Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1876-01-20

g saDle 10 the material prosperity OIL
t the State. 1t is not desirable that
: these great properties should be
: owned by the State. They are too
large to be owned by single individn-
ais. That corporations should con-
tinue to own and manage them seems
, a necessity. They must have the
3 same protection from the laws that
= other citizens have.
The State cannot afforl to be un-
just to any interest. Capital in
vested in railways must be equally
protected with capital invested 10
} any other legitimate business enter
prise. While the State will not guar
anty any return upon capital invested
IN any business, it should not, by
legislation, so restrict it's employ.
ment, or 80 limit its compensation,
as to deprive it of the opportunity of
} earning a legitimate return upon the
capital really invested.
With these principles in view, |
respectfully recommend that the
existing laws by which rates are
regulated, known as chapter 273, OF
of the laws OF 1874, and CHAPTER 334
of the laws of 1875, be repealed !;
that there be substituted for them
carefully prepared provisions of law
by which all unjust determinations
between either persons or localities,
and all acts of oppression or wrong
be prohibited, and ample provisions
made for the prosecution and punish
ment ofoffenders as for crimes against
the State that extortionate rates be
prevented by the establishment OF
maximum rates for the transporta-
ton of persons and property, not
greater than those fixed by the com.
panies when they made their own
tariffs, and which may be presumed
to be sufficient to enable them to
earn fair return upon capital
actually and in good faith invested
in them That with that Limitation.
the companies be free TO establish
their own rates that provisions be
made for continued supervisory con-
troll over these corporations, similar
10 general terms to those which have
been found satisfactory in Massachu,
setts and Minnesota; that annual
reports be required from officers
appointed by the State under official
sanction, containing full information
of all matters affecting the public
interests, 50 that if at any time in the
future further and more stringent
exercise of this reserved power
should be necessary to prevent
wrongs on the part of those corpora
tions, all facts necessary to a full
understanding Of the subject will be
accessible to the Legislature and the
people.
In determining how the agency
shall be constituted through which
the State shall exercise it's control
over railroads, as in all other matters,
economy is an object that should be
kept in view, and is worthy of your
consideration how this may be etfi-
GENTLY and vigorously performed.
with the least expense to the people
of the State
THE CENTENNIAL.
You will recognize the Importance
of providing for the adequate repres-
entation of Wisconsin at the Centon
NAL Exposition, which is to take
place ct Philadelphia during the
present year, both as matter of
State pride and for more substantial
considerations. The occasion will
afford an excellent opportunity to
display the resources and products
of the State, and to attract hither
capital and immigration. Nearly all
of the States have appropriated
liberal sums for the purpose, and
Wisconsin should be creditably repre-
scented, or not at all. | submit to
your geneI osity and patriotism to
appropriate such an amount as shall
seem to you to be sufficient, to be
placed 10 the hands of the State Board
of Centennial Managers, leaving it to
them to determine how it shall be
expended.
SALARIES.
would call your attention to the
present provisions of law, under
which it is possible for many officers
and employees of the State to receive
their salary in advance, and in view
of the fact, that Immediately after 80
receiving, designations and removals
have occurred, would recommend
the passage of law making all SAL
aries payable at the end of each
month or quarter.
THE PROTECTION OF STATE LANDS.
1t has become serious matter to
provide for the protection against
trespassers of the school and univer-
sity lands, aud the tracts known as
the st. Croix grant. system seems
to have prevailed by which large
depredations were committed, and
the State was left to secure redress
by the collection of stumpage from
trespassers. This system IS wrong
in principle and ruinous in practice.
In the nature of things, the sums
collected in the settlements with the
trespassers must be vastly less than
the value of the timber taken. If L
am correctly advised, it has come to
be regarded as a profitable business
TO strip State lands of their timber,
and then effect a settlement. What.
ever power rests in the Governor to
reform this practice will be vigor-
ousIy exercised, and if it shall appear
that further legislation is necessary
to secure that result, l cannot urge
too strongly upon you the duty OF
providing it. The only true policy
| in dealing with this subject is to pre-
vent depredations, and in this work,
| urgently solicit your cooperation.
FISH PROPAGATION.
The artificial propagation OF fish is
becoming one of the leading indus
tries of the country. The Legisla-
ture of 1874 authorized the Governor
IN annoint three commissioners to