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


should always be practiced. but the neces-
sity for reducing the cost OF maintenance,
Il possible, was never more keenly felt
than at the present time. In making APP
preparations for current and other ex-
penses Of the institutions II is hoped the
legislature will not be less mindful of the
conditions that render appropriations neces-
sary than of the strain that every adj
ditional dollar appropriated puts on the
strongly of the opinion that supplies for
the various institutions should be bought
OF Michigan producers. Considerable sums
and other supplies that come to our institu-
lions from other states, while the farm
ers of our own state, who are taxed for
the support of the institutions, are COM
PEELED to go away from home to find a
market for their cattle and produce. 1
Is wrong s9n WIZ agee Wi5h me thas this
to prevent 1t, you may be depended on to
Permit me to direct your special attention
to the university. This great Institution
should under no circumstances be crippled
It's reputation as one of the great Ameri-
has been endowed by the people and has
been maintained by them with spirit OF
pride and often at great sacrifice. It's
world, and they should be men of independ-
ent thought, ready and willing to meet all
great questions of modern civilization and
advancement with an intelligent and en-
lightened public spirit.
Tho Lobbyist.
1 cannot refrain from expressing my
views upon the subject of the professional
lobbyist. AT every session of the legisla-
ture just measures are killed by the enc
mics of good government and equal rights
and the means used to compass their death
are the paid lobbyists who infest our halls.
II the members of the legislature are not
Intelligent enough to give independent
thought and action to great public meas
ureS without the aid of those who wine and
dine and cajole and hatter and bride, at
least some steps should be taken to modify
the nuisance. do not propose to formulate
rules for the government and control of
those whose business it is to obstruct leg
islation. All attorneys who practice before
courts ard Juries must be admitted as
members of the bar and are required to pay
certain fees and observe certain rules. If
the lobbyist, like the poor, must be always
with us to aid In thinking and assist us In
acting and furnishing US food and drink,
there should be some method of enrolment
and fee demanded as q condition prece-
dent to the right to practice before the peo-
knowledge that some of these professionals
have secured large retainers from indi-
viduals and corporations who are inter-
ested In obstructing honest legislation, and
L trust roll will be made of all such in
order that their particular purpose may be
clearly known and understood. 1t unfor-
tunately happens that in the past at least
few of the members of both houses have
occupied the dual capacity of legislators
and lobbyists. being paid by the people a
small salary to serve in the former capacity
and being hired by the peoples enc
miles at high salaries to serve in the
other capacity. 1t has been necessary for
these to be enrolled as their real employers
are generally discovered early in the ses-
sion of the legislature. 1 trust that there
are no such public servants in the present
legislature and that such evil work Will not
be felt or recognized.
Public Franchises.
The question of granting public franchises
by the state and by municipal authorities,
and the conditions under which they should
In afA.l atN1 AkAl ss. - 4.
greatest problems with which we have to
deal. A public franchise, when 1t has
passed beyond state or municipal control
sovereign or municipal power. It may
become an engine of oppression and
corruption. The, moment a franchise is
few of their number the right to exercise
public function, and the question which
should be considered is what proportion of
that right should be reserved to the people
themselves in the way of regulation and
control
Combinations and consultations by fran
chise owners in cities are going on all over
the United States These combinations and
consultations are for the purpose of keep
ing up tolls The amount of wealth that is
being accumulated in the hands of a few
by these favored holders of special priv
ileges is appalling. These tolls are indirect
taxes, and to the extent that the right to
ereign or the local power to the franchise
owner, to that extent the right to levy
municipality appoints an agent for period
of 30 years, more than the life of a genera
ton, and before the term has half expired
the agent becomes the master and the
master becomes the slave.
Permit me to. give an example of the
abandonment of such power: A license is
a street railway in a city of 10000 people,
and they are permitted to charge five
cents per passenger for period of 80 years.
cost of carrying passenger was four
cents, and the profit was therefore but 20
per. cent; upon the money actually in
vested. In ten years the population has
increased to 100000 and the cost of carry
ing the passenger is three cents, and the
the profit and
turers and farmers. If the original grant
of the license for that Is all the franchise
is, had reserved the right to regulate
fares, and the municipality had been able
to keep the profit down to 20 per cent,
even the most radical advocate of vested
poration was being oppressed. 1t should
be very clear, then, that the right to regu-
late fares should always be observed. But
the reservation of this right is not all that
is necessary.
Permit me to give another illustration:
81, 100000 After the road is completed it
is mortgaged and bonded for S2,000,000 This
could only be done by executing mort
gage upon the license itself. In other
words. the three men who formed the COM
pany and their associates advanced 81, 000,-
900 and Immediately thereafter placed q
mortgage upon the industry and earnings
of every inhabitant of the city for 80 years |
to come to the amount of 81, DOC, 900, and then |
when the question of regulating the fares |
is brought up the municipal authorities are |
met with the bland statement that the |
original owners have transferred their |
vested rights to innocent purchasers, and |
in order to pay the bonus Of s., 100000 and |
the interest upon 1t for 30 years the COM |
pany cannot live If the fare is reduced
This system of indirect taxation is going |
on in every city of the United States, and |
of millions of dollars of fictitious |
values, which must represent some form |
of human labor, have been created for a |
few by the simple stroke of the pen, and |
in order to pay these immense sums trib- |
ute Is laid upon every man, woman and
child In the country. 1t simply means that |
these hundreds of millions of dollars arc |
to be taken from the ordinary channels Of |
legitimate trade to the injury of every mer- |
camille and manufacturing and farming |
in the land, for no one interest |
can suffer without a corresponding injury |
to all. Is IL not strange that In the presence |
Of this insidious but constant process of
learned financiers, wise
statesmen and profound political scholars
wonder why the few become rich and the
many become poor?
In order to prevent such denominations |
n law should be passed which will prevent |
the execution of a mortgage upon the IL
cense / would suggest the following |
20 IN hn lax a