Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1921-01-06

I
| be embodied in the Indiana law and I
recommend it to you for your consider
alton.
Numerous complaints have come to
! the executive that some Of the railroads
] In the State along whose lines industries
! have been located under nominal rental,
| have been. at the termination of tho
| leasehOld period, exacting unfair rentals
| from those who in good faith have 10
Gated upon their lines and spent large
sums of money in the erection of perma-
! nent improvements.
The railroads should receive fair com
pensatiOn for the property furnished
| these industries, but they should not
be allowed to take advantage Of the
| situation and exact unfair rentals
I recommend that law be passed Civ
ing to the Public Service Commission
| the right, upon petition filed, to fix a
| fair rental value for the property used
| by such Industries.
! If this General Assembly should an
| prove the joint resolutions now pending.
/ submitting to the voters of the State
! certain amendments to the constitution, it
| Is exceedingly important that they be
/ considered before the next general cleo
J ton. Among these are amendments max
ing all state and county offices fOur-year
/ offices.
REGISTRATION REQUIRED
/ IN ONLY FEW COUNTIES.
! The amendment authorizing the Cen
| era! Assembly to classify counties for
/ registration purposes would make 1t
/ necessary to require registration in only
! a few counties in the State.
In the past constitutional amendments
/ have largely been lost sight Of in the
| interest OF a general election
| l recommend. therefore. that the ioint
/ resolutions passed by this General As
I sembly be submitted to the voters Of In
dlana at special election to be held
| during this year and suggest that the
! date fixed be upon the date Of the u1unici
! pal elections throughout the State.
! Nowhere in this message have I recon-
mended legislation in the interest of anv
particular class Labor and capital Dro-
/ Queer and consumer are so closely bound
| together by the ties Of common citizen
/ snip and common interest that you
! cannot tnjure one without injuring all.
| and anything that helps one will be of
| benefit to the whole people
| We must inevitably all go up or down
| together. While having in mind the just
/ ness Of the demands of a particular class
| you will yet consider it in the end from
| the viewpoint Of its effect upon all the
| people.
In this, my last message to the Cen
eraI Assembly, l am constrained to an
; expression Of judgment as regards tho
structure and organization of our State
/ government as a whole.
state government in modern times ia
Z
sesses vast property interests It has
large and complex financial problems IT
/ is constantly faced with a multitude of
Important business questions. The adj
IHlAlstraClon OF the States business and
/ the IuncuonlnE Of the various admins
I tratlve agencies demand economy and
efficiency just as fully as does any prf-
yate business or Industrial enterprise
1et the structure Of our State govern
/ ment, the organization Of the executive
ana administrative machinery upon which
( economy efficiency and service to tha
/ public depend. is outgrown and obsolete .
II cannon junction properly or effectively
. mere is a more or less widespread be
! LEI, merely because the people vote "A
rect!y Tor and elect a large number
! pubic officials, that thereby a democra ~
Lorih OF government is being maintaint
ana that the people actually control thei4.
0Hlcers aud their government In the
/ light OF actual experience and extended
! observation and analysis such q belief
Is unfOunded.
The facts are that by the direct e,ac-
tion Of large number Of independents
administrative officials the nnhiic
actually loses control of its afairs
through the multiplicity Of Administered
i've agencies, and even though the peO-
pie do elect their officers it couuot trilth-
fully be said that they control them.
Inc work of large number Of elected
puOHc OfTlcerS and boards cannot pos.
sl0iy be subjected to continuous public
scrutiny.
The real test of whether the people
actually control their government ia
round IN the measure of service rendered
to the people
In the not distant future Indiana must
race reorganization of its government
4 believe IN simplifed form of State
government. Elective offices, the duties
OF which Tor the most part are admin
istrattve, should be abolished A large
number Of State board should be elm
mated and the various functions of
such officers and boards should be con-
sOlldated In q few State departments
which are responsible to the chief exec
utiye. The acts Of the Governor of the
state are under the constant and criti-
cal scrutiny Of the public. He is d.
rectly responsible to the people. He is
charged with the failures in practically
all matters Of State administration, al
though under our present governmental ,
organization he Is without authority to
act in many instances, where he is now
held responsible 1t is my frank opinion
that more and better service can be rem
dered and that the public will more ef-
fectively control their own affairs If the
executive and administrative functions
of our State government are centered In
the Governor and in the State depart
ments responsible to him than can ever
be possible with the present division OF
authority.
URGES OFFICERS TO
CHECK DEPARTMENTS.
I take some pride in the beginning
made in this direction during my ad-
ministration. There should be an in
dependent official directly elected by the
people whose duty it would be to audit
and check the work of the administra-
tive departments, but aside from this
check no other is necessary. These sug-
gestions are not new or revolutionary.
They involve no departure from the sys-
TEN Of checks and balances conceived
and instituted by the founders of our
Government.
a return to the Federal system instituted
by the fathers a gathering of the
loose ends of executive and adminiStra-
tive authority that have been suffered to
drift away from any direct responsibility
to the public in so many of our Stale
governments. We want nothing new,
but we do want to revive the basic viz
tue of the old.
As I meet with you for the last time.
I am impressed by and thankful for the
fact that so many members Of the Gen
eral Assemblies of 1917 and 1919 are
members Of this Assembly.
The record Of 1917 and 1919 has been
one Of pledges kept and promises full
filled. 1t is not surprising that you
have been given vote of confidence by
the people you served SO well. The per
sonnet of the General Assemblies Of the
past four years has been high and am
sure that this can be said Of the present
General Assembly. l am not afraid
to trust the legislative machinery Of the
State in your hands. The interests Of
the people will be secure in your keeping,
for | know that you will bring to the
discharge of your duties honest, earnest
endeavor moved by no consideration save
that of the public welfare. The peopl9
sometimes do require OF US impossible
things, but they do rightfully demand