The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1897-01-16

BE opposed by every friend of special privi-
leges not only W TINS state; DIi o .nat o th
states who represent like interests.
| 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 LOT
state or municipal ownership OF street
car lines, telephones and other means OF
| transportation and transmission, ana pc,
leve that such a plan should only be adoptei
as a last resort, for in my opinion II woulu
be blow struck at individual enterprise
and exertion, and when these are lost the
virility of the nation will be destroyed.
In this connection desire to n eau ao atten-
tion in securing public franchises and In
the awarding or public contracts. 1t has
always been n principle of law that fraud
vitiates all contracts, and yet It has been
held that the right 10 operate public
franchise Is such divine right that fraud
often referred to In connection with the
case of Jake Sharp and the Broadway street
car franchise. Briher and bribed were
sacred TO be touched. Before the courts
a code OF morals I would suggest that a
law be passed making ali public contracts.
| like private contracts. absolutely void for
Ing the question OF fraud and the time
| within which and by whom 1t can be taken
advantage of must be wisely considered BY
| you.
| Great interest within the past year has
| been manifested in the construction OF
| telephone plants. Previous 70 that time
! the Fell company has had the absolute
monopoly. Th6 rates charged have been
extortionate. II has been argued by some
that the telephone. business Is q natural
| monopoly. There Is no such thing as
natural monopoly in telephone any more
than in railroad or telegraph service. In
the head of public franchises l make the
| following suggestions as to telephones
]. Tho law should Kermit the. fixing OF
telephone rates by the local authorities in
| each municipality or town.
2 All companies should be required TO
| charge the same price for the same serN-
| Ice and no one should be permitted to give
| free service upon any consideration. \
| company which for years has charged
| double rates could for number Of wears
give free service, and the result might be
| TO wreck younger company, destroy cap
ital and enterprise and leave the commune
~ in the hands of the old monopoly.
3. All telephone companies in city
should be compelled to exchange telephone
service, upon terms to be fixed by the
municipal authorities; The present Law
but ] am satisfied that 1t is too indefinite
to be made available.
4. Tho law against consolidation OF tele-
phone companies should be made so posi-
two and emphatic and contain such pen
alties and forfeitures that 1t would be i'm
possible to evade it, ..
Prisons.
ne treatment OF CRIMINALS Is one OF tne
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 a place
for those who were not deemed to be hard
ened criminals. / fear that this purpose
has not always been kept in view. l rec
ommend that some discretion be lodged in
the prison boards for transferring from
lonia 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
can be no greater nursery for crime than a
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.
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 II not
DE DE proper pro- e 10 m, make an enort to secure
not outline at lenght plan for such change.
but would respectfully offer few sug-
It not be well to investigate the question OF
utilizing and charging the present system
OF prison farms to the greatest possible
OF food as may be necessary to feed pris-
oners? II hand labor only were employed
DOtn upon the farms ana within the walls.
Il seems to me that the prisoners could be
kept at work and could produce enough
for their own support without creating n
prisonmade goods the sale a OF er, w,1h
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,
and In order to obviate this j am OF the |
opinion that all prison made goods should |
be labeled and no label should be removed
such law IS oree in tSe state tae
York, and / have been informed with good |
results.
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 |
believe you can find some way by which |
the heid 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 en-
amrne S with O., view to making the same
ind that but few OF the state institu-
tons are supplied with Michigan coal AS
the state Is interested in the DEVELOPMENT
of these mines / 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 a
measure or equal taxation before the,oues-
ton or good roads can be enterSd upon.
indeed, before any measure involving an
APPROPRIATION of public money is seriously
approached. We have before us the los.
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
eoucational 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 hopelessness OF enforcine
equal taxation were willing to SACRIFICE !
along the lines OF education to retain the |
proper support Of the home would there |
iore urge upon the legislature IL the insti-
euI0ns OF the state are to be maintained