Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1917-01-19


Municipalities - Urges Solution Of
Prison and institutional Problems.
Trenton. Jan. 16.-Fpllowing is the
inaugural address Of Governor Walter
e. Edge to the one hundred and forty
first session of thes New Jersey legis-
lature:
Gentlemen of the Legislature:
/ assume the responsibilities of this
great office convinced that a governor
should not be merely an executive.
concerned chiefly with constitutional
functions or following conventional
presidents. l revere and respect the
traditions of the past, but we are now
concerned with the future. 1 conceive
It to be my most important duty to di-
rect the mobilization and encourage
the development of the assets and re-
sources of the state and to improve
New Jerseys social. economic and In
dustrial conditions.
/ believe 1t will be possible. with
your earnest cooperation, to effect at
least five of the big legislative accom-
plishments this year.:
Ffrst.-A thorough reorganization of
u road department, including a mod
ern state highway system.
Second.-Home rule for our cities to
that degree which is permissible u
der the constitution and consistent
with sound government.
Third.-The increase in the franchise
tax on public utilities companies, as
provided in u platform.
Fourth.-Additional consultations of
state departments or boards or other
activities In the interest of greater
economy and increased efficiency.
Fifth.-A solution. officially Endorsed
and officially authorized. for our prison
and institutional problems, so that the
way may be paved absolutely for gen
uine penal and institutional reform
through feasible development of the
state use system and colony idea.
My hope as well is that a business
government may become a reality and
not remain a mere campaign slogan
uldLtdlhCN. VIZ hhdfC PiCOSCu W Inc
people of New Jersey that accepted
business principles shall direct our
course rather than precedent or parti-
sansh1p. 7nsy accepted our repre-
sensations In no uncertain terms, and,
gentlemen. they must not be disap-
pointed.
Little additional legislation is requir-
ed at the moment in order to prove
our good intentions in this particular
respect.
OF course | urge the further consoli-
dalton of departments in the interest
of concentrated responsibility. co-ordi-
nation of cognate functions and sound
economy. and in further messages. as
/ deem necessary. ! shall urge specifi-
cally such legislation. In passing per
init me in this connection to draw your
attention to the Passaic valley sewer
age commission | believe such of its
responsibilities as are still existent
could be transferred TO the state health
department or to the north Jersey wa
ter supply commission, created to deal
with a related subject in the same sec
ton, and the state thereby saving thou
sands annually in salaries and receiy.
ing the benefit of more concentration
of authority. The Passaic valley sew
erage commission was established
about fifteen years & and by devils
ing and f%urthering a practicable solu-
ton for the sewerage problem in the
Passaic valley it has served the basic
purpose for which it was created.
Then there are the appraisers or agents
employed in each county to carry out
the work of taxing the transfer of
decedents' property. 1t occurs to me
that the county surrogates, through
whose hands all such estates must pass
finally, could very easily do the work
of these special agents, thus a~bolishing
t~wenty-three offices, saving expense
and simplifying the system of collect
ing our inheritance tax.
But today we have various important
consultations which should command
our immediate attention from the
standpoint of careful and energetic ad-
ministration and prove the possibility
of a business government. We also
have a state budget law. We have a
central purchasing bureau act. Obvi-
ously it is our immediate duty to go
ahead and administer these laws that
we already have, so that their opera
ton will be effective and the result
will be a thorough business admins
t%ration, affecting as they do practical
ly every department of the government
of our state. All law is ~valueless with
out enforcement.
1.-THE governor then went on to de-
scribe his ideas of a business govern
ment. He said the governor should be
the business manager, the legislature.
the board of directors, and the people
the Stockholders.
Exercise Of Jersey citize nship.
If we are tc transform a purely polit-
heal government into a real business