The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-04-20
DOMESTIC TOPICS.
DEBT-LIMIT PRoR1EM AT Ro. a CHESTER.
Populistic Legislation in Colorado Reappearance of Jerry Simpson Housing of the Poor at Wash ihgton-Smooth' Coins
 Legal Tender.

New York Evening Post.
 The Metropolis Is not the only city or this State which has debt-iimit prooien
 There is d very lively one at Rochester: just now engaging the active tnought oI the officials and responsible citizens or that city. Rochester's debt 1s' ana mas long been, at the consututionai hmit, ana the latest bond issue is questioned. on the ground that the city has no right to in- cur the indebtedness. Unless the city of- ficfals can devise reform m the man agement of the city finances all puplIc improvements will be stopped Tor an in- definite period. An issue of Sloo,ooo or school bonds has already been rejected. The subject has been pretty generally nc glected by previous city administra- tions, though it has leng been apparent that something would have to pc dqne 2ss present Mayor hAe just sent a message to the, Council. in. which he discusses the whole liatter with new earnestness. one of the causes of the large. c1ty dept' ne says. is the credit which the .city IS ex- struction of local improytmtnts. An other source is debtedness incurred by the citys on account of overdue taxes A vigorous effort. the Mayor tntnks, ought to be made at once to correcIt peIn these s evils. but he does not see. even m such a course. full relief from me present un. situation. He sueEests that some way be found~of mdKinE Iocal m rrovemeffts without incurr1ng ?ty inoeDt- edness. The suggestion ts pernaps p 7. vaio- uo- chester, but it would undoubtedly be much more valuable ifthe Mayor had indicated just how this could be accomplished. In any event, his message contains much that is suggestive. He makes no men. ton of an amendment to the Constitution proposed by some citizens. permittne cities to become indebted, up to b per cent. instead of 10 per cent. of their val uation. He evidently does not favor the idea, and it is pleasing to note that the proposition is not finding favor in public discussion at Rochester.
 The Fusion legislators of Colorado had fine time this year with the railroad and corporate interests of she state mucn to the delight no doubt, of 1ong-bearded constituents firm in the Populistic faith, but some of the results may not be so de- lightful. The Pullman Car Company, for instance, decided to withdraw from the plan, which 1t had under way. to extend inc Pullman shops in Denver so as to employ 800 instead of 300 skilled workmen; Mir Wickes, Vice-President of the Pull man Company. did not mince matters Tn announcing the company's, decision and the cause of it. ''The company wln not,
 he said, Ego out of its way to build up community which turns about ana tries to rob the company. The Pullman com pany. under the new revenue law, IS taxed more unjustly than any other cor poration, and we do not propose tamely to submit" This will be described by the PopuIistic orators as simply an interest. ing suuirm of the wounded octopus, bu, sensible people will see that at least Den- yer will be a serious sufferer.
 The provisions of the new law. so far as they relate to the Pullman Company, are intricate, though probably effective. They arc substantially as follows. The
 Afek nA tafaaA aAyrf showing the total number of miles trav- eled by all its cars in the State of Col orado in the year in which it is taxed, together with the total number or miles travelled within and without the State by all its cars in the year, also stute- ment showing the total capital. repre- scented in stocks and bonds. and also the proportion of the capital which is tnvest- ed in other lines of business than the op. eration of railway cars. The State Board of Equalization must average for a year the market quotations on the company 's stock and bonds. and deduct the propor' ton which represents the car-buildlna shops. real estate, and other assets, mol used in operating its cars. Then it mus,
 figure out the proportion of mileage oi the cars in Colorado to the mileage in all the rest of the world, and levy on val uation based on the amount of capital used in the operation of the cars. Under this law a Pullman car which runs from
 
 with six passengers must pay heavier tax than q car which runs from Albany to Buffalo in New York.
 Time was when the name Of Jerry Simpson was one to conjure with, not only at Medicine Lodge. but through all tho rest! ess State of Kansas. But. despite his peculiarities and his curious person. ality, it turned out that he was not o1 the type which persists politically, and Iatteriy. he had passed out of the public view He turned up again the other day at Denver. Col, cheerful as usual. ano unusually prosperous. It appears that nc Is now engaged in the cattie-raasing bus. mess in New Mexico. He is enthusiastic as of old, and just now Is engaged in promoting the next annual convention of the Live Stock Association at Kansas City He hopes to be instrumental Tn making 1t the greatest in the history of the association. Expansiveness is not new with Jerry. He brings many opin- tons with him out of the New Mexican wilds. indicating that he still reads the papers. Bryan, he thinks. will not be the next Democratic candidate for President. his views being too definite" The ex- Kansan opposes the oleomargarine bill. and above all else favors the choice of Secretary of the Interior from the re- zion beyond the Missouri River.
 Some of the leading citizens of Wash ington, D. C., are awaking to the fact that while other cities have been taking up and, in a measure. solving the vexed ques- ton of proper housing of the poor. con- ditions of the most distressing character have been permitted to exist, practically without notice. under the very shadow of the national Capitol. Attention was re- gently drawn to some of these conditions by the Secretary of the local Charities Association. and now meetings are being held, committees are being appointed. and there is general air of determination to make up for past delay, carelessness, and neglect The worst of the situation is