Now here's the Governor of Arizona earnest W. Mcfarland,
Distinguished guest and friends. I want to express to you my appreciation
for being here upon this occasion. I particularly want to express my
appreciation
to Bishop Gorky and reverend long for their participating here.
Yeah. And also are vesting governors from our neighboring states and our
neighboring nations Governor over gone off Sonora and his official party
governor Maldonado and his official party from lower California. Your
present chair is further expert expression of the friendship that exists
between the peoples of our states and our nation. I want to likewise
express my appreciation.
Are they part of our own boy scouts from Florence? The thunderbird post
from phoenix and the Tempe american legion post here today. The college,
the bands from the colleges and the university. I want you to know that I
greatly appreciate the trouble that you have made in coming here today
has occurred two years ago. We have brought to the people of this state
rain.
Mm. I of course also appreciate the presence of all of you. I noticed that
a large crowd is inside the capitol. They seem to like this capital better
today than they do on other occasions
the people of Arizona for the second time have conferred upon me the
greatest honor in their power to bestow.
Two years ago I accepted this honor with a profound sense of humility. I
do so again,
you have made me very happy and I want you to know that I am most grateful
for the confidence you have expressed in me by electing me governor, Re
electing me governor of this great state. I hope that I may read into your
action the step of approval
on the services rendered during the last two years.
Two years ago I told you it was a governor's job to formulate policy and
administer the law. The law that protects a weak against the strong and
promotes the well being of all citizens. I have unbelief, attempted to
keep that play. God willing. I will work unceasingly toward that end. In
the future being governor of our state is more than just an honor
conferred. It is a challenge that carries with it grave responsibility.
Our population in 1912,
when our state was admitted into the union was 216,
600
and 216,000 639.
We have grown to the extent that we now have a population of almost five
times that number.
We have now passed The one million mark. The greatest increase has come in
the last few years as more and more newcomers enter our gates to find
happiness and security in our way of life. This great influx of new
citizens added to the list of those who have successfully fostered our
great growth and development. Makes our goals stand out more clearly. They
are of greater magnitude than ever before. These objectives are, and
should be to bring prosperity and happiness to all of the people of our
state. An opportunity for every able bodied man and woman alike to obtain
a job at good wages, proper care and security for the agent blind
dependent and handicapped, equal opportunity for education, health and
recreation. In order to obtain these objectives, our natural resources
must be developed for the benefit of all of the people, not just a few.
The growth of Arizona has given us many opportunities but has also
multiplied our problems. We tackle these problems two years ago with a
determination to meet the objectives which I have just enumerated. I know
and you know that the process of growing up
Is a complicated one. We must count our possibilities along with our
problems which are many and varied. Take, for example, our school two
years ago we were challenged by a situation that was threatening the very
foundation of our school system. Many impoverished school districts. We're
hanging on by the ropes, so to speak, settled by mounting debts and
soaring taxi. It was no longer a local problem but one that deserved and
needed the assistance of state government. We acted upon the mandate of
the people and by increasing substantially every average daily attendance
payments on the state and county level brought this much needed assistance
to our school district. This assistance, I know, and you know, is not the
final solution to the perplexing financial problems of education. But it
was the healthy start on a program which will assure all arizonans equal
opportunity for education in the years ahead. We in government, we'll
continue to explore every avenue at our command in our quest for sound
educational planning as we continue to go forward, adjustments and
improvements in our school system must necessarily be made. Another
example of gains made in the last two years was improvement in the care of
agent blind and the dependent Children. The Lien law, which was a constant
harassment to the welfare of recipients,
wasn't and was netting little return to this state was repealed. Many of
these people, our pioneers who helped build our great state, but we're
living in constant fear that they would be buried in a pauper's grave.
They wanted their little homes free of leans far security. Similar
legislation also eliminated the obnoxious quarterly reports, payments were
increased for dependent Children. The welfare of these people must
continue to have our study the humanitarian aspect should be part and
partial of every official acts. No state which fails to recognize this
concept of humanity can expect to prosper.
You will also recall that the lot of our working people was improved by
the passage of legislation, which increased benefits for the unemployed
and for those who had contracted silicosis. Me, what we must continue to
study legislation designed to meet the changing conditions of our working
people. They help of our citizens will always remain of paramountimportance