The Lamar register., 1902-02-19

Among the amendments suggested to
the fiat tax section Is one eXempting in
surance companies from the operation
of the law. 1t is claimed that this
would put domestic companies on n
plane with foreign corporations, which
is not the case under the workings of
the present law. 1t Is generally agreed
that all corporations should be treated
Alike and that the rate should be
cents on each $1,000 of capitalization,
where the par value OF the stock Is
more than 81. and 2 cents per 1000
shares where the par value is less.
The House on Wednesday continued
the debate on the revenue bill. In or
der to avoid double taxation 1t was de-
termined to assess real estate and the
mortgages thereon as a unit This
was the intent of the old law, but some
assessors did not properly interpret 1t.
Onerous court fees provided in the orig
inal bill We're stricken out by acclama-
ton. The state will lose $2S,OO0 in
revenue. but it is believed that the
fees did an injustice to litigants. The
House refused to exempt druggists
from the payment of the $50 license
imposed OH the sellers of liquors.
The missing roll call on the third
reading and final passage of the reg
ular session of Tanquary's employers
liability bill has been found. 1t was
folded up and hid away in the Senate
journal. and its resting place has been
fingered by n score of persons since the
labor organizations began their search
for the missing bit of paper. To Sem
ntor J. Frank Adams of this county
I. fp,. ba Iisanvnrv
The find was made Tuesday afternoon
during session of the Senate commit
tee appointed to investigate the disap-
pearnnce of the roll call.
The agitation for the repeal of the
Bucklin amendment was renewed Fri
day. The House committee reported
favorably upon the Adams bill to ac-
complish that purpose, but recon-
mended that after 1t passed second
reading it be submitted to the Su-
preme Court for an opinion upon its
validity. This morning an agreement
will probably be reached to postpone
consideration of the repeal bill until
after the revenue bill has been dis
posed Of This should cause the issue
to be first determined in the Senate.
Senator Bucklin and his friends claim
n majority in both houses.
After the reading Of the journal
Monday morning Mr.. Ballnger of Park
arose to question of personal privi-
lege. The Republican had asserted on
Sunday morning that he had intro
duced a railroad commission bill, know
ing that it was unconstitutional and
hoping TO use it to wiring favors from
the corporations for his many relatives
who were employed by the roads. AS
Mr.. Ballinger proceeded 1t was appar-
ent that he was very much affected.
AZ presented the bill in good faith"
he said. 81 believe the Democracy
owes it to the people of the state to en-
act it. Its constitutionality has been
affirmed by the highest court in the
land. One provision of my bill con-
slider of especial importance, and 1t
was suggested by the death of my son,
who was killed while acting as engl-
neer OIL the South Park, September
21st. 1t provides that the commission
shall inspect the roadbed and equip
ment of the roads and see that they
are safe. If such law had been OIL
the statute books my boy might have
been alive, and its enactment now will
save many lives"
In discussing the revenue bill the
other day Mr.. Montgomery condemned
the Supreme Court for compelling the
rectification of the assessments of the
board of assessors. Judge Campbell
returned from Europe in order to make
that decision" said he. at would have
been to the eternal credit of the state
If he had remained in Europe. The
purpose of the decision was to permit
Judge Riner to get his nose in. and he
succeeded. His opinion was not le
gal but political opinion. Nay, nay
not that-it was corporation decis
ion. 1t will go down to posterity n
the greatest monument to disgrace
ever erected in this state. The judge
went even farther than he was asked
He not only declared the board of thir
teen assessors unconstitutional, but hi
announced that the Legislature coult
not vest assessing power in the fifty
seven assessors sitting as a board. He
| said that an assessor had no authority
outside his own county. We hav,
6fty-seven sheriffs created by the same
| law as the assessors, and no one Uues
| lions their power outside their hom,
counties. 1t is an inherent power il
| the Legislature to confer additional au
| thority upon n statutory or constitu
| tiOnal officer so long as that authority
| makes for the interests of the state
| That was never questioned until we Sc
| cured a new class of lawyers and cor
porations decided to dodge their taxes