The Yale expositor., 1898-03-18
CALL FOR An EXTRA SESSION
Gov Pingree Wants Corporations
to Pay More Taxes,
LEGISLATURE MEETS MARCH %
The Railroads VIII Receive Particular
Attention-GOvernOr Says Taxes are
UnequaIiy Borne and In Some Cases
are Becoming UnbearabIe.

are Becoming Unbearable.
The long-eXpectcd call for an extra
session of the state legislature has at
last been issued by Gov. Pingree. The
date for the meeting of the extra ses-
sion is Tuesday, March %. The gov
ernors proclamation is as follows:
To all whom it may concern, greeting:
by Sec. g. of Art. of the constitu-
tion of the state of Michigan, it is pro-
vided that the governor shall take care
that the law be faithfully executed.
BY Sec. of the same article he is
given the power to convene the legisla-
ture on extraordinary occasions
by Sec. II of Art. II it is made the
duty of the legislature to provide an
uniform rule of taxation.
BY Sec. II of the same article ''all
assessments hereafter authorized shall
be on property at its cash value.
These provisions have been part of
the fundamental law of the state since
1850.
In violation of the spirit, if not the
letter, of these provisions of the con
stitution, laws have been passed from
time to time, by which railroad com
panies, express companies. telegraph
and telephone companies now owning,
according To their own sworn returns,
ut least one-third of the property of
this state, are required to pay only
about one-twcnty-siXth of the taxes
levied for state. county and municipal
1,nf -,
of supporting our schools. asylums and
other public institutions and defraying
the public expenses to fall upon the
farmers, laborers, manufacturers and
other property-owners of the state.
Taxation has, in many parts of the
state. become in the nature of confs-
cation, the amount levied being greater
than the property taxed can be made
TO produce.
The situation has become almost un-
bearable. and demands an immediate
remedy, which can only be given by
the legislature.
1t is the duty of the governor, under
his oath of office. to see that the con-
stitution of the state is obeyed and the
laws faithfully executed. and to sub
nit to the Legislature. from time to
time, his views upon existing mischiefs,
so that a remedy can be provided.
In obedience to this duty, | hereby
call the legislature of the state TO
meet in extraordinary session on Tues
day. 22d day of March, 1898, at noon of
that day. to consider the question of
taxing railroad companies. express
companies, telegraph and telephone
companies and such other matters as
shall be submitted by a special message.
(Signed) Ii. :. PINGREE,
Governor.
The proclamation was issued after a
lengthy conference between Gov. Pin
gree and his lieutenants. and within
two hours after it had been signed GER
! titled copies of it had been made and
were at once mailed by registered let
ter to every member of the legislature.
The fact that the governor ignored
| the two-cent railroad fare question i'm
his call is a surprise to many, as it was
quite generally supposed that this
would be strong card in favor of
special sesson.
State Insurance Commissioner Milo
! ID. Campbell says that a bill has already
been prepared which provides for the
creation of state board of assessors
who will appraise the value of the tax
able property of all railroad, telegraph,
| telephone and express corporations in
/ the state. and levy tax exactly in
! proportion to the average taxes levied
on other property. If railroad taxes
are now too high they will be lowered
/ by this bill. If they are too low, they
will be raised. In other words, the
| bill does not fix the rate the railroads
/ shall pay. 1t says nothing about the
rate, but simply provides for fair val
uation and an assessment on an exact
par with what other property holders
pay. The average ratio of taxes to
valuation on other property through
out the state is easily obtainablc from
the records of the state and of the
counties.
Gov. Pingrec's lieutenants have
| counted their men and confidence in
the passage of such bill is being eX
pressed. There is said to be no doubt
of the passage of the bill in the House.
In the Senate Is votes are counted as
solid for the measure, while five are
classed as doubtful. Among those who
are believed To be doubtful are Sena-
tors Lawrence and Merriman. Sena-
tors Jibb, Thompson, Westcott, Lati-
mer. Mason. and Covell head the list of
anti-Pingree members.