Mexico weekly ledger. (Mexico, Mo.) 1855-1956, 1899-04-27
FITZGERALD BILL PASSED TIE
HOUSE BY A PRACTICALLY
UNANIMOUS VOTE.
A FINE REVENUE PRODUCER.
Now Pending in the Senate Where
There IS serious Objection to 1t by
Some Democratic senators
Mr.. Hall, Of Saline, Also
Wants to Tax Fran
ses-Capt. O. T.
Aliens Letter.



JEFFERSON CTTY, Mo-, April 20.-I
Some time ago the House passed by
practically unanimous vote the Fits
gerald bill, which provides for a tax
upon that invisible and intangible
species of property commonly called
"franchise." 1t Is without doubt a
good bill and a just one. Itwould add
very materially to the State revenue
and prove itself to be fine revenue
producer. 1t is now pending In, the
Senate and / understand there is seri-
Gus objection to 1t among some Demo-
cratic Senators. One is that 1t cannot
be applied to private business corpor-
ations, because II so applied 1t would
become class legislation, which lie for
hidden by the state constitution. It is
in the hands Of the judiciary commit
tee and some OF its friends should
press for q report. II it really needs
amendment let the fact be known. 1t
is too good bill to be neglected.
There seems to be no objection to its
applying to all public or quasi-public
corporations.
The Faris beer bill, which passed
the Senate after warm debate and
came to the House last week, was
favorably reported from the Ways
and Means Committee Monday. The
Republican minority OF the committee
reported adversely because, they said,
the bill was revenue bill disguised as
sanitary bill, and for the further
reason that the bill is contrary to the
Federal constitution iu some way
which they dfd not particularly state
in their report. II the House should
pass this bill and the Governor sign 1t
the brewers will go to the courts Of
the State and thence to the Supreme
Court OF the United States on ques-
tions of constitutional law involved ia
1t, and II finally successful IL will be
years before the State will get any
revenue from it. The aame remark
may be applied to the Fitzgerald fran
chise bill. Both of these bills are OK
cellent revenue producers and they
should be perfected so as to avoid CON
stitutional objections.
In the event these bills fail, or II
passed, should fail to bring immediate
revenue to the State, Mr.. CLARK, Of
Audrain, has introduced a bill requir-
ing all corporations, domestic or for
eign, doing business in this State to
get license each year to do its busi-
ness. The license fee is Csc for q, 900
OF stock, and said fee is to be paid on
or before August each year. 1t will
at once be seen that this is far
reaching bill. 1t has not gone far |
enough along the line of Legislation to
And out what it's opponents will say |
against 1t. 1t is estimated that such
bill will bring to the State treasury
between two and three hundred thous-
and dollars each year. Mr.. CLARK says |
from the best information he can get
there are in domestic corporations |
about s425,OOO, 600; in foreign corpora
tions doing business in this State about
S53, ,00o, 900, and in railroad corpora
tions about s1o5,OOO,OOO, a total of
about 1875, 600, 900. This would "pan
out"about s1es, 900 per year or $3.50, 900
for two years.
The more l hear about revenue and |
taxation and the more l reflect upon |
the fact that millions and millions of
dollars of property, visible and ipvisi-
BILE, tangible. and intangible, are es-
Gaping taxation and thereby increas-
ing the burden upon the shoulders
of the people, the more thoroughly
am convinced that one OF Missouri's
greatest needs is constitutional con-
vention, provided one could be had
free from the influence of corporate
power and syndicated wealth. Will
the people OF all parties and regard
less OF political affillatlon even realize
the stubborn fact that they are bear
ing more than their share of the bur-
dens of government, while corpora
tions and corporate wealth are having
a royal time? Tue people can rule
this State and this nation IL they will
say the word and in an earnest tone
give the command, Forward, march,"
Will they do I'll II so, why fear
constitutional conventionf
Mr.. Hall, of Saline, some time ago
introduced a bill to tax franchines-I
somewhat like the Fitzgerald fran
chise bill. When 1t came up in the
House Tuesday last Mr.. Sickles, of
Putnam, offered q substitute for II, and