Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-01-02

COntinued From First PaSe1
ment of conditions in the State at
large along lines that no doubt will
meet with popular, If not legislative,
approval
The Governors message in full is
as follows:
GENTLEMEN OF THE SENATE
TIVES OF THE COMMONWEALTH
OF PENNSYLVANIA:
In compliance with the law 1 beg
to make report to you of the admin
stration of the business of this Com
monwealth and to suggest such mat
ters for your consideration as expert
ence and a study of the needs of our
Commonwealth seem to require.
Since last you met, the business of
this Commonwealth has been care
fully. economically and conscieptious-
ly attended to. The several depart
ments have been devoting their best
efforts to serve in compliance with
law the whole people. The funds you
appropriated, less the amounts de-
Quoted by the Executive in order to
keep the total appropriation within
our revenues, have been devoted to
the purposes you directed and the
heads OF the several departments have
In general rendered a commendable
service to our people. It may be safe
ly stated that the business of the
people has received most prompt and
capable attention. We have steadily
held to the ideal that government
should be an agency of service. We
have given much time to the i'm
poctant matter of knowing at first
hand the needs of our eight millions
of people. These needs are multi
form and exceedingly complex Our
people have developed so many and so
varied fields of endeavor that the
task OF meeting in an effective way
the needs of our great citizenry is an
arduous one. To do this service many
departments are by the Assembly set
upsin the administrative work of the
commonwealth and the task of CO.
ordinating and interrelating these de-
partments is increasingly difficult.
This increase in the compleXity of
administrative service has been
studied by our Economy and Effic-
fency Board, together with many
groups of influential and thoughtful
citizens who have the welfare of our
people at heart, and many helpful
and suggestive plans have been form
ulated to aid in making for a larger
degree of effective service.
Our greatest asset is our peopIe.
That they may be kept in health,
properly housed, wisely educated,
happily employed, morally safeguard
ed and spiritually free are essentials
to every great enterprise that they
may in the future undertake. What
ever laws or administrative agencies
operate in Pennsylvania must secure
the largest measure of social Justice
and give the loftiest humanitarian
guidance and support to our people.
The prosperity of our whole popula-
ton is our holiest concern. We can
not be Indifferent to the cry of the
helpless infant, to the needs of the
remotest child, to the rights of the
humblest individual. The encircling
concern of the government must em-
brace with impartial care all our peo-
pie, and the ultimate aim should be
the development of that finest fruit
of government - the spirit of good
will and of cordial cooperation in
which each plans for all and all plan
for each.
We guarantee in the most sacred
covenant = our Constitution =
peace. safety and happiness" to all
within our borders. 1 shall be happy
to cooperate with you at all times
IN securing for our people such laws
and no others as will make real in
definite way this sacred obligation
to our people.
To achieve in a commanding way
the greatest good for our citizens will
lofty
patriotism, enlightened vision of our
possibilities and opportunities, and an
unswerving devotion to the welfare of
the people of Pennsylvania.
wish again to record my opinion
that We are over-lawed. We cannot
cure our social, political and econ
omic Ills alone by statutes. We must
address ourselves to the vastly more
important duty of educating our
DeODle into an H. e
liberty. respect for law, and devotion
to our national spirit. The quality
or our life is the assured measure
of our strength and efficiency. We
must never harm some for the ad-
vancement of others. We must sit
IN the councils of the State solely to
secure righteous issues and to safe
guard our common good against sor-
did or narrow minded or selfish or
panal influences and agencies whose
secret purpose Is to use the govern
ment for unworthy and unfair ends
instead of serving the government
Tor the welfare of the Commonwealth h
and the uplift and advancement of
Der citizens. We have outgrown rnanv
fhSGtments. We are prone to enact
ynAhy more that we shall speedily ont
ow: The remedy is to repeal much
tnat is no longer helpful and to enact
only those that are so clearly humane
and equitable and just as to ensure
their permanency in the guidance of
our people and in the unfolding of a
steadily advancing Commonwealth
When laws check or cheat a peonle's
Iegltimate advance they should be re-
pealed and none like them enacted. 7
urge you, therefore, as the conser-
vators OF the people, to scrutinize ALI
proposed legislation with care and
enact only the few vitality necessar nv
measures that will unquestiona hly
promote the welfare of our great
people.
From a careful study of our needs
and wide canvass of our peonle's
wishes / am constrained to urge unon
you certain matters of moment and
to request that they be given the
thoughtful consideration which their
Importance may to you seem proper
and necessary.
Natural Resources and Their
Development
Pennsylvania geographically is uni
que. Her great rivers pay no homage
to her mighty mountains. They sween
unchecked and directly to the sea