The Indianapolis sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1880-1904, 1885-01-30

should have opposed that favorable report
i am opposed TO the bill on principle.
Mr.. WIER: There Is one reason which
should be q sufficient one why this bill
should not pass. In the State of Indiana we
have 10 large cities where the rights granted
to street railways are of any particular
value. III We had within our borders New
York, Cincinnati. or q Chicago, there
might be occasion for proposition to tax
street railways in this manner. This DILL
provides that every street railway car may
be taxed as high as S25, whether in q large
city or small one Of only $4,000 inhabi.
tants, where the citizens may have seen Fl {
to build q street railroad. When you com
pare the cities OF this State with the large
cities OF other States where street railway
franchises are of great value, ii seems to me
Sufficient reason 10 10 be seen why this bill
ought not to PISS. / am opposed to it, not
on the plea OF special legislation, but simply
because il would cripple every enterprise OF
the kind referred to in the State, the one in
the city Of Indianapolis included, which lie
the largest CITY in the State.
Mr.. OVERSTREET: This identical bill,
as 1 now remember, was before Sensts
cemmittre last session, and joined in re-
port against it's passage. Finding the bill
here again, and knowing it can Apply but to
few cities in the State, mine not being one
of them; and having no personal interest,
either now or prospective, joined this time
in report recommending its passage. did
this upon the superstition that cities in the
State having street railroads desired the pas.
sage Of such bill. IL they did, for one, i
was not In favor of preventing them from
having II. / would not be in favor of i'm
posing ii upon single city that would op-
pose il. did not know bat that the time
had come when street railroads in cities
were looked upon as nuisances like saloons.
aligned this report merely for the purpose
OF ascertaining whether it was the uniform
wish OF all cities having street railways 70
have such law but finding it 10 not shall
vote against the bill.
Mr.. CAMPBELL. OF st. Joseph We have
in South Bend fine. street railroad ION
paper. but we have the projectors uuder
bond of 81 ,000 and forfeit il they fall'to build
il. In our experience we have found that
companies are not anxious to take fran
chise OF that kind in an enterprising city
like South Bend. For q long time We had
prospects of q street railroad being built
and from our experience | conclude the
profits are not enor nous.
Mr.. FOWLER: | have always regarded
this kind OF legislation as vicious. 1t is said
that hacks and carriages are taxed, and that
City Councils have authority to tax special
class OF properties. That may be true but
have no argument to offer in favor of that
kind of legislation. This bill would make a
dangerous precedent to follow. If this bill
should pass at the next session of the Legis-
lature some Senator would probably intro
duce and insist on the passage of bill tax
ing every steam engine or cart or wagon.
Mr.. MAGEE: A bill of that kind lis mere
now.
Mt. FOWLER: am not astonished. The
theory OF law lie that everything should be
taxed In proportion to its worth. Street car
mules aud every other species of property is
taxed as other property Is taxed. Why can
IL be necessary that we should pass q law
authorizing an additional tax Of S25 on every
street car | can't imagine. As the Senator
from Marion has suggested, il would drive
out oil existence the poor mans carriage
/ am opposed to such legislation.
On motion by Mr.. M AGEE the report was
laid on the table aud the bill indefinitely
postponed by yeas 81 nays 10.
Mr.. WILSON, explaining his affirmative
vote, said: In the last canvass the candi-
dates of both parties for the Legislature in
this city made pledges that they would not
in any shape favor an increase of taxation.
We have law which limits city Councils
to ninety cents on the 500 of taxables.
regard this whole thing IS nothing but an
effort TO evade the pro visions of existing
laws. The bill is but an entering wedge for
the omnibus bill referred to, which attempts
to tax every milk wagon, brick wagon car
rage and every vehicle; and to tax every
business man, every doctor, lawyer, mer-
chant, and every person engaged in every
business IN this city and every other city in
the State-the very men that make aud
build up our towns and cities. The princi-
pie OF the o III regard as utterly wrong and
an attempt to evade the law. / vote aye"
The vote was announced as above.
Then came a recess for dinner.