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A message from the Governor, at the hands of his secretary, was received and read in the words following:

STATE OF NEW YORK EXECUTIVE CHAMBER,

To the Senate:

ALBANY, February 7, 1918.

I hereby nominate as commissioners of the Palisades Interstate Park William H. Porter, of New York city, and Frederick C. Sutro, of Bound Brook, N. J., their terms of office as such commissioners being about to expire.

(Signed)

CHARLES S. WHITMAN.

Said nominations were referred to the committee on finance.

A message from the Governor, at the hands of his secretary, was received and read in the words following:

STATE OF NEW YORK EXECUTIVE CHAMBER,

To the Senate:

ALBANY, February 7, 1918.

I hereby nominate as a commissioner of the State Board of · Charities from the city of New York Lee K. Frankel of New York city, to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Stephen Smith.

(Signed)

CHARLES S. WHITMAN.

Said nomination was referred to the committee on finance.

A message from the Governor, at the hands of his secretary, was received and read in the words following:

STATE OF NEW YORK-EXECUTIVE CHAMBER,

To the Legislature:

ALBANY, February 8, 1918.

In my annual message I called attention to certain of the defects in the so-called Township School Law. Since communicating with you at that time I have continued to study the situation and I have come to the conclusion that the only solution of the problem confronting us, due to the passage of that bill, is its immediate repeal.

On July 31, 1916, there were ten thousand and twenty-four rural school districts of less than fifteen hundred population or

employing less than fifteen teachers. By the operation of the Township School Law, these ten thousand and twenty-four rural school districts were consolidated into nine hundred and eightytwo town school units.

For the purpose of ascertaining whether the consolidation of these districts put an increased expense upon the taxpayers, I investigated figures submitted to me by the Education Department in regard to the expense in the town school units which had been consolidated and the districts which had not been consolidated. These figures consist of instances selected at random and furnished me, as I have said, by the Education Department.

There is an average increase in the total tax levy in one hundred and seventy-three town units in twenty-three counties of more than thirty-three and eight-tenths per cent. It is safe to say that each of the one hundred and seventy-three town units is made up of at least ten of the former rural free school districts. Thus figures from seventeen hundred and thirty of the old districts have been considered, and of the nine hundred and eighty-two districts which are now in existence the figures from one hundred and seventy-three have been considered.

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In view of the fact that these figures have been impartially selected, I deem it safe to say that the percentage of the increase will prevail throughout the other districts in the State.

On July 31, 1916, there were one hundred and ninety-five districts of more than fifteen hundred population or employing fifteen teachers. These districts were not consolidated under the provisions of the law. The expense in twenty-seven of these districts, selected at random in fifteen counties, shows an increase of only thirteen per cent for the year 1917-1918. This indicates that the burden of a twenty per cent increase has been placed upon the taxpayers in the town units by the operation of the Township School Law.

I find that the widespread condemnation of the law is not alone based on the increase in taxes, but that there are other objections.

Districts with small school houses have been forced to assume the bonded indebtedness incurred by other districts for the building of large school houses from which the former derive no benefit.

The management of school houses has been taken away from the locality which had a pride and interest in its maintenance and operation, with the result that the buildings are often neglected and in many cases fuel has not been supplied.

Children are being transported long distances to school and in many instancs pass, on their way, serviceable school houses which have been closed by reason of the provisions of the act.

From the experience of the last few months and the information

gathered as to the working of this law, I believe wise legislation may be formulated which will work for the benefit of the rural school district.

For these and other reasons I recommend the repeal of chapter 328 of the Laws of 1917.

(Signed)

CHARLES S. WHITMAN.

Ordered, That said message be referred to the committee on public education.

A message from the Governor, at the hands of his secretary, was received and read in the words following:

STATE OF NEW YORK-EXECUTIVE CHAMBER,

To the Senate:

ALBANY, February 11, 1918.

I hereby nominate as a trustee of the New York State Hospital for the Treatment of Incipient Pulmonary Tuberculosis for a term to expire the first Tuesday in February, 1925, John Hurley, Ph. G., of Little Falls, whose term of office as such trustee has expired.

(Signed)

CHARLES S. WHITMAN.

Mr. Wagner moved that the said nomination be confirmed. The President put the question whether the Senate would agree to said motion, and it was decided in the affirmative.

IN SENATE, February 12, 1918.

Mr. Sage, from the committee on finance, to which was referred the nomination of Albert A. Bird as surrogate of and for the county of Cattaraugus, reported the same to the Senate for confirmation.

Mr. Fowler moved that the said nomination be confirmed.

The President put the question whether the Senate would agree to said motion, and it was decided in the affirmative.

A message from the Governor, at the hands of his secretary, was received and read in the words following:

STATE OF NEW YORK-EXECUTIVE CHAMBER,

To the Senate:

ALBANY, February 13, 1918.

I hereby nominate as a member of the Public Service Commission for the Second District Charles B. Hill of Buffalo, to succeed Seymour Van Santvoord, resigned, and whose term of office as such commissioner has since expired.

(Signed)

CHARLES S. WHITMAN.

Said nomination was referred to the committee on finance.

A message from the Governor, at the hands of his secretary, was received and read in the words following:

STATE OF NEW YORK-EXECUTIVE CHAMBER,

To the Legislature:

ALBANY, February 18, 1918.

I transmit herewith the preliminary report of the New York, New Jersey Port and Harbor Development Commission. The recent decision of the Interstate Commerce Commission in the New York Harbor case has brought to the attention of the people of the two States, as never before, the important fact that the Port of New York is historically, geographically, and commercially one port and that any congestion in the port at any one point affects the whole port. While this port is undoubtedly the greatest port in the world and is at this very time performing a war service of incalculable value, its facilities have not been properly co-ordinated. Its size and complexity have led to serious and grave situations. The time has come to look forward and to plan in advance for the future demands that will be made upon the port. Haphazard, piecemeal attempts to solve the terminal problem at the port will hinder, not hasten, the desired solution. It is the universal opinion of all those who have studied the matter that there must be a careful, scientific study of all of the conditions at the port and a weighing and comparison of the cost and value of all suggested improvements. This cannot be done by any commission representing either State alone. The task must be a joint task. The New York, New Jersey Port and Harbor Development Commission has already begun this work. With

the aid of General George W. Goethals, as consulting engineer, it has laid the foundation of a really constructive plan.

The Commission now requests an additional appropriation by the two States of New York and New Jersey of $400,000 in equal payments covering a period of two years, in order that it may complete the study contemplated in the legislation creating the Commission. This will involve an appropriation of $100,000 this year by the State of New York.

I have conferred with Governor Edge of New Jersey, and I am advised by him that this request of the Commission will, in all probability, be granted by the Legislature of the State of New Jersey, appropriate legislation to that effect having already been introduced.

I, therefore, urgently recommend that the appropriation, requested by the Commission, be granted.

(Signed)

CHARLES S. WHITMAN.

Ordered, That said message be referred to the committee on finance.

A message from the Governor, at the hands of his secretary, was received and read in the words following:

STATE OF NEW YORK

To the Legislature:

EXECUTIVE CHAMBER,

ALBANY, February 18, 1918.

The war has emphasized the great importance at the present time of all industrial questions, and we are daily impressed with the intimate relation between industrial efficiency and military efficiency. During the past few months increasing attention has been given by the authorities at the National Capitol to matters affecting production of shipping and war supplies, and speeding up output, as well as to those questions closely and vitally affecting the well being of the workers themselves.

No question has received greater consideration or more thoughtful care than the question of employment, as concerned with war industries. The national authorities have realized that fact and are now taking steps to deal adequately with this great problem. To this end, there has recently been established in the United States Department of Labor, under an executive order of the President, a War Emergency Employment Service, and an appropriation has been made to establish an Employment Service in States where no such service has heretofore been established; and

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