Weekly Independent

Ex-Governor Colcord has our thanks for a copy of his second bi-ennial message to the Legislature of 1895. The message gives a thorough and comprehensive statement of the condition of the finances of the State and abounds in practical suggestions which, if followed by the Legislature will reduce the expenses of the State government and start Nevada on a new era of prosperity.

In regard to the finances of the State, the Governor says:

The finances of the State are in that satisfactory condition which an honest, intelligent and economical administration of its resources cannot fail to establish. The State continues to do business on a cash basis and does not owe a dollar aside from its bonded debt to its own school funds. This debt on January 1, 1895, amounted to $150,000, as against $180,000 on January 1, 1891, showing a reduction of $30,000 during the present administration.

"Our school funds now amount to the magnificent sum of $1,300,374.26, exclusive of unpaid balances on land contracts, of which amount $1,130,000 are invested in United States four per cent. bonds of 1907 and Nevada State interest-bearing bonds: $100,000 worth of these United States bonds were purchased in 1891, and there is now on hand subject to investment the sum of $93,651.32.

The Governor takes up the assessment of property in the several counties and while he does not anticipate any action upon the subject by the Legislature he desires to go on record as an advocate of State supervision of the equalization of property valuation for the purposes of taxation and predicts that it is only a question of time when this State will be compelled to fix upon a plan, either through a State Board of Equalization, a State Assessor, or some other supervisory method whereby the present vicious system of undervaluation and a high rate of taxation can be controlled

He gives a table, comparing the assessment of all railroad property in the State by the State Board of Assessors and Equalization for 1892 and by the different Assessors in 1893, which shows a difference in valuation of $1,818,515.59 in favor of the assessment made by the State Board in 1892.

The Governor urges the necessity of Nevada joining with the other States in securing a uniformity of legislation in the United States and submits a draft of a statute to secure a uniformity in the acknowledgement and execution of written instruments.

The election laws of the State are discussed at length. The Governor commends the workings of the Australian ballot law and urges the passage of a law similar to the Purity of Election law of California which he commends as a brave advance toward more honest methods in conducting elections. He also recommends the use of a rubber stamp in the booths for making the cross mark opposite the candidates voted for, instead of the lead pencil. This he says will lessen the danger of a designating mark being placed upon the ballot.

The Governor suggests as a further means of preventing bribery and fraudulent registering and voting that a law be enacted making it the especial duty of all Judges in the State, at the first session succeeding any and every election, to give the election laws in special charge to the Grand Jurors of their respective Courts with earnest injunction for strict investigation of the entire subject matter.

He says that complaints have come from several counties in the State that voters in the recent election had transferred from county to county up to the day of election, and had unlawfully registered and voted. Such colonization he declares to be in open violation of the statutes. This evil he claims to be due to the laxity of the Registry Agents in enforcing the registration law in regard to transfers. The Governor recommends that a joint special committee be appointed to examine, amend, revise and codify our election laws and that the laws when so amended and codified be published in pamphlet form for general distribution.

The Governor refers to the defeat of the proposed Constitutional Convention by reason of the Supreme Judges having no authority to canvass the vote and he inclines to the belief that the wholesale rejection of the amendments at the recent election was not due to opposition to Constitutional revision, but due to the fact that correction and remedy by amendments is wholly impracticable.

He says it does not rest with him to advise the Legislature in this matter but he urges that if any action be taken toward calling a Constitutional Convention that the Legislature carefully guard the future by providing in such laws as may be essential for its complete execution and secure a perfect constitution.

He directs attention to agriculture and irrigation and to the fact that Nevada has natural advantages even greater than some of the intermountain States whose agricultural products now exceed the products of the mines. He estimates the number of live stock in the State at 800,338 head, and their value at $6,530,132. This information is derived from the Department of Agriculture at Washington as the law of Nevada requiring County Assessors to report to the Surveyor General a true tabular statement of the agricultural pursuits and products of their respective counties, is to all intent and purposes a dead letter. It is a clear case of a valuable law rendered inoperative by neglect.

The Governor commends the action of the State Board of Agriculture in organizing and managing Nevada's exhibit at the Midwinter Fair and recommends that an appropriation be made sufficient to cover the cost of this exhibit as he is fully convinced that the State could in no other manner so thoroughly advertise its resources and products for so small an outlay. The work of Commissioner Yerington in the erection of the building and the management of the exhibit is heartily commended by the Governor.

On the question of woman suffrage the Governor says he believes the principle is right but he does not believe the women are prepared to assume all the responsibilities of full citizenship.

The Governor discusses the Nicaragua Canal and urges the Legislature to again memorialize Congress on this subject, importuning our Senators and Representatives to support and vote for the bill now pending providing for the use of the credit of the United States in the construction of the canal.

The work of Nevada's Commissioners at the Columbian Exposition is highly commended, and the attention of the Legislature is called to their report.

The amendment to the State Constitution, pending before the Legislature, authorizing the establishment of a lottery in Nevada is severely condemned. The Governor trusts that this time it will receive the rebuke it merits at the hands of the Legislature.

The Governor directs attention to the fact that a large number of inaccuracies, notably misspellings and omissions of words, occurred in the enrollment of laws during the last Legislature. He says there is no authority vested in anyone for the correction of these mistakes and, as the enrolled laws are bound after the adjournment of each session, they remain a standing criticism of the inefficiency of the Legislative service. He urges that authority be given the Secretary of State to correct all misspelled words. He says the Senate Journal of the last Legislature is almost worthless as a record of the transactions of the Senate. Assembly Bill No. 77, an Act reducing the salaries of the deputy officers, is reported in the Journal of the House as correctly enrolled and having been delivered to the Governor. Notwithstanding this record, the Governor says the facts are to the contrary and that the proof is direct and positive that Assembly Bill No. 77 was never enrolled.

Reference is made to the depression in mining; to the excellence and efficiency of our public schools; to the very satisfactory state of affairs at the State Prison, except that the prisoners have no employment; to the Orphan's Home, which is one of the State institutions which appeals to the sympathies of the entire community; to the State University, which is rapidly advancing in scholarship, as well as in public esteem; to the Asylum for the Insane, which will not suffer in comparison with those of other States; to the State Library; Board of Health; Board of Pardons, State Militia and other institutions and makes suggestions regarding advertising, etc.