The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1881-01-30

to the rail road and an injury to the people
that should not be tolerated upon the public
highways Of the state. Equality to all OF
the people Of the state, enforced upon all of
the public instrumentslities, is the true rule
of good government; and, therefor, l re-
specially invite the attention of the Lexis
lature TO this subject for such regulations as
may be deemed just and proper for all tho
parties concerned. l shall net, however,
omit to state that another effect that this
partially and combination to give cheap
through ireights to particular localities in
the interior of the state, is having the effect
to divert tho trade Of the state, with al of
tho benefits OF its profits from our own
ports, which, from the nearer distance and
locality, are the natural outlets for it TO the
commercial world, and building up
other places outside the state by
the operations of our own railroads, in
their combination with other roads for cheap
transportation to particular central localities
in the interior Of the state. Other subjects
connected with railroads deserve attention.
Ii has sbeen reported to me, uno1ficlally of
course, that there have been, and Sre now,
roads allowed to be so defective rs to render
travel on them very dangerous; and also, that
at particular places, connections are not
made, by which persons travelling on them
are delayed. In the latter case
the governor is authorized to re-
quire that proper connections should be
made to accommodate travel, and upon de-
fault of complying with his requirements,
he may appoint an engineer to take posses
sion Of the road and have it run for the state
until assurance is given that compliance will
be made.
To enable these provisions to be carried
out, and to have the governor officially in,
formed of the necessity for interference, |
respectfully recommend that the office of
state engineer be created, with power to the
officer filing it, defined by law, authorizing
him to inspect railroads and have corrected
any abuses or irregularities preiudicial
to the public interests that may
occur in their operation, and further
that contingent appropriation be made,
sufficient to enable the governor to take pos
session of a road AID run it for the state,
through an agent appointed for that pur-
pose, when it may become his duty to do so,
in order to defray expenses until the profits
of the road shall have reimbursed the
amount of tho appropriation that may be
expended in taking control Of the road, I'M
der and in pursuance of the law, (see article
1856 of revised civil statutes.)
respectfully recommend that action be
taken TO amend the constitution 50 AS to
exempt from taxation, for ten years,
machinery and other property act
ually engaged in manufactures Of cotton,
wool end other homo products, in the deyel-
opment OF our water power, and in mining
coal, iron, copper, and other metals in this
state. The principle upon which this recon-
meuiaton is based Is that without some in
duCement is offered, these industries will not
be introduced, or Otherwise be put 10 opera
ton to any considerable extent, and il they
should be introduced or put in operation in
that time, it will be that much gain to the
taxable property st the end Of 1t, boGi les
increasing the wealth Of the state
incidentally from the time they may
be introduced or put in operation
And, as auxiliary TO this, il it should be I'M
dertalen, respectfully recommend
that provision DO made for a Reconnaissance
of the state to ascertain and exhibit the
mineral, agricultural and other material 70.
sources of. the state, and to collect, combine
and publish the geological researches that
have been made at public expense, so far rs
tSey can be found, and constitute valuable
information, as guides TO material enter.
prises. have reliable Information that they
can be found and, collected at no great ex'
pense.