Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1893-01-21

! past railroad legislation and criticised
sharply, referring 10 the decision OF the
state supreme court on its lack OF power
and of the United States supreme court
on the Minnesota law and continued:
Here, then, is the Scylla and Charybdis OF
legislative action: the inefiicacy Of too little
power on one hand and the unconstttutionaHy
| OF too much power on the other mana 10
avoid these obstacles must be the care OF the
legislature in amending this law so rs to make
IL more efleciual In righting wrongs Ana IL
| should be amended so Us to confer on the COM
| missioners authority 10 make orders ana clothe
! them vi, n the power 10 enforce such orders by
mnndamus or other proper proceedings On
the other hand the right Of the railroai is 10 DE-
heard on appeal TO the supreme court shoulu
not be denied them. and provision should DO
made looking 10 the prompt anu SPECIFY uetcr'
minution OF such matters
| The right OF the state 10 control tho opera
! ton Of railroads and TO regulate. within Just
| and reasonable bounds their freight ana pas
senger tariffs Is no longer questioned.
THERE'S also growing demand that the rail-
road commissioners las. indeed. all other i'm
portant officers of the stated shall be elected DIV
the people This Is In accordance with inc
theory Of popular government. 1t Is saie 10
| trust the people IN all matters pertaining 10
1
| ton Of these commissioners would result III u
board OF political rartlsans But there Is no
| reason for believing that persons so e'cctcd
| would prove less faithful 10 the business anu
commercial interests OF the state than II elected
from opposing parties. But II o method could
he devised by viii, h Il minority party might be
represented on elective boards, 1t would seem
| TO be desirable.
II has been suggested that cumulative
method OF voting by which minority representa-
ton Is secured might be applied in cases where
| on.partisan boards are desired But however
| the commissioners are 10 be elected, thcv
should have power TO frame such schedules oil
! freight charges between all shipping points as
| will insure fair treatment 10 the shipper ana
| Just COMPENSATION to the carrier, with author
ity 10 enforce such rates and prohibit the un-
| just discrimination now made against some
| places and in favor OF others.
The liberal bcs,owal OF free passes upon Ger.
! tain classes Of our citizens is pernicious and
corrupting in its tendency and should be pro-
hib!ted. At the recent general election ara the
campaign which preceded IT, great scandals
arose by reason OF tho plentitude OF railroad
passes as d potent factor in securing attend
ance ut certain conventions and transporting
| voters
The governor urged the enactment of
law authorizing general and thor
ough revision of the statutes as soon as
possible. OF constitutional revision, he
suggests the following:
Among the changes demanded, section three
| ca OF the legislative article should be amended
| am fully satisfied that II is neither wisdom
nor economy 10 limit The pay OF legislators TO
| % day for fifty days only. The PRACTICAL ef-
| feet Is 10 limit the session 20 less than FORTY
| working days In new and growing sta'e
| ccrtain amount Of legislation is absolutely re-
CURED: and II is not for the public interest that
| IL should be hastily and inconsiderately attend
| cd to- II is the Judgment Of those who have
given study to this question that the present
! system Is not productive OF either the best leg
| is!ation or the best results
Section eight 49, Of the legislative article
should be amended so as TO authorize the legls-
la,lIre to provide some method for the investi-
cation and determination OF controversies over
contest ted seats in bo,h branches OF the leg!sa-
ture The right Of q constituency TO be repre-
scented in the legislature by the person Tecev'
ing majority Of the honest votes cast Is sacred,
and should not be vililted BY fraud nor trficd
away nv u throw OF dice or the chance OF II lot
terry Other important changes will doubtless
suggest themselves.
Section fourteen 40 of the legislative article
should be amended so as TO permit the governor
10 veto an Objectionable article in an appro-
priation bill without disappearing the entire
bill
If deemed wise, the judges OF the supreme
court might be authorized to assign (under
conditions 10 be prescribed by s;aluteI the
Judge of one strict TO sit as o judge in any
other district
Assessed valuation Of live stock
for 1871 .........9 Si-4''ooi'0o
Assessed valuation OF live stock
for Isos. .........................s I,OSs.4 @OO
Decrease in value in two ysnrs.s 2lAi 81
Assessed valuation of railroad
property in lSJj.................$H s65, %" %
| Assessed valuation OF railroad
nroporty in l.as 5i.l0i. bI3 "a
Decrease in value in two years. 46l, dSs 81
Assessed valuation OF all town lots
taxable in 1901 .................S q, 30
| Assessed valuation OF all town lots
in no! 6s,sl7, Os
Decrease in value in two years. 1891. IT,
1t is quite noticeable that the assessment OF
| live stock personal property, railroad and town
lots In the last two wears has, in the aggrcga te
| decreased 1876 500 g. white there has been
an increase in the assessment OF farms, i'm.
proved and unimproved lands OF s2,SSl,9 W6S
From the first report OF the state bank com
missioner II MAJ be seen that the total re-
I-9l were so, 2ts 9si.;7. and that in June, 1892
their resources were :S3.Od9 7slO6 which shows
an increase in eight months time of .2,sOi,-
! 1919
From the report OF the state treasurer we
| learn that the
Amount In the state treasury on
July I, $780, was. .........s 1l5,lSS 10
Received by the state treasury
from July 1, 1880, TO June 80. 1891 $500 So 10
/
Making total OF ...............s GiT, eo9@i
| Disbursements by the state treas
urer from July I, ls0J. TO June 30,
Leaving balance in the treas
ury July /, lSg. ..............S Isl.lo@a@
The governor referred to the drawing
OF &, 900 by one editor for publishing
proposed amendments to the constitu-
| fion the total cost of which, paid 10