The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1897-01-08

Will be reinforced by agents from other
states who represent like interests. i
cannot emphasize in too great a degree
the necessity for some action In the line here
Indicated. Unless some such course is pur-
sued II Will be necessary to provide for
state or municipal ownership of street
car lines, telephones and other means of
transportation and transmission, and be-
lieve that such plan should only be adopted
as last resort, for In my opinion IT would
be a blow struck at individual enterprise
virility of the nation will be destroyed.
IN this connection l desire to call atten-
ton ton TO the question of fraud and corrup-
the awarding of public contracts. 1t has
always been a principle of law that fraud
held that the right to operate a public
franchise Is such divine right that fraud
cannot affect 1t. This matter has been
case Of Jake Sharp and the Broadway street
car franchise. Briber and bribed were
sent to prison. but the fruit of their cor
ruption was held by the courts to be too
sacred to be touched Before the courts
Of Michigan give their sanction to such
law be passed making all public contracts,
like private contracts, absolutely void for
fraud or corruption. The manner of rails
within which and by whom 1t can be taken
advantage of must be wisely considered by
you.
Tel ephones.
Great interest within the past year has
been manifested in the construction of
telephone plants. Previous to that time
the Bell company has had the absolute
monopoly The rates charged have been
eXtortionate. 1t has been argued by some
that the telephone business is a natural
natural monopoly in telephone any more
than in railroad or telegraph service. In
addition to what | have already said under
the head of public franchises / make the
following suggestions as to telephones:
]. The law should permit the fixing of
telephone rates by the local authorities in
2. All companies should be required to
charge the same price for the same serv-
Ice and no one should be permitted to give
free service upon any consideration A
company which for years has charged
double rates could for a number of years
give free service, and the result might be
to wreck younger company, destroy cap
ital and enterprise and leave the communi-
ty in the hands of the old monopoly.
should be compelled to exchange telephone
service, upon terms to be fixed by the
municipal authorities; The present law
but l am satisfied that it is too indefinite
to be made available
4. The law against consolidation of tele-
phone companies should be made so posi-
tive and emphatic, and contain such pen-
alties and forfeitures that 1t would be i'm
possible to evade 1t.
Prisons.
The treatment of criminals is one Of the
veXed questions of the age. Criminals are
OF two classes, corrigible and incorrigible.
These should be kept separate in all jails
prisons and reformatory institutions The
original purpose of the establishment of
the prison at Ionia was to provide place
for those who were not deemed to be hard
ened criminals. / fear that this purpose
has not always been kept in view. 1 rec
ommend that some discretion be lodged in
the prison boards for transferring from
Ionia prison those who have been found
to be incorrigible, and also for transfer
ring from prisons to Ionia such inmates
as may be deemed to be corrigible. There
or Oriyp how
prison which permits the association of the
vicious with those who are merely unfor-
tunate
The care of criminals is another question
which becomes every year a subject for
more serious and thoughtful consideration.
The employment of machinery and the
manufacture of articles which compete
with the products of our great Industries
is in my opinion fundamentally and radi-
cally wrong. Hundreds of great prisons in
the United States have become immense
manufacturing establishments Will 1t not
be proper to make an effort to secure a
change from the present system? L cam
not outline at lenght plan for such change,
but would respectfully offer few sug-
gestions as a basis for legislation. Would
utilizing and charging the present system
of prison farms to the greatest possible
of food as may be necessary to feed pris-
oners? If hand labor only were employed
both upon the farms and within the walls.
It seems to me that the. prisoners could be
kept at work and could produce enough
for their own support without creating q
surplus and thus crowding the market with
made goods in competition with the prod
ucts of free labor has tendncy to reduce
wages. The mingling OF prison-made goods
with others enables those handling the
same. to cut the prices below fair profit,
opinion that all prison-made goods should
be labeled and no label should be removed
fhe na IN ths ct
York, and I have been informed with good
results.
Insurance.
Gov. Pingree discusses at some length
the methods of fixing rates adopted by in
surance companies in Michigan, and de-
clares that by these methods rates of in
tract between the insurer and the insured.
but an assessment without voice and with |
out escape on the part of the person APP |
plying for insurance. He continues:
1 believe you can find some way by which |
the field of insurance may be open to fair |
competition and without injustice being |
that the form of policy In use and author
lied by the. statutes of this state be ex-
more liberal for the insured.
I find that but few of the state institu-
tions are supplied with Michigan coal. AS |
the state is Interested in the development |
of these mines 1 would suggest the pro-
priety of the more extended use of this fuel |
by these institutions, all things being equal.
GOOd ROADS.
There is absolutely no question as to the
necessity OF good roads for Michigan; but |
the state, rendered poor by unequal direct
taxation and eXorbitant indirect taxation,
cannot afford at the present time to enter
into the great work of constructing public
roads at an outlay that will assure sub
stantial highways which will endure for
some time to come. The state govern
ment must first satisfy the people with
measure of equal taxation before thejques-
ton of good roads can be entered upon |
indeed, before any measure involving an
appropriation OF public money is seriously
approached. We have before us the les
son of the spectacle Of the administration
Immediately preceding the present, con-
sciously or unconsciously in aid of those
who successfully shift taxation from their
own to the shoulders of others, cutting
away from the appropriation for the chief
educational institution of the state. And
this in obedience to the wishes of the
largest body of taxpayers in the state
who in their distress, and perhaps aware
of the possible hopeiessness of enforcing
equal taxation were willing to sacrifice
along the lines of education to retain the
proper support of the home. would there
fore urge upon the legislature, II the insti-
tutions of the state are to be maintained
at all; IL the proper work Of the state is not
to be abandoned II all classes of citizens