The Yale expositor., 1897-01-15
Taxes Upon Timber Lands.


The state has suffered great losses in
the past by reason of the failure to col
lect taxes due upon timber lands. The
principle object of the owners has been to
strip the lands of valuable timber and re-
fuse to pay taxes during the time the
stripping process. has gone on. When It
is known that this evasion of the tax
law has been and is now practiced to an
alarming extent by many wealthy people,
both residents and non-residents, some
thing should be done at once to prevent
it, To this end / would recommend the
passage of a law prohibiting the cutting
and removal of timber from lands upon
state Institutions.
The educational, charitable, reforma-'
tory and penal institutions of the state
should all command your earnest atten-
ton, and be subjected to such inspection
as will enable you to provide intellgeatly
for their needs. Economy in their man
agement should always be practiced, but
the necessity for reducing the cost of
maintenance, If possible, was never mora
keenly felt than at the present time.
The number of officers and employees on
the pay rolls should not exceed actual
need for safe and efficient service, and
high or eXtravagant salaries ought in no
case to be paid. False economy and re-
trerchment generally result in loss and
avoided. In my judgment some reforms
i'm the matter OF buying supplies for the
institutions might save 10 the state many
thousands of dollars annually. / am
very strongly of the opinion that supplies
for the various institutions should be
bought OF Michigan producers. Consid-
erahle sums of money are annually eX-
pended for beef and other supplies that
come to our institutions from other states
while the farmers of our own state who
are taxed for the support of the insti-
unions CDmnell9n "a from
home TO find market for their cattle
and produce.
The University.
Permit me to direct your special at
tention to the university This great
institution should under no circumstances
be crippled. Its reputation as one of
the great American universities should
he sustained. II has been endowed by
the people and has been maintained by
them with spirit of pride and often at
great sacrdlcc. Its teachers should
be equal 10 any I'm the world and they
should be men of Independent thought,
ready and willing to meet all great ques-
IL rs Of modern civilization and advance
ment with TN intelligent ard enlightened
public spirit.
The Lobbyist.
I cannot refrain from expressing my
views upon the subject Of the professional
lobbyist. At every session Of the legis-
lature just measures are killed by the
enemies OF good government and equal
rights and the means used TO compass
their death are the paid lobbyists who in
fest our halls. If the members OF the
legislature are not intelligent enough TO
give independent thought and action 10
great public measures without the aid of
those who wine and dine and cajole and
fiatter and bride at least some steps
should be taken TO modify the nuisance.
1t has come to my knowledge that some
OF these profCs SIGNALS have received large
retainers from individuals and corpora
tons who are interested in obstructng
honest legislation. and 1 trust a roll will
be mace OF all such IN order that their
particular purpose may be clearly known
and understood.
1t unfortunately happens that in the
past at least few Of the members of
both houses have occupied the dual ca
pacity OF legislators and lobbyists, being
paid by the people small salary TO serve
in the former capacity and being hired
by the peoples enemies at high salaries
to serve in the other capacity. II has
not been necessary for these to be en-
rolled as their real employers are gen.
orally discovered early in the session of
the legislature.
Public Franchises.
The question Of granting public fran
chises by the state and by municipal
authorities, and the conditions under
which they should be granted and oper-
ated is one OF the greatest problems with
which we have to deal. a public fran
chise, when 1t has passed beyond state
or municipal control. may become a pow
er greater than the sovereign or NUM-
cipal power 1t may become an engine
of oppression and corruption. The mo-
ment a franchise is granted the whole
people surrender to a few of their num-
Der the right TO exercise public tunc-
ton, and the question which should be
considered is what proportion of that
right should be reserved 10 the people
themselves in the way OF regulation and
control.
Combinations and consultations by
franchise owners i'm cities are going on
all over the United States These combin-
atioLS and cons ol!dations are for the
purpose of keeping up tolls. The amount
the hands of a few by these favored
holders of special privileges Is appalling.
These tolls are Indirect taxes, and TO
the extent that the right to regulate the
tolls is abandoned by the sovereign or
the local power to the franchise owner,
TO that extent the right TO levy taxes
Is given away. The state or the municipal
ity appoints an age:.t for a period of
thirty years, more than the life of
generation, and before the term has half
expired the agent becomes the master
and the master becomes the slave.
l would suggest the following amend
ments To the laws perm tting the grant
ing OF franchises to public corporations
such as street cars, electric light, tele-
phone and gas companies.
a. Reserve the right 10 fix rates OF tolls
or charges. CO. Let the construction OF
the plant of every such corporation be
under the supervision of the municipal
ity, so that the actual cost shall be
known. 3D. Provide that no mortgage
shall be executed and no bonds issued
TO a greater amount than one-half of the
actual cost of the plant. a. Require
the corporation each year TO file sworn
statement of its receipts and expendi-
lures certified by a public accountant
who shall have access to its books. (3.)
Provide that there shall be no consol-
dation of one company with another and
that no individual stakeholder of one
company shall own, either directly or
indirectly, any stock in another COM
pany operating in the same city. (6)
Provide that no franchise or license now
existing or TO be granted i'm the future
shall be renewed or extended beyond the
terms of the original grant during the
life of the original grant a. Provide
that no franchise of the character above
enumerated shall be granted by any mum
icipal authority without being submitted
to a vote of the people.
4 appreciate the fact that the passage
of such a law, by which the people can
be protected from extortion and fraud.
will be opposed by every friend of spe-
cial privileged, not only in this state, but
that they will be reinforced by agents
from other states who represent like In
terests. / cannot emphasize in too great
lev fNn aVran sn.gff saFs