municipal affairs should know best
how the taxpayers money should be
expended, and the responsibility for
deciding should be placed upon them
before referSing it to the people for
their approval.
The law has compelled me to call
special elections in two Congressional
districts because of vacancies occur
ring therein, in neither of which any
real necessity existed for filling the
vacancy. A special election entails
great expense, and it is impossible to
the interest of the voters when
the election is of no particular conse-
quence. In neither of the cases to
which I have referred would I have