Omaha daily bee., 1899-12-19
PINCREE AFTER RAILROADS
In Response to Call Michigan Legislature
Meets in Special Session,
MUST FACE ISSUE OF EQUAL TAXATION
Constitutional Amendment the only
Remedy Under Decision of
the state Supreme
COurt.


at sea tonight regarding the outcome Of the
! special session of the legislature and all
sides are caucusing informally on a method
Of procedure tomorrow The senate ad-
iourned this afternoon shortly after the Joint
convention after unanimously adopting a
resolution offered by Helm democrat, to
waive all legislative privilege and appear
before the grand jury If subpoenaed In the
house the joint resolution amending the
constitution along the lines laid down by
Governor Pingree was introduced and re-
ferred to the committee on judiciary. BY
tomorrow some definite plan Of action will
have been determined on.
Many favor an adjournment until after
New Years, while some favor the immedi-
ate passage of the resolution and adjourn
ment this week. 1t Is pretty certain that it
will pass the house. Its fate in the senate
is in doubt
Governor Pingree refused to talk upon the
military board scandal. The expose has
caused a tremendous sensation. The board
appears to be further implicated tonight on
account of fiat denial from Attorney Gen
eral Oren that he ever advised Quartermaster
General White in the matter of the alleged
fraudulent sale of or purchase of goods.
The Michigan legislature met in special
session at noon today in response to the call
of Governor Pingree. The governors object is
to secure the passage of a joint resolution
providing for submission to the people at the
general election next November OF an
amendment to the state constitution placing
railways upon the same basis for taxation as
all other property At present the railroads
pay specific taxes upon gross earning.
Interest in the special session is increased
by the fact that the grand jury, which has
returned indictments alleging bribery against
some of the legislators, is still in session
here.
Speaker Adams of the house of Representa-
tives, who is one of the indicted men, pre-
sided today as usual
The message of Governor Pingree was read
this afternoon before the joint session of the
two houses 1t urged the passage of the
proposed joint resolution so as to permit
enactment of laws by the next legislature for
equal taxation of all property at its true
cash value. Said the governor:
THE inequality of our system Of taxation
is so great that immediate steps should be
taken to remedy it.
THE question involved" he said. has for
years been cXhaustively discussed and is
therefore no longer properly open for debate,
but calls for energetic action"
Atkinson Taxation Act.
Governor Pingree referred 10 the history
of the Atkinson railway taxation act, which
was declared unconstitutional by the state
supreme court, and recalled the fact that
joint resolution of similar purport to the
one now proposed passed the house during
the regular session, but died in the senate
committee.
He called particular attention to a clause
in The 1898 platform of Michigan republi-
cans which commended the Pingree adminis-
equal taxation and favored immediate legis-
lation7 for taxing railroad, telegraph, tele-
phone and express properties upon their true
value The message urged that the matter
be considered only matter, of principle.
The governor submitted a table showing
the comparative value of railway property in
the states which most nearly resemble
stating the value at which Michigans rail-
way property would be assessed if worth as
much per mile as such property in the other
states mentioned viz: Indiana, Minnesota,
Ohio and Wisconsin. His deduction from this
was that Michigan railrouc property basel
on such values would pay several times the
amount of revenue to the state which they
now do.
The governor concluded by saying: at is
well for you to remember that there are only
three states in the union in which railroads
pay specific taxation upon the gross earn
ings."