Norwich bulletin., 1919-01-09

supply plenty of shad and salmon IN
their season, and our inland lakes and
ponds can be made to produce excel
lent food fish.
Our Fish and Game Commission be-
feve they can get satisfactory and
profitable results if given the oppor-
tunity. Little can be accomplished
without sufficient appropriation, and any
appropriation is useless without sup
plementing it by ample protective laws
strictly enforced. 1t is useless to make
an appropriation for lobster propaga-
ton and allow the Holsters to be in
discriminatory trapped before reaching
the stage of reproduction, or to appro-
pirate for shad propa cation and pass
| laws which permit all of them to be
caught before they reach their spawn
ing grounds in our rivers
The commission claims that the
/ $4,000 yearly appropriation for FISH
propagation is insufficient and it is
small when compared with $4,000 ap-
/ propriated by Maine. or $21, 900 BIZ New
! Hampshire, or $4,000 by Massachu-
sets, or $9,824 appropriated by Yer
mont which has no seacoast. What
| ever is worth doing at all is worth do
| ing well. Is it snot advisable if we
make any appropriation to make ons
| sufficient to demonstrate whether our
| waters can be made to produce de-
| sirable food fish in profitable quanti
! ties. If it shall appear that it cannot
| be done we should cease appropriations
! for it and content ourselves with the
roach, pickerel and bull heads which
are indigeous to our streams, lakes
| and ponds.
| State Finances.
| During the two years last past on
State has been compelled to meet IN
| usual expenses. The cost of main
tanning our insane hospitals with some
1000 inmates has greatly increased
because of the increased cost of fuel
food. clothing and labor. The same
is true of our School for Boys, our
Industrial School for Girls, our Re
formatory, and all other institutions
supported by the State. To this has
been added the amount expended upon
our Home Guard, the amount ex-
pended by our Council of Defense, the
cost of the buildings for the feeble
minded at Mansfield. the establishment
of the Connecticut State Farm for Wo-
men. the separation allowances for SOL
diers' dependents, and other expens
es which were larger than in norm
al tins, but all of our obligations have
been paid and our State finances are
|
The 1915 General Assembly provided
for a sinking fund to pay off our State
bonds of the n1atured. and that $500
, 600 each year be added to it
In my message to the 1917 Genera
Assembly I recommended that three
million dollars be transferred from the
civil list fund to the sinking FUND,
, which was done. At the end of the
, fiscal year ending September 30tiN
e
was $11, 920, 002.54. On the 3oth day o.
September, 1918, we had sufficient
amounts in our sinking fund and civil
, list fund to pay this Indebtedness and
, leave a surplus of S642,51229 which Is
, I an Improvement in the financial con
t dition of the State in, three years Of
$12, 562, 5T4S5 and is the first time the
State Treasury has shown a surplus
, since 1907. -
recommend that s6,Ooo,ooo be
, transferred from the civil list fund to
the sinking fund. I think this would
be very satisfactory to those who
have paid taxes which made possible
this encouraging financial showing and
! would give assurance that the sinking
fund would be sufficient to pay off our
bonds as they mature. If this trans
: fer is made it will leave S2025,0T6 in
I the civil list fund and is sufficient for
, the needs of the State until added to
t in the regular course of business.
State Board of Finance.
> The 1915 General Assembly provided
for a State Board of Finance consist
v ing of the Treasurer, the Compttollez.
l and the Tax Commissioner ex of6cfo
r and three electors to be appointed by
the governor. This board has llea:
ings upon all items of appropriations,
e asked for by institutions supported
f wholly or in part by the State, tabu-
Q lates the items and reports the same
v to the General Assembly. with their
v recommendations. 1t was the adoption
: for the business of the State of the
Q same intelligent methods which are
+ adopted by successfullv conducted p-i-
= vate business enterprises, and results
2 in intelligent and economical action or
= financial appropriations by the Gen
s eral Assembly. This board devotes &
considerable time between the sessions OF
the Gnral Assembly and thus accumu
. lats information as to institutions
needing State aid.
| The three electors on this board each
receives $500 for his services, which IS
: a very small compensation for tie time
- they devote to the duties of the board
The General Assemblies of 1915 and
, / 1917 made commendable records foI
= | efficiency and economy, and I trust
y that you will make a record as good o,
= better. The obvious way to expedite
: business is to dispose of it as it is pre-
scented as promptly as is consistent
with it's due consideration.
Ir I had more time to prepare this
= message 7 might have included othe,
!, matters, but I will do so late~ il II
- seems to me to be necessary
( MARCUS H. HOLCOMB
@ Governor