378 - ANNUAL REPORT OF THE Off. Doc. 



total length of roads improved by the State since the State Highway 

 Department began its work in 1904 about 450 miles. We are 

 informed by the Department that they have on file applications for 

 nearly 3,500 miles of roads and that in order to build this amount 

 the present appropriation will have to be increased fourfold or 

 more. We believe that the Commonwealth can do no better with 

 the millions which it annually receives than to expend a large 

 portion of it annually in ways which will directly benefit so many 

 of the common people of the State as does the improvement of its 

 highways. 



ADDRESS OF GOVERNOR EDWIN S. STUART. 



I came in here to stay half an hour, but these discussions have 

 proven so interesting that I will stay as long as I can. The last two 

 papers have been very interesting to me as Chief Executive of this 

 State. The agricultural interests of this State are entitled to the 

 greatest credit. As far as the centre of our great industrial in- 

 dustries is concerned, they are the force that helps to make the 

 great cities. The coal interest, and the manufacturing interest will, 

 however, in time pass away, but the great agricultural interests 

 we have always with us. As one of the gentlemen has said, the 

 State that increases its agriculture increases its prosperity, and I 

 am sure that holds true of Pennsylvania. 



Now, as to the question of appropriations, I feel that when a man 

 holds an official position, he must expect to have his official actions 

 criticised by the people whom he represents, and at this time I 

 represent officially the entire State of Pennsylvania, outside of any 

 politics or anything else. Now, as to the question of appropriations : 

 T know it is a great disappointment to communities and to those 

 interested in the bills that come from the Legislature to the Execu- 

 tive for his signature, when he finds that he cannot grant that 

 appropriation. But this question of appropriations is merely one 

 of many that confront the Executive. It is merely a question as to 

 whether there is enough money to carty it out. I did not intend 

 to talk about this, but the last Legislature appropriated something 

 like $71,000,000. It was rumored through the State that there was 

 a surplus of |15, 000,000, and I thought so with the rest, but I want 

 to say right here that I don't believe in any great surplus in the 

 State; any surplus there is should be used for the benefit of the 

 people by whom it is contributed. I believe the keeping of so large 

 an amount of money a just cause for criticism. I am not reflecting 

 upon the Legislature; the Legislature — this last Legislature — has 

 been, I think, as good as any Legislature the State ever had, but 

 they sent to me appropriations approximating |71,000,000. and T 

 then sent for the officers whom I have for the purj^ose, to 

 inquire "what is the anticipated revenue for the next two years, so 

 that I can base on it the bills I have to sign?" Instead of having 

 a surplus of |14,000,000, while there was in the treasnry |14,000,- 

 000, there were outstanding against it claims that included the 

 school fund and Superintendents' salaries all over the State, amount- 

 ing to about $7,000,000. In other words, the State was in the posi- 



