Mexico weekly ledger. (Mexico, Mo.) 1855-1956, 1899-06-01
FRANCHISE TAX BILL.
CAPT. ALLEN TELLS OF THE DIS
POSITION OF THE MEASURE
BY THE LOWER HOUSE.
MEMBERS AROSE AND LEFT HALL.
Between the Absentee Democrats and
the Republicans the People Of Mis-
souri, Were Left in the Lurch
Eight Votes Would Have
Carried the Bill.

Il
To the Editor Of the Ledger.
MEXICO, Mo-, May 25.--In my last
letter, dated May 81 and published In
Tuesdays issue of the LEDGER, !
stated how the Senate was prevented
from voting on House bill No. 5,which
was the revenue and taxation bill,
having In IL franchise taxing clause.
The Senate adjourned at the dictation
of the lobby before the conference re-
port could be made, but the House
received the report and by large
vote refused to adopt that way of set
Ting the differences between the Sem
ate and the House, recommended by
the majority of that conference COM
mittee.
In order to understand fully the
situation il is necessary to call at
tention to one or two clauses in
this bill No. s. When that bill left
Mr.. o. F. Olark's Ways and Means
Committee and was reported to the
House on May Q, when it was plain
that the Senate Revised bill No. 16
would not pass, 1t had this section I.
1t, viz:
"Section 1. For the support and
government Of the State, the payment
OF the public debt and the advance
ment OF the public interest, taxes
shall be levied on all property, real
and personal, including all public or
quasi-public franchise, owned or held
In anyway by any person, persons,
arm, company, association, co-part-
nership or corporation" excepting,
Of course, that public property named
as exempted from all taxes by the
constitution OF the State.
Now, / ask all fair minded men to
pause one minute, read these words
over again and FIX In their minds the
fact that this clause Axes the same
tax on alt property 1t goes further
and says that "aIl property" shall in
clude tall public or quasi.public fran
chise," no matter who owns the said
franchise.
Let me quote from this bill;
"5ection 4. All personal property
OF whatsoever nature, wherever sit
uated, shall be assessed In the county
where the owner resides, and the
owner in listing said property shall
specifically state in what county, state
or territory It Is situated or held"
Let me state here that this section
is new one, never before enacted
into law. Read 1t over again and
reflect minute or two on it's mean
ing, and realize, II you can, what an
immense amount OF money Isreached
for taxation by this section.
The bill passed:the House by good
majority. 1t was sent to the Senate.
1t was not satisfactory to that august
body. 1t was amended SO as to read
as follows, viz:
"Section /. Taxes shall be
levied on all property, real and per-
sonal, and the franchises of all public |
or quasi-pubIic corporations, includ-
ing the franchises OF gas, water, cleo
trio light and telephone and conduit
companies, and all franchises owned
or operated in any way by any person,
persons, firm, company or association
OF persons OF q public or quasi-public
nature"
There we're other Senate amend
ments, but this was the important one.
When the bill came back to the House
thus amended, the House didn't like
the amendment. It specified the
of gas companies, electric
light companies, &c., but 1t didn't
specify railroads, street railway fran
chIses, express company franchise.
The House was afraid the Senate
might not hit railroad,
street railway franchises, &C., 80 IT
amended the Senate amendment by
the words, ''rRilroad, street
railway, expressn franchises along
with gas, water, &C., franchises.
This House amendment was the shot
that struck the franchise lobbyists, 1t
put them on their metal and they
went to work TO prevent vote ever
being taken in the Senate on that bill
as amended by the House amendment
TO the Senate amendment and they
succeeded In preventing that vote as
before stated.
The conference committee, major
Ity of them, recommended that the
House recede from its amendment to
the Senate amendment. A minori-
ty recommended that the House stand
by Its amendment. The vote on the
conference report was taken Sstur-
day night between 0 and 10 O'Clock
and the House stood by It's amend