The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1921-04-05

Issues = Full Text is
Given.
Tallahassee, April 5.-The Florida
Legislature convened today in it's op
ening session. transacting only formal
business, consisting of the election OF
the speaker of the House and the
president of the senate, and listening
to the address of Governor IIardee.
Representative Frank A. Jennings
of Duval county, chosen last night in
the Democratic caucus, after a hot
contest for the speakership. was elect
ed and took his seat. Senator w. A.
MacWilliams, of St Augustine, nom
mated by the unanimous vote of the
caucus of senators last night, was for.
mally. elected president of the senate
All the members of the legislature
except two were on hand last night,
and they were expected to appear be,
fore the opening session.
Following is a complete list of sen
ate officers and attaches:
President, w. A. MacWilliams, st.
Johns; secretary, Charles A. Finley,
Columbia; assistant secretary Miss
H. y. IluiiGSs fOluSid, DHl secretary,
c. Y. Byrd, Suwannee; engrossing
secretary, left open until tomorrow
enrolling secretary. Francis Lyons,
Leon; journal secretary, w. P Cros-
by, Marion; sergeantat-arms, w. A.
Walton, Putnam; doorkeeper, Harry
jerks, Monroe; messenger, Bryan
Howard, Leon; chaplain, Rev. Bunyan
Stephens, Leon; janitor, Eugene Haw-
Ii. a. l.,1nr
Myrtice McCaskill, Taylor; assistant
reading secretary, R. Y. Walden, De-
Soto; stenographers, Miss Ella V.
Means, Alachua; Miss Aline Sledge,
Jefferson; Miss Eula Viekery, Escam.
bia; pages, Leon Woods, Taylor; Har-
ry Anderson, Gadsden; Harry Finley
son, Columbia.
The governors message, the read
ing of which occupied nearly an hour
and half, attracted the interest of
the members. 1t is described as a
comprehensive, conservative. com-
mon sense document, outlinging the
main features of the work OF the pres
ent session and constituting a val l.
able discussion of state affairs. Ii
follows in full:
Governors Address
Tallahassee, Fla. April 5.-Gent!e.
men of the Senate and House Gf Rep.
resentatives of the Florida LegiSla.
ture:
Section 9 of Article of tn" Constit
tuition is as follows:
The governor shall communicate
by message to the legislature ut each
regular session, information concern
ing the condition of the state and
recommend such measures as he
may deem expedient" In keeping
with the foregoing provision of our
constitution, 1 have the honor of sub
mitting to your consideration the fol-
lowing information, together with
such recommendations as would seem
appropriate at this time.
In a general sense, the financial
condition of the state is sound. The
state has no bonded indebtedness ex-
cept the sum of $6O1 $4,000, which
bonds are now owned by a division OF
thag state government, to.wit. the
StEtR Board Of Education.
Ebelieve the time has arrived when
we should adopt some plan for their
retirement. The fact that the bonds
are now owned by a branch of the
state government does not mean that
the state need not concern itself about
their retirement. They are, as stated
owned by the State Board of Educa.
tion, and the Constitution requires
that the funds held by said Board OF
Education shall remain inviolate, ex
cept that the interest on the fund Is
distributed to counties. The bonds
must eventually be retired, and we
should now adopt plan of retirement
which will make their payment easy
1 recommend that an act be passed
creating what might be called a Sink
ing Fund Commission, composed oil
the governor, state treasurer, attor
ney general, secretary of state, and
state superintendent of public in
struction, who shall direct the state
treasurer to open a sinking fund ac
count for the retirement of the bonds
all the interest paid by the banks OF
state deposits to be credited to this
fund. The commissioners shoulC
have the power to invest the funds II
high class bonds as it may accumulate
from year to year. And when thi!
accumulation of securities and casl
equal the bonded Indebtedness of tn,
state, then the commission should b,
clothed with the power of substitut
ing the accumulated securities ant
cash for said state bonds at which
time the state bonds may be retired
Through this method their paymen
may be easily accomplished and cal
be brought about in nine years, o
perhaps a little earlier. ~ '"''
There is another item touching tn
States financial condition. TO = whicl
feel it my duty to call your after
tion. inasmuch as appropriate actio
must be taken by your body at thi
session in order that the deficit here
matter referred to may be taken car
OF.
During the year 1920 an appropris
tion By the leeislatnre OF 1919 70