The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1901-01-12
PINGREE'S MESSAGE.
The Governors Farewell to the
Legislature.
Deals with Taxation Inequalities
Advocates Popular Election of U.
8. Senators-The Military Scam
dal, and other Matters.

sernor In 1896 he was particularly impressed
with the inequalities which existed In the
assessment OF property for purposes OF tax
alton. The unequal distribution OF the
burden of taxation, as between the large
and small owners of property. was brought
most forcibly to his attention. 1t became
more and more apparent to him how skill
fully and stealthily the large property
owners, especially Incorporated companies,
had manipulated the laws of the state, so
as to shift this burden Of taxation from
themselves to the small property owners.
He then adds: Although long strides have
been taken, and an immense amount of
good accomplished, and while the problem
is nearer solution than II has ever been,
yet cannot help but feel that II Col. John
Atkinson. the head and brains of the con-
test for equal taxation, had remained alive,
the principle for which the people have
fought would to-day be firmly established
in the law of the state" -
Summing up the arguments on the ques-
Mon. pro and con, the governor says:
volumes have been written In support
of the principle that the property of rail-
road, telephone. telegraph and express
companies should be taxed upon its assess
nent at actual cash value, by state board
of assessors, and at the average rate of all
taxes In the state Only one argument has
been brought forward against this propo-
.sftion. That argument Is that the present
plan of taxing railroads at a specific rate
.
and that there is no reason why these COM
panies should bestaxed upon assessment at
their actual cash value in the absence of
any reliable data showing that, under the
present system, they are not paying the
same relative share of taxes in the state
as other companies and individuals.
81 have always contended that. whether
they are paying their share or not. the
property of tfrese companies should be
taxed the same as other property is taxed !;
namely, upon assessment at its cash value,
and that until this was done, II would be
impossible to accomplish equal taxation of
all property in the state.
But subsequent Developments have
proved, beyond question, that the conten-
ton of the railroads is untrue. They are
not paying their share of taxes under the
present law providing for a specific tax on
gross earnings. 1t has been shown in the
past that, according to the sworn returns
of the railroads themselves, the cost of
their property in the state amounted to a
total of s300O00,0O0. Making very liberal
reduction from this sum, in order to arrive
at the present value of the property, and
applying the average rate of taxes in the
state thereto, 1t was found that the rail-
roads would not be unfairly treated If their
taxes were more than doubled"
Speaking of the work of the state tax
commission, he submits a table showing
an increase of the assessed valuation of the
property of the state, as the result of only
one years work of the commission of near
ly $3.50, 900, 900. This sum the governor thinks
would be double at the end of another year
If the commission is not hndered in its
work. He then adds: "At the beginning
of the work of the commission the tax
lodging interests claimed that the law was
going to result in the increase of taxes
upon the property of farmers, workingmen
and other small property owners. .
How groundless these criticisms have been
VIII be seen when Ii Is known upon what
property this Increase in assessment has
been made. The statistics of the commits
sion upon this point are not complete as
yet, but from what has been finished / am
able to show you beyond contradiction that
this Increase has been made where 1t should
have been made. namely, upon the property
of those who have been escaping their
share of taxes In the past. and not upon
the property of farmers, clerks, working
men and other small property owners. The
increase OF assessment in rs cities of the
state has been 1888, 900. The records OF
the commission show that this increase
has not been made upon the smaller homes
In the cities The assessment of the prop
erty of the mines of the upper peninsula
has been increased $4,000, 900. The total of
the increase, therefore, in the rs cities and
upon the mines, as above noted. has been
S213 16O, 600 out of the $3.50 900 Coo. 1t must be
remembered, however, that there are many
corporations, situated in villages and
smaller towns throughout the state, and
that large part of the wealth of the state
is invested In timber lands, and upon all
this property substantial increases have
been made. In the case of ], 175 corporations
In the state, the increase of the assessment
of their real estate has been s73, 3l2, $50, and
the assessment of their personal estate $31,-
2S3 499. or total upon these corporations of
$104 ,596,079"
In one of the concluding paragraphs OF
this part of the message Gov. Pingree says
he wishes esnpciallV call n
the fact that, as a result OF the work of the
commission, and the application of the tax
commission law, the rate of taxation in the
state has been reduced from SILT upon
each $1,000 of assessed value in 1899 to $l5.47
In 1900. This reduction of $50 taxes upon
each $1,000 of property in the state. or OF
over 20 per cent. in the rate of taxation in
the state, has been accomplished, not by
raising the assessments of those who have
borne the burden of taxation In the past
but by raising the assessments of those who
have avoided their share of taxes In the
past, and by the placing of property on the
rolls which has heretofore escaped taxation
entirely"
Primary Election Reform.
Primary election reform is the next SUBJ
.5ect dealt with. The delegate system is
condemned, because "of the abuse to which
1T Is and can be subjected is wrong. 1t
should be done away with and, of course.
this means that conventions should be
abolished. In fact, this demand for the
abolition of conventions, and the nominal
ton of candidates by direct vote of the
people, has become so general and en-
phatic that there is nothing for your body
to do but to enact an effective law"
The Colby bill' is objected to on the
ground that II compels the voter to pub
licly announce his party, although 1t per-
mits of secrecy as to the particular candi-
dates for whose nomination he has voted.
Gov. Pingree believes provisions should be
included which shall in effect admit of the
coersion of voters.
In this connection attention is called to
Minnesotas primary election law, especial
ly to those provisions of 1t which make Il
impossible for anyone to know for the can
didates of what party the voter expresses
his preference.
Popular Election OF u. s. Senators.
The governor says he has become con-
WINGED that II Is useless to look to the
United States senate for favorable action
upon joint resolution for the submission
to the legislatures Of the states of a con-
stitutional amendment providing for popu-
lar election of United States senators.
Article v. of the constitution OF the United
States makes It obligatory upon congress.
upon the application of the legislatures OF
two-thirds of the states, to call a conven-