The Red Cloud chief., 1899-01-13

may be abolished and all shall be rc.
and just share to the public revenues.
To what extent and in what particu-
lar feature is left TO your Judgment.
The legislature two years ago added
materially to the revenues OF the
state by an amendment to the law re-
garding charges in the office of sccre-
tary of state for filing articles of in
corporation and in other respects.
Whether other amendments OF a SINH
lar character TO existing laws, which
would be equitable and just to all con
cerned, l submit is worthy of your
careful consideration.
The governor urges the legislature
to enact al inheritance tax and says it
would be n source of large income as
the state grows in population and
wealth. He also says that some provi-
sions should also he made whereby
the large floating indebtedness now
outstanding may he gradually re-
duccd until finally eNtinguished.
lie especially urges the legislature
TO enact laws that will secure greater
revenue from fire and life insurance
companies.
He also recommends that the legisla-
ture carefully consider the reports of
the various state officers, and the
needs of the state institutions, and adj
yises that the state labor commission
CT bureau be kept, and more literally
provided for that il might do better
work with more bcneficent results.
He also speaks Il good word for irrigl-
ton, urges amendments to live stock
laws to the end that stock may he
better protected. He recommends the
amendment of the supreme court com-
mission law so that the services of a
commission may be secured until by
constitutional amendment the number
of Supreme Court Judges may be in
creased and the business OF the court
disposed without the aid OF commits
s%ioncrs.
He enters AT length into the case of
railroad regulations, reviews the his
tory of past legislation and calls upon
the legislature to enact laws that will
give the public relief in regard to
rates.
STOCK YARDS REGULATIONS.
The last legislature passed an act
to regulate certain stock yards by de-
c!aring them public markets and de-
tining the duties of the person or per-
sons operating the same and rcgulat-
ing all charges thereof and providing
penalties for the violation thereof.
The Union stock yards of South
Omaha, a corporation subject to the
provisions of this act, had itself, or,
perhaps, more accurately speaking, its
managing officials, who were crea-
lures of its own making, enjoined from
putting in force the rates Of charges
~, Ia.. ,,A,t1A1 a-I Aha anan
seems TO be travelling the same road as
the maximum freight rate case, except
moving by slower stages, il that were
possible. A humorous, if not ludi-
| crous, incident transpiring in the pro.
ceCdings of this case is worthy of note.
If l am correctly informed. after the
stockholders had applied for an in
junction restraining the managing Of
ficers from putting in force the rates
of charges provided by statute and
from lowering the rates then prevail
ing, and the court had granted the in
junction, the Kansas City stock yards
company reduced their rates to on
form to the requirements of an act
passed by the Kansas legislature and
upheld by the courts OF that state.
The injunction was doubtless applied
| for and granted upon the theory that
the company could not conduct its
| business with profit at the rates pro-
vided by statute, but the law of COM
| petition proved more effective than
the statute and compelled the lower
ing of rates at the South Omaha stock
| yards. This necessitated another APP
plication to the court to be permitted
to reduce the rates which they them
| selves had declared would bring ruin
- Da1..f ,..n.
ly extended by the court and the rates
were reduced so that the average
charges are no higher than allowed by
the act in controversy. However, what
the company does voluntarily it is not
willing that the Legislature shall by
statute require it to do, and the case
is still pending.
The same general principles seem
10 be involved as in the maximum
freight rate cases. The people have a
right to have the case speedily tried.
If the act in question is not valid W.
ought to ascertain a reasonable time
wherein it is defective, so that the
legislature may remedy the defect and
by suitable legislation give to the peo'
pie such protection from unjust exac-
tons as they may rightfully demand.
What I have said regarding the delay
in the final adjudication of the maxi
mum freight rate case applies with
equal force to the litigation over the
stock yards regulation act. X
l suggest the propriety of some ac-
ton on the part of the legislature urg-
ing the advancement and speedy de-
termination of cases of this character.
If laws of the state are to be annulled
and their operation suspended by the
extraordinary writ of injunction, n
proceeding in itself of doubtful pro-
priety, certainly the state may right
fully insist that the litigation shall be
expedited and involve no unnecessary
delay.
In relation to free railroad transpo--
tation the governor submitted to the