Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-01-17

Gentlemen of tho General Assembly,
In addition to the matters referred TO
in my initial message to your honor
able body 1 respectfully direct your
attention to the following subjects:
state once Building.
With tho twofold object of saving
tho State large amounts OF money paid
out for rent for quarters for State Of
fees and removing the menace OF fro
! risk from the State Library, l leased
! what is known tho Davis Hotel
property at Governor and Franklin
Streets behind the State Library Build
/ ing. with the opti>n OF purchase the
/ latter part of the present year. The
| building has been mad, habitablc. and
! most of our departments which have
been occupying rented quarters in vari
Gus parts OF the city. together with a
! number OF departments which have
! been inadcquatcly accommodated in the
| Capitol Building. are housed there, re-
/ Sulting in large annual saving TO
| the State. This building Is also occu-
| pied in part by several bureaue called
into being by war conditions, such as
the selective draft headquarters and
food administration headquarters. I
recommend the purchase OF this prop
erty under authority to be given by
your body ut the option price. with \
view to It's use for the present purposes
until such time Rs IL may seem wise
to incur the expense OF erecting n mod
ern and much needed building on this
site In the opinion OF 4 legislative
committee appointed to consider the
question, the Davis property is tho only
available and suitable site for such a
building. especially as II adioins the
State property at point where it IS
most desirable to extend the present
Library Building. and thus bring prac-
tically all State depar tments under one
roof with a common front entrance
and common heating. lighting. eleva-
tor. Waterman and 1anitor service. The
advisability OF this purchase, both for
present and future purposes, is easily
dem onstrable. The civil contingent
fund was depleted In fitting up and
furnishing tho Davis Building TO a
reasonable degree OF comfort and con-
venience. For this reason I ask an
emergency appropriation for small
| amount TO take care OF some of the
obligations Of this fund extending to
the end OF the present appropriation
year on February %.
State Insurance Riat,.
In view OF the fact that buildings
and groups Of buildings owned by the
State arc widely scattered and, there
fore, not subject 10 the risk OF 4 COM
mon fire. and in view OF the further
fact that many OF these buildings,
especially those recently con..ructed
are practically hreproof and that all
OF them are heated and lighted by
systems which have eliminated much
OF the danger which was originally
insured against, and in further view
OF the fact that the rates OF insurance
have been advancing from time TO time
and finally that the State has during
the past twenty years paid out the
| sum or &lS5.ooo in premiums while X
has collected only s5s,000 on account
OF losses-I am OF the opinion that it
would be sound policy for the State
20 inauGurate system under which
any probable loss could be met out
OF fund set apart and built up for
/ that purpose under a plan which viii
Dc submitted TO your honorable body
by committee appointed for this pur-
pose. The insurance now carried by
the State on it's buildings is merely
nominal. so that the great bulk OF risk
( is already carried by the State with
no adequate provision to meet from
any source losses in excess OF those
now insured against. Such a system
as have suggested would not involve
immediate cancellation Of policies now
in oTce. but would absorb such policies
as rapidly as the insurance fund
created by the State wo-ld permit.
Workmen'n Compensation.
I
cral Assembly OF 1916. / appointed a
| Commission on Workmcns Compensa-
/ lion. which has labored diligently and
effectively. and has ready for consid
Grafton bill! which. l trust, will meet
tho favor OF your honorable body.
adequate legislation along this line
should be accomplished ut this session.
earnestly recommend the passage
OF the uniform boiler law formulated
by the American Society Of mechanical
! Engineers.
"eat Virginia BOUNDARY.
Numerous attempts have been made
during the past forty-nve years for
a settlement of the boundary DISPUTE
| between the State OF Virginia and the
state OF west Virginia. At least twice
in the administrations OF Governor
| Walker and Of Governor Lee--comris-
SONS nave been appointed in Virginia
20 treat with similar commissions from
west virginia to se:tle this matter
" est Virginia has always refused to
act, and the true limo between the
1 County OF Hardy, in West Virginia. and
lhe counties of Frederick. Shenandoah
ana Eockinghs1n, in Virginia. has re-
/ maincd undetermined About vcor
ago the federal government purchased
iand In that territory for forest re-
! serve and bcstirred itself for a settle
ment or the boundary. 7 found an CT
OF 1885 authorizing the appointment o,
boundary commission. The attention
/ OF the Governor OF West Virginia was
directed 10 this matter by ME. with the
result That An act wao passed by tho
legislature Of that State last winter
providing for h similar commission
winch BODY wns later appointed,
named omission to act on the mar
OF Virginia Many delays have beer
experienced, due to the difficulty o.
securing a surveyor on whom both side!
could unite. but the man has now beer
secured and is at work. 1t is TO be re
Ercttcd that his report is not available
ior action at this time. but will, NJ
doubt' be presented TO the West vir
Rihla Legislature next winter
urge, for obvious reasons. tho PASS
age OF an act permitting fiduciaries I,
invest trust funds in Federal farm loa
bonds.
Military Affairs,
sincerely trust that the fact thu
me former National Guard units in IN
state OF Virginia have been called int
the military service OF the Unite
states because OF the e1igencies of wa
"iii not lead your honorable BODY +
conclude that there should be INV 70
auction in the statutory appropriatio
20 the military fund. II is even NOR