The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1897-01-08

Them-Pingree Handles the Matter o.
Railroad Fares and Gets After Lobby
lists With Sharp stick, woicott Berates
the Trust Companies Wholssomely and
| HoIcomb Denounces the Pass System
| and Its Eject in Politics.
| Lansing, Mich, Jan. THE two
houses of the legislature convened in
| Joint session this afternoon and listened
TO the address of the retiring and incom-
ing governors. Governor Pingree's ad-
dress at the outset recommends the
Establishment of party conventions. which.
he asserts have become the mediums of
trickery, bribery and fraud. He advo-
Gates instead. the direct vote and the Au-
stralian ballot system. in nominating
candidates.
The governor urges that the property
of interpretations be taxed in the same
manner as other property.
In the regulating Of the granting Of
public franchises, he advises as follows:
Reserve the right to fix rates of
charges; let the construction of plants be
under supervision of the municipality.
Provide that no mortgage be execut-
u,
than one-holf of the cost of the plant.
Require the corporation TO file sworn
statements of its receipts and expedit-
ures, certified by public accountant.
Provide against consolidation Of COM
panies.
Provide that no franchise be extended
during the life Of the original grant.
Provide that no franchise be granted
without being submitted to a vote of the
people,
Governor Pingree favors the establish
ment of state board of arbitra ton and
declares for an inheritance tax and an
income tax.
Present railroad fares in Michigan (ow-
ing to certain features of the charters of
certain roads, were urged to be a proper
subject for legislative action. Governor
Pingree deplored the fact that while, for
instance, the Chicago and Grand Trunk
road is confined to local passenger
charge of cents a mile, the Michigan
Central and Lake Shore are permitted to
charge local fare of 3 cents, and he
adds: 1T is also commonly known that
passengers travelling between Michigan
stations are charged more by the rail-
ways than those who travel through the
state from outside points"
The legislature was recommended to
consider the question of uniform 2-cent
fares
The governor urged that the referen-
dunn practice of referring legislative acts
TO the people be required in the granting
of quasi-public franchises.
After denouncing the trusts and COM
binations of the present day, the gov
ernor warned the legislators against per-
hitting Michigan to become the field for
operations through which great corpora
tons might acquire possession of the
states mineral resources and in con-
nection Herewith control the lake ship
ping interests. He advised consideration
of the supervision of corporations by a
corporation commissioner who should
ascertain the exact available assets of
every corporation before permitting it to
enjoy corporate privileges.
On the subject of railway taxation,
Governor Pingree, while advising dis
pensing with the present system of spe-
cific taxation upon the earnings of such
corporations. urged some steps towards
adding to that system. He advised the
creation of a state board, which should
determine the value of all corporate
property not now taxed locally and
which should levy taxes thereon in the
same proportion that private property is
taxed.
The present taxation of mortgages, he
asserted, is double taxation against the |
borrower.
The governor came out strongly |
against the paid lobbyists who infest |
our halls and added: IF the iegsla- |
tors are not intelligent enough to give |
intelligent thought and action to public |
measures without the aid of those vino |
wine and dine, cajole and fatter and |
bride, at least steps should be taken to |
modify the nuisance. There should be |
some method of enrolment and a fee |
demanded as a condition precedent to the |
right or practice before the peoples legis- |
iative jury.
In conclusion Governor Pingree recon- |
mendS annual sessions of the legislature |
not exceeding sixty days.
TINE TO CALI. A HALT