When Martin took office in January 1933, the Great Depression was at its height. In his first inaugural message, Governor Martin acknowledged the severity of the economic crisis. But he recounted the natural and human resources of the state and concluded that "surely, with such resources at hand, we need only the spirit to seek, the determination to build, the genius to create, and the readiness to cooperate toward a common development." He believed it was the primary duty of government to promote the common good; state government must promote constructive, although perhaps unpopular programs, and the people must accept the necessary sacrifices. Martin advocated abandonment of traditional approaches to problem-solving when those approaches proved inadequate. His call for state government action anticipated a similar call on the national level by President Roosevelt.