North Park union., 1902-03-21
PROCEEDINGS OF THE EXTRA
SESSION OF THE LEGISLATURE

HI 0NA = = - A\6
Martins insun0nce bill met unex-
nected defeat In the House at the be-
ginning of the afternoon session. This
bill had passed second reading by
big majority. 1t provided a tax OF
$3.50 ON every $1,000 of gross receipts
of insurance companies. Those who
were aye on second reading and no
ON the third are: Ballinger, Bell, Boil
singer, Galley, Cannon, Carringer,
Chisholm. Davis, Dunlavy. Eaches,
Garcia, GOrman, Hammond, Insiey,
Lewis, I.orber, Madden, Mclean,
Montgomery Q.arimer), Pitschke, Po-
chon, Sanchez, Smith and Taylor.
The passage of the mining sections
in the Senate Is in sharp contrast with
the prolonged war that occurred over
this part of the revenue bill in the
House. The reading of the sections
began at 4:3O o'clock and each Of the
sections substituted by the finance
committee for the House sections was
adopted practically without debate up
to the last word of the last section.
The word locality" caused the only
discussion of the afternoon, Senator
Seldomridge seeking to change 1t to
County" The amendment was lost,
and the committee arose while this one
section was yet unadopted.
Speaker Montgomery has signed the
Burwell resolution congratulat1ng Mr.
Davidson upon the advent OF the
princess" Evangellne, named In honor
of Representative Hearth, the only
woman member. The happy father dis
tributed several boxes Of cigars among
the members yesterday. This Is the
second time the House has taken oft-
cial cognizance of the advent OF q
baby. During the regular session the
wife of Representative Lyttle present
ed him with boy and the House
christened the youngster Benjamin
Franklin Montgomery Lyttle In honor
of the Speaker.
Senator Joel L. Smith had dlstin-
guished visitors Monday. The Earl
of Fingall and Colonel V. j. G. de
Burgh called upon him In the Senate
chamber. He led them around the cap
itol building, took them up into the
dome and showed them the wonders OF
the world; down into the cellar and let
them gaze Mt the big game they can no
longer hope to get a shot nt, and let
them look Mt the state officials for
brief moment. He then took them over
to the House, which he explained to
them as known throughout the state
as the cave of the winds. Then they
passed through the cloak room into the
Senate chamber.
"I am n Democrat" said Senator
Bucklin yesterday, when questioned
concerning the story that organized Ia
Dor contemplated naming labor tick
ct with him as the candidate for gov
ernor and the Australasian tax amend
ment as the principal plank in Its plat
form. $50 long as my party adheres
to the principles which attracted me to
1t l shall support It's tickets and ad-
wise my friends to do so. l was once
n Republican, and was hOnored by
that party. Then time came when
could not agree with Its policies and
Joined the Populists. A year ago,
with the other Populist senators,
entered the Democratic caucus, and
that remains my home"
Shall the corporations be assessed
upon the average market value OF their
stocks and bonds, minus such proper
ty as is not actually used In the opera
tion of their business, or shall the
state board of equalization return to
the old method and endeavor to deter
mine the cost of duplication and disre-
gard the intangible values attaching
to the property? That is the problem
with which the Senate is confronted.
In the opinion of the many the Martin
Schweigert amendment adopted by the
House is SO loosely drawn that the
assessing power may disregard the
value Of the stocks and bonds, and
base the valuation upon other evil
dence Senators Clay b. Whitford
and John Rush are leading the fight
to have the value of the stocks and
bonds the sole standard of valuation,
while Senators Seldomrldge, Hume
Lewis and w. II. Adams favor giving
the board more latitude.
An important measure considered by
the House is the Montgomery remedial
net to validate the assessments of
1901. Owing to the puzzling court de-
cisions and the conflicting assessments
made, especially on corporate property,
there has been some doubt as to
whether the corporations could be
forced to pay their taxes. In order
that no loophole might remain this
remedial act was passed. The Martin
bill, to increase the tax on premiums
of insurance companies from two to
two and one-half per cent, thus adding
$4,000 to the yearly revenue of the
state, was again passed after it had
been recommitted to the committee of
the whole In order that the large mu-
tual companies might be made subject
to the tax. 1t is the desire of the
legislators that fraternal insurance
companies shall not be subject to the
tax, but in attempting to accomplish
that purpose, some of the gigantic mu-
tuals were exempted. The exceptional
clause finally adopted reads as follows:
provided, that nothing in this act
shall be construed as applicable to or
panizations which conduct their busi-
ness as fraternal societies, on the
lodge system, or which limit their cer-
tificate holders to particular secret
order or fraternity"
l.. G. Burton and A. NJ. Sniff, ranch
men of Deertrail, presented two large
sacks of coyote and wolf scalps to the