742 JOURNAL OF PROCEEDINGS [Mar. 23

to the Governor to forward to the Senate reports of the
Goodnow Commission and Harvey S. Chase, efficiency engineer
and public accountant, I take great pleasure in forwarding
to you all of the reports, of every kind and description, which
are now in my hands.

The Goodnow Commission was appointed by the last Demo-
cratic State Convention for the purpose of reporting to the
next Governor of the State the form of a budget which would
be best calculated to carry out the promises and pledges of
the Democratic platform, and also to report their own recom-
mendations and suggestions to the Governor along the line of
efficiency and economy in the administration of the State
Government, to which the Democratic platform pledged the
party. These reports were made to the Governor at the direc-
tion of the Democratic State Convention.

At the opening of the Legislature and before I was sworn
in as Governor, I took up with the members of the Legislature
the report of the Goodnow Commission upon the item of legis-
lative expenses. The Legislature had likewise had the bene-
fit of the report of the commission appointed by the pre-
ceding Legislature.

Sometime the latter part of January, I received the report
of the Goodnow Commission in reference to the budget. Ac-
companying the report was a Bill which had been prepared
by the Commission itself. This report was duly submitted
to the Legislature with a favorable recommendation. A Bill
was put in shape for introduction into the Legislature at our
request by the Attorney-General, and was promptly intro-
duced into the House.

About the time that the Budget Bill was forwarded to me,
as Governor, the chairman of the Budget Committee and the
Goodnow Commission were of the opinion that they would not
have sufficient time to undertake in an effective manner to
make a report upon efficiency and economy or the consolida-
tion of offices, but upon my request and solicitation they
undertook to do the best they could within the time at their
disposal.

Harvey S. Chase & Company had been engaged by the
Goodnow Commission and myself both in reference to the
budget and as to the economy and efficiency program. Mr.
Chase filed his report in the early part of the Session, and at
the same time that he filed the report with me and with the
Goodnow Commission he gave the report to the newspapers;
and, further than that, had his report printed in pamphlet
form, and, through his agent, Mr. Beck, distributed the report