New Britain herald., 1920-01-08
GOVERNOR COOLIDGE
 READS HIS MESSAGE
Advocates Moderation and Fair
 Treatment for All

of the law giving aid to mothers, in creasng educational facilities, fair treatment for public officers of the law, ntinuation of the state mil ltla, recognition for war veterans and general moderation in all things. Int governors address follows: ] Members of the General Court: The past always limits and directs ! the future. Recent years have been marked by much change and great 1 progress. It has been a time reQuir- i ing great effort. To discharge para mount duties great obligations have ! been incurred. During the past year 1 the constitution of the common 1 wealth has been revised The entire executive administration has been re- l organized. A fcrty-eight hour week l has been established. The problems , of reconstruction have been solved. Disloyal speech and action has been prohibited. Profiteering has been curbed. Transportation has been re- iievcd. \ great forward step has been taken in education. No one year has | ever witnessed like accom- plishments. | Considered as a whole it has been 1 stupendous. The commitm ents of the 1 comm onwealth n.Cst be met, the var- 1 ous departments supported and strengthened, the public security
 
 ment must continue to grow, but new enterprises should be undertaken only in case of the most urgent public ne ceSS1ty. In general, it is a time to conserve, to retrench rather than to reform, time to stabilize the admin istration of the present laws rather
 than to seek new legislation. Not law, but perseverance and patience. It is not to be understood that ad- ditional legislation will never be re- quired. The future will require it.
 But it is the present that must be considered. This commonwealth is
 less in need of new laws than ever be-
 fore. The greatest benefit you can
 confer is the speedy making of neces-
 sary appropriations, adjustment of
 some details. and adjournment. This
 is not criticism The completeness of
 the laws reflects the ability and ac-
 com plishments of the general court.
 You can display greater wisdom
 than by resisting proposals for need less legislation.
 Economy.
 It is not a policy of recession that is proposed but a policy of conserva-
 ton. All progress is the result of
 economy. In this the government
 ought always to lead. At a time of
 national peril economy has a differ F ent meaning than at q, time of secur- Sits-. We have enco uttered and over ~ come oufS peril. But there is a ten dercy to%n6aintain tho same lavish
 expenditure. Government expenses
 must now be reduced from a war to
 a peace basis.
 This must be done in the first place
 because the resources with which to
 meet taxation are dangerously near
 the noiot of ovhaI1Stj0n There 3
 limit to the taxing power of a state
 beyond which increased rates produce
 decreased revenue. If that be ex-
 ceeded intangible securities and other
 personal property become driven out of
 it's jurisdiction, industry cannot meet
 it's less burdened competitors and no
 capital will ge found for eniarging old
 or starting new enterprises. Such a
 condition means first stagnation, then
 decay and dissolution. There is be-
 fort us a danger that our resources
 may be taxed out of existence and
 our prosperity destroyed.
 f. Another and most important con- sideration, a fact that cannot be con- troverted, is that taxes have to be paid by the public. They cannot be imposed on any class. There is no power that can prevent a distribution of the burden. The landlord may be the one who sends a check to the public treasury. but his tenants, i nevertheless make the payment. great manufacturer may contribute 1 a large share of his income but still ] the money comes from the consumer. I Taxes must and do fall on the people l in whatever form or name they are
 laid. There is no other source rich l enough powerful, enough to meet ! the public requirements. It is use- i less to delude ourselves, and fraud- | ulent to attempt to delude others, l with the claim that the public reve- | nues are can be derived from any ! source save the people emselves. | Property cannot long be taxed. It 1 can be confiscated. Ultimately it is | always the user of property that is | taxed. Tn ssachusetts the users of 1 the property are the people. The 1 taxes are paid by the people.
 It is impossible to escape the con- l clusion that high taxes make high
 prices. So long as the cost of gov ! crnment is high the cost of living l will be high. This is usually a source of misunderstanding and always 6 source of discontent The duty that l government now owes to the people ! is to reduce their burdens by paying i off the obligations that came from the | war rather than imposing additional
 burdens for the support of new i projects. The comm monwealth- needs a
 double portion of the civilizing inhu- ] ence of conservation and economy.
 Having met our war obligation to pay, 1 let us meet our peace obligation to l