Mexico weekly ledger., 1899-05-18
TAXING FRANCHISES.
THE FITZGERALD BILL IN THE
SENATE AMENDED BY MAJ
0R's MEASURE.
THE SKY is CLEARING UP.
This Senatorial Districts Representa-
tive's Urgent Plea for Equal Tax
alton Elicits Many Eulogies
Senator Major Highly
Complimentsd.


JEFFERSON CRY, May l0.--In my
last letter was not strictly accurate
as 50 certain bills and the names Of
certain Senators.
The Fitzgerald billtaxing franchises
is In the hands OF the Senate Judiciary
Committee. Senator Young, of Kan
sas City, is chairman OF this commit
tee and has had the bin some three
or four weeks.
Senator Millea, of Worth county, is
chairman Of the Railroad Committee
and he holds the House bills regulat-
ing freight rates, taxing express COM
panies, telephone companies. etc.
With these important House bills In
committee, the Senate last week
adopted the resolution declaring that
the Senate would not consider any
bill not on the Senate calendar Mon
day, May 8.
The Senate adjourned Tuesday,
May 5, to- 8 o'clock May 8, and Sem
ator Young went to Kansas City and
did not return until $3.50 p. m. Mon
day. Thus by his own personal action
he made it impossible to put the Fitz-
gerald bill on the Senate calendar, for
his committee had not considered 1t
at all, although he had had IL in his
possession three or four weeks. Did
senator Young know these facts
when he voted for the resolution
above referred TOT When he voted
for that resolution, did he or did he
not intend TO cut OF from the Sem
ate's consideration the Fitzgerald
bill9 When asked in the Senate why
bis eonnittee had not considered the.
bin, his ahswer was: "some par
ties who Sesired to be heard on the
bill had asked him TO walt on them,"
or words to that effect.
Senator Miller was not present
when the resolution referred to was
passed and no one knows how he
would have voted had he been pres-
emit. But there are some things
which be aid know, viz: ~ that
some Of these bills were revenue bills
Of great impprtanoo; t2) that they
had paeaed the House; 90 that they
were In the Interest Of fair and equal
taxation; (A) that these biila would
be opposed by the great corporations
and their agents and henchmen at
Jefferson Cityi (5) that the present
session was drawing to a close and
there was no time to lose in the move
ment of bills.
Senator Miller knew these facts.
He can't deny them; and yet in the
face thereof he held the bills. he
did more and worse-he left the Cap-
ital, went home and at this writing
is still absent. He may have good
reasons for being absent; II so couldn't
he have left the bills in the hands of
his second in charge of the committee
with instructions, or request, to act on
them and report them to the Senator
1t was a knowledge of these facts that
induced Mr.. Hall, of Saline, and MIR.
Kneisley, Of Carroll, to "skin" Senator
Miller in the House Saturday. What
he viii do when be returns to iustiiy
or exonorate himself l cannot say.
One of the boldest and most bare
faced acts the lobbyists ever dared to
do was attempted here last Sunday
and Monday. They actually under
took to organize their friends to adj
journ this Legislature this week, before
the bills referred to could be acted on
and while every committee in each
House was rushing the work of revis-
ion. Idon't think exaggerate when
I say that a large majority Of this
House will stay here until August at
u per day rather than adjourn under
the present circumstances. II the bad
feeling now existing between the
Senate and House gets worse no one
can tell what the result will be. There
are a few men In and about this oapi-
tai who would wreck the State govern
ment and smash the Legislature into
smithereens rather than have the
Fitzgerald bill and other bills herein
referred to become laws.
The Metropolitan Gable Company,
which operates the street railways of
Kansas City, is assessed eS2o, 900, that
is to say, its visible tangible property
is assessed, and perhaps fairly, ct that
sum. asked a Kansas Oity gentle-
man to-day what is the cost market
value OF the cable company's stock
and he answered SIS, ,Oo0, 900. Now from
the actual market value Of the whole
stock, sls, ,o0O, ,OOo, ,dednct the fair value
OF it's visible tangible property and you
have I'll, $50, 900, representing some
thing; whsta The franchise, the ex-