Governor's Message

Gov. Rlch's message to the legislatura was read before a joint session of that body, both the senate and house being almost fully represented. The document is remarkably clear and conclse, and the chief executive goes directly to the heart of each and every item he touches upon. The message is as follows: Senators and Representa ti ves: In accordance with the provlsions ot the constitution of thls state, 1 Bubmit the ollowing information in relation to the ondition of the state and reeommendaions in relation to measures deemed expedient: As (o liiiiiiiiinl Matter. On Nov. 1, 1893, after the apportionment of the primary school fund was made, for the flrst time in many years, Michigan confronted an empty treasury. This was not caused so much by increased expenditures as it was by the fallure of the legisature of " to levy taxes sufficient to meet w: . i rht reasonabiy have been contemp .led would be the needs of the state, and while there was no direct authority for hiring money, the railroads were offered an inducement of 6 per cent discount from Nov. 1 to Jan. 1 followlng, to advance tlfeir taxes due in January. This was done by the Michigan Central and I,ake Shore & Michigan Southern Railroads to the amount of nearly $200,000. Through the First National Bank of Detroit an additional JlüO.000 was obtained. Owing to this, on Nov. 1, 1894, a similar eondition of affsirs presented itself, except that only $250,000 was then needed to bridge over. Section 3, of article 14, of the constitution provides that the Htate shall not contract debts to meet déficits in revenue to aggregate more than $50,000 at any one time. Under this provisión of the constitution perhaps the obligation entered into may not have been slrlctly legal, but it was a necessity in order to carry on the state institutions and general branches of the state government, and was pald out of the first money reeeived. Thls provisión of the constitution was I adopted more than forty years ago, whfn $50,000 represented more than flve times that amount does to-day. It would seem to me advisable to provide for so ing the constitution as, with proper - Strlctfons, to put it within the power of the state to borrow money in cases of necessity, rather than carry large balances, to be loaned at a low rate of Interest when not needed to meet the expenses of government. Another reason why this power should be elven is that none of our state tions are insured, nor should they be, but i in cases of tire there ought to be provisión made for some authority, under proper restrlctions, to meet emergencias. Authority might be given the boards of ! control of the several institutlons, wilh the approval of the board of auditors and the governor, to borpow money on the ■ credit of the state and repair or rebuild : their respective institutions. This would 1 not only save calling the leglslature together, but would guarantee a prompt restoration of property destroyed. In other respects the iinancial affairs of the state are in good condition. There have been no calis for a change In the tax laws ■ of the state, the one passed in 1893 proving very generally satlsfactory to all interested. It is thought hardly probable that our people desire to change the manner of disposing of specflc taxes arising from railroads, insurance companies and other corporations. The present apportionment proves of inestimable benefit to the poorer sections of our state, and provides for the maintenance of schools of better quality than would otherwise be the case, and it goes to support the only school of which all the children of the state can have the benefit, Under the head of railroad taxation the governor sets forth that the Lake Shore & Michigan Southern is paying under lts charter provisions instead of under the genera] law, but as the statr is not a loser by this, no action has been eommenced against them. The Michigan Central has ben placed under the general laws in the matter of taxation and the governor repeats hls recommendation of two years ago that if possible some means be devised for the abrogation of all special charters so that all railroads may be placed upon the same basis so far as taxation, supervisión or other legislation is concerned. L'nlvernlty of Mtcbignn. EU-, Our state university stands not only at the head of our own educational institutions but is well up in the front rank oL universities in this and other countries. By providing the one-sixth of a mili tax ' two years ago the university has been ; placed beyond the need of further leglslative aid for years to come. He urges the generous support of the State Normal school, and the AR'ricultural CoUege, and recommends in regard to the Michigan Mining school that In view of the additional burden it imposes upon the taxpayers ot' the state and the fact that a portion of its students are from other states, those who attend the school shall bear a part of the expense necessary to ts maintenance. Insnne Asjluiu, Ei . Af ter showing that the Mlchlg .. asylutn for the insane, the Northern .Michigan j asylum, the Eastern Michigan asylum, the Michigan asylum for dangerou? and ! nal Insane have a combined capuoity of ,719 beds, while they now have 3 684 innates, the governor concludes that existng accommodations will prove inadequate 5y, ie close of the next slx months but thinks that the emergenoy can be met through the completion of the new asylum at Newberry, the enlargement of the Home for Feeble-Mindwl aha EpUeptic at I-apeer. und the provisión of a separate asylum for epileptics. Kor the institution named at Lapeer the governor asks for an appropnation for furnishings and the provisión oL addiüonal accommodations. Priaona- Maintenance- Conviet Labor The state prlson at Jackson, state house of correction and reformatory at Ionia, and branch prison at Marquette, constituting the prisons of the state, continue to be a heavy burden upon the taxable property of the state. The total cost of keeping the 1,30c nrisoners, which was the average number for the past two years was (8M.mW. The cost over and above lThe earning was $210,84112. The oost at JacKson, where there was an average of W prlsonfrs was 41.6 cents per inmate per day. At Ionia it was 1 08.S per dav, and at Marquette Jl 18.1 per day Thé net cost at Jackson raa 1.86 cents per day per inmate at Ionia 59 cents, and it Marquette 6.01 cents. This shows 8 great difference in the cost of keeping prisoners ' ""= overai prmons. Uümpurlng ,lH(kson with Marquette, there would be many thlngs to the advantage of Jackson, in the reduction of cost. The executive expenses would be comparatlvely small while the iiumher of prisoners would be very lurge. The condltlons at Jackson have been much better than at Marquette, although there have been a portion of the time more than 200 ldle men at Jackson, because no employment could be round for them. At Marquette the executive expenses are comparatlvely large, as the numner of inmates cared for is llmited, and, owiltg to the rlgorous cllmate, and distanoe from supplit-s. Uio -- pense of keepins prisoners there is larger ComparinR Jackson wiih lonia, there is still a attference in favor of Jackson, but there should be no such difference in cost aa i shown. There must have been something either radically wrong in the management at lonia, or-the business was run In such a way tbat a large amount of money was lost. The expense of keepins an inmate in the state house of correctlon vas more than twlce what it Mas to keep an inmate In the asylum for the - and criminal insaiic in the iam yard, and in the flrst instanoe the inmate is smpposed to be earnlng a large portion of his keeping while in the latter he earna nothing. The former warden of this institutlon was removed for cause. Slnce the chanpre In wardens tliere has iked reduotion In the piiees of anieles boiiRht, biit ü is not probable that all the reform needed have yet adopted. The a mtant has been ordered to conduft an investigation, and he reports verbaUy that the system of keeping accounts ís imperfect, and that ma,,? of the practlces there sMould 'brlngs up the questïón nf contract labor. In Sackson prison, where most prisoners are on contract, the result is Such as to show that had al the men heen , emóloyed th prison would haye been I4lf-supportinr and posa bly a little more. anditTanhardly b sald that there was m.v scrious interference witn free labor there All the tood, all the clotbing, all the material tor manufacturad ar purchased ther, were the Prodnets of free labor. The goods produce there not to any considerable èxtenj bold below the market price. It is clearly shown that contractors of prison labor do not usually make largor prol.ts than those who employ free labor, so that the competition cannot be very seyere. This is lllustrated by the fact that the Austin, Tomllnson & Webster Co. engaged in the manufacture of wagons have surrendered 125 out of 130 men. prefernng to have fr-e labor. At Ionia where the state ; account system and piece prioe plan have been practiced, the result has heen a severe burden on the taxpayers of the state It cannot be said that competitlon witn free labor has been less. In the experience of prisons in this and other states j where business is eondueted on state , count it has universally shown trous results This is in accordance with fixed business principies. No warden, however competent he may ! be is capable of carrying on successfully, in all their details, anywhere trom ten to twenty-five different branches of ness. Then, the number of prisoners employed on productive labor compared wlth the" number engaged in free labor is inflnitesmal, and the only way in which their labor can seriously lnjure free labor is by putting the product of convict labor upón the market at such a price as to reduce the market value of goods produced by free labor. This, I think, statistics ciearly prove, is not the case. On the other hand it is not the wealthy person alone who pays the taxes, but the home of every farmer and laboring man has to contribute to the support of these men engaged in industries or entirely idle. It is needless to cali your attention to the fact that it is not practicable or reformatory to keep prisoners without labor. It is sincercly hoped that no action will he taken to deprive the firlson management of the risht to conract the labor of the prisoners. The public acts of 18! provide that the board of control shnll appoint a warden. ! who shall hold his during the pleasI ure of the board. The same sectíon aleo nrovides that no warden shall be removed exeept for cause. Thls section was i dently desisned to have the warden ! polntpd so that he would retaln his place I as long as he was a BUCCeasful urden. and that he should not be removed upon ■ the mere whim of the board, or on account of ehanfte '" the poliüoal complexion thereof , but our courts have construed "cause" to be such that under the present law the warden is practically I ed for life, unless he does some sueh overt act as to warrant his remoyal; but he may become indifferent or incompetent, and may even be dermnt in his attitude towards the board, and yet there is no power to remove him. This is protection for the warden, but la not, as intended, protection to the interests of the state. It would seem to me that this section should be so aminded as to provide, what was originally intended, that the warden should be removed only for such cause as would justlfy his removal for business reasons in private business affairs. Fartlon and Reprifvo. The governor thinks the ehief executive should have more freedom in granting reprleves and pardons. He saya there are many cases where it would seem proper and wise to permit prisoners, and especlally some young men, to be liberated up, on certain conditions, notably that of abstaining from the use of lntoxicating liquors, provlded that in case of violation of this they may be returned to prison without the expense of another trial. There is no doubt that men liberated upon these conditions would be mueh less likely to enter upon a career of crime, and would be able to fiel a start in life before this restraint w,is removed. It would materially increase the chances of returning these men to the industrial pursuits of life, and to good eitizenship, and at the same time relieve the state of the burden i of their support. Jt is hoped that some 1 action will be taken to bring about this result. It is also dcsirable that some ] provisión be made. in cases of persons sentenoed for a term of years, by providing elther for the tiling of the testimony complete, or of a history of the case, with any aggravating or mitigatinsr cireumstances connected therewlth. in the execuHve office, to be used in cases where after i years have elapsed an application for pardon is made. Anyone connected with pardon matters to-day realizes that many times it is almost impossible to get at the real facts in the case, and many times it is made to appear that the most hardened crimináis scrving a long term Vi. lllll I.UIMII' IH 1U l„ 1 1 11 ICO lUIIlUIU t-tfVl really deservo reward at tho time Instead of punishment. The statement of the case is all the argument needed. Coutraits Willi Prints Offloers. The seclion of the public acts of 1893 relating to contraets witli prison offleers should be so amended as to clearly and unequivocaüy forbid the warden of any prison acting for the prison under hls I charge, dealihg in any manner, exeept to ' pay in the regular way in cash for services ! rendered, with any member of the board of control, or any ofHcer connected with the prison. or nith himself, elther dlrectlv or Indlrectly. Offleers snould be paid thei'r K.ilarles and purchase what they need as other people do. State Instituí iuun- ()IUr. In diseuslng the state charitable and reformatory institutions the governor says the school for the deaf at Flint, school for the blind at Lansing, state public school at Coldwater, industrial school for boys at Iiansing and the industrial home for girls at Adrián are flling the purposes and objects for which they were created, and are under the control of competent boards. The appointive state offleers- eommlssioners of railroads, insurance, labor, state banking and state inspector of oils- have proven very efficiënt and have given good ! satlsfaction in iheir respective offices. In j discussing the dairy and food commissioner the governor calis attention to the fact that Maj. C'. 10. Storrs, of Muskegon was not given suflicií-ní power under tbr acl to prosecute the vlolators of the law and i that therefore he has not accomplished as much as he otherwise would but a large amount of informa-tion has been seeured which will be placed before the legislature, enabling it to provide means for suecessfully carrying on the work. There is no more important measure to be considered at this timp than the question of pure food. Under the head of factory inspection the governor says that the act to regúlate the employment of women and children has provea a good one; that the commissioner of labor has appo'inted factorv lnsoectors whn hnvp in.-tnntp1i m, than 400 f&ctorïea anti caused a íarge number of imprcvemcms to be made in machinery, tire escapes, etc., and has had a tendency to keep children, who formerly had been employed in various factories, when they should have been in school, in their proper places. In takins up the removal of state officers the governor says It was his unpleasant duty to cause tlie removal of the secretary ' of state, state treasurer and eommissioner ! of the state land office for gxoss neglect of ' duty in connectlon with the canvass oL votes. Fraud has also been discovered in canvassing the vote increaslng the salary of the attorney-general In 1891. That in trying these various cases it was ■ sary to engage the legal talent for which bilis amounting to $2,90 40 have been paid : by the state board of audltors. He recommenda that an extra, expense of J5.7B5 85, I whlch waa incurred, was incidental to these cases and should be assumed by the ! state rather than paid by Ingham county alone. The legislature is asked to provide in some manner for the paying of all or such portions of this n-immnt as Bhalï be deemed equltable. He also refers to ! the defaU-ation of the ieput.v secretary of stute.