The independent. [volume] (Elizabeth City, N.C.) 1908-1936, 1923-01-12
MORRISON REDEEMING
PROMISES TO THE EAST
His Message To The General Assembly Stress
es Eastern Carolina's Fisheries and Trans
portation Needs-Other News of the
General Assembly
BY o. ]. COFFIN
SpeciaI Raleigh Correspondent of
The Independent.

Legislature SelS llO Ids'c VI
his blood, is going to break a
precedent and bend two legisla-
lures to his bidding. NotGov-
ernor within the memory OF
nost-Neolithic man has done
that. and it isn't plumb certain
that the present occupant OF
the Governors office will do
so.-if the legislature should
once get the flavor of gore ON
its chops he'll have to throw
babies to the wolves as fast as
ever did any of his predeces-
sors if he would save his bacon.
But Cam is nothing if not courage
bus. His nerve is so colossal that
il will be difficult TO get anybody to
lock horns with HIM. Even his pro-
rosal for state-Owneb steamship
lines and port terminalS-which II
Won ask us seems to be prohibited by
the Constitution unless the money to
pay its way is voted by the people
of North Carolina in person at the
rolls-waS received by the Assembly
Yesterday in joint session ithOut turn
.ng hair.
Some of the veterans were heard
to remark that they hoped it was
practical using a tone which led one
to believe that they did not see how
II could be made so; but the rank
and file listened with fervor almost
and there were many converts with
accompanying professions of faith.
Probably the most characteristic tav-
orable reaction to this declaration Of
war by the Governor on high freight
'r;stes,-raiFrostIss and. eVcF rt!Ie-- -iHsS:r-
state Commerce Commission if that
body gets in the way, was expressed
bv a more or less innocent byStandcr
without vote who said:
I'm convert. 1t looks like a
pretty good gamble to me to stake
two million dollars on the welfare Of
the whole of eastern North Carolina
and see what happens
A Good State Paper.
Governor Morrison's message.
which was delivered at high noon.
as the society editors say. Tuesday
before a joint session or the House
and Senate. was unquCStiOnably his
best state paper up to this time. 1t
compares with fayorably. for that
matter. with any other Governor :
State papers. With the dominant
note Of the session so far cncOnOmy
and caution. he beat the charge.
Not that ne hasn't rcviSsd his
financial views 50 as to provide for
the retirement Of bonds. He has. and
ne proposed sinking funds for all
bonds 10 be issued and an increase
in gasoline taxes 10 see that the in
creased expenses be met; but he
boldly asserted that the Legislature
Of two years agO-the greatest said
he which had met in State of the
Union in forty ycarS-ShOuld be con-
frmrd in its faith and reinforced. An
amount Of bonds equal to that voted
the charitable and educational inSti-
tutioUS ar the last session should be
again voted, the public school system
should be well provided for and the
roads should have everything that
the construction program calls for.
On top Of this he would devote half
a million dollars to putting the fish
Ing industry on its feet.
100000 For Oysters.
Three hundred thousand dollars of
oysters the Governor wuold plant in
the sounds. bays and rivers of East
Carolina within the next three years.
And where the inlctS to the sounds
are threatened with closing up. the
Goy'vuor would spend a hundred
.''.'t.''Ill NpllUIN bI ~ II HtCcSStlll
I" open them and lot the salt water
and th" Srago,ng fish i'm Hatcher
les b" would establish inland TO stock
the non-nayigable streams with game
and food fish.
Ih" Governor wants three new de-
"r'm"ntS of the State Government
created The Department Of Com
mere" and Industry would bring in
dn>'ry into the aSScmblage of those
WHOM the state delights to honor. 1t
would npr perhaps be placed mt the
sam" table with agriculture. but it
would be on all-fOurS with labor
which. as it is well-knOwn by viii
Namd"rN-who tried to put through
child labor bIi for it in 1910-haS
It department already.
Ih" Department of Commerce and
Industry would provide date for cham
berS Of commerce. of the State
Dragging material for proSpectuScs
and >uch-and would examine the warI
and woof of industry for structural
defects, borcrS from within, coOtics
on the out>idcS. all for the sake O
suggesting remedies for untowar(
conditions.
ifnrcIrI,I IN D1On Five