The Worthington advance., 1903-01-16

propflatec, put epDropfiAte0 early IN tnS
thus complete the building n the short:
est period OF time. The building shouIo
possible. m for many maj Of our state depart
ments. such ~ the board Of health. the
board Of railroad ana warehouse COM
saess iocstsd some @ distspcs & S from m the present
ssPssHs s1pense snd a the % :s@e ti9s treat IN:
sSs :sass win snessns funa.
there 10 no reason Why the new capitol
should not be completed and ready Tor
occupancy July 4. 1904.
Gross Earnings Law.
A matter Of much importance and one
in which the people Of our state nt are
enlist your attention. refer to the
gross earnings system under which rail-
way companies pay into the state treas
IN osr %
tS question ~ tor e'' your S' consideration ~
the ai he sst ssa
your body. after the most careful de-
liberation and thorough discussion. i was as
that The sn+ rate snond eaSt
law to that effect was passed. This lay.
could not, however. take effect and be
in force unless the same was adopted and
Of the state voting at the election at
which the same was submitted.
Pursuant to this requirement OF the
the general election held on the 4th day
Of November last The reg; required lss,,,t ma !.
however. not to be regarded as an e1-
ure It was due to the fact that many
Of M @ Ses yst'
had not been called specifically to 1t.
and its import was not suf1ciently under.
and as0 the
part Of the voters; and from the further
aS tea of se
ure as submitted did increase the reve.
emPhatical!y that some plan .;anuI1 should 5s ee
give attention, to measures requirins
tionai amendments: Under an old iax
at the bottom Of the ballot: but owing to
the fact that the voters failed to heed
them. the law was changed requiring ing
Of the ballot. It was hoped that this
acter. the most conspicuous place ! upon
hs The has Mo9S mot seen sexs
cipated. and 1t seems imperative that
your body should SO legislate that the
attention Of voters fter Will be more meet
the difficulty referred to. would suggest
q plan, to which am advised there is
n9 iefa for SoSs aaqetu ane
is to so amend existing laws that each
proposed constitutional amendment OF OF
ballot upon being voted. II deemed nee
essary. be placed by the Judges Of elsc.
ton In separate ballot box: :,: This pi1a pia1aa
effectively meet the difficulty referred to.
Before leaving the gross earnings sub
ject permit me to call your attention to
language Of the present law and a3s, the lax y
the last election. This difference gave
rise to considerable .nd 6,scsai& N W}ev of the
fact that the difference referred to makes
a radical change in the method OF com,
s5sss IN sFeat bi
to this subject. That the difference may
be fully Understood I quote from the
Law ssrainfs 81 foeSs sa be construed
mean all earnings on business besinnins
and ending within the state and 2 pro-
portion based upon the proportion Po tSs .0f Of
tire mileage over which such business
is done."
the law pssssa st the III last lessee senerat al
the late election the term gross earnings
is declared and construed,
ito mean all earnings On on business 9sa s;.Pe. pc.
ginning ana end11s IN s.yninen Of all inter-
state business passing through. into OF
out Of the state as the mileage operated
within the ssats Sy sue to hs
pai: as IN ,a% yUof incTessine wssaG the rate: earn
estiy reeommsnd that you aaGps Sn1es. yoS 1os
iane1hhee etheeeo9fhiy 9t e satisfied that there are
serious legal objections thereto In any my
event, let the bill be so drawn that there
eae one per PEI e Cent above the present: rate:
In view of the fact that officials ana
others who have given the matte5
that a rate Of per cent is Just and eq9'i- '
table and substantially exacts from rail-
Way companies that they would 20 re-
ufea to pay taey mens that the - rate
be fxed at per cent.
Constitutional Amendments.
At the last general session a law was
passed providing for q tax commission
whose duty it was to frame tax code
for our state. and also to prepare q piu
ffonai 1E nli'I a%Rendme1ts. RaSdt M Pursuant thereto
commission was duly appoin!ea. Wntc5 Wt5
commission made its report and p presente1 e;aa ee
tax cSSs f9s repertea
that owing to constitutional Limitations
it was very much hampered and restricted
in the preparation Of the code proposed
At the extra session. called immediately
after the filing Of the report OF the COM
mission, and after the most thorough con-
sideration OF the subject matter. 1t was
our state for adoption or rejection at tne
next general election q certain Proposeo
amendment to the constitution. The said
amendment was submitted to the electors
of the state at the election held on the
4th day Of November last, and OWING 20
failure ON the part Of the voters to vote
upon the proposed amendment the same
failed to receive the majority provided for
by the constitution and was lost. Ine
proposed amendment, II the same had
been adopted and ratified by the voters
Of the state, would have removed many
Of the restrictions Of which the tax com
abled the legislature to pass many tax
measures which seemed to be imperative
and required under existing conditions:
I earnestly recommend that you prQvide
for the resubmission to the people OF the
amendment as submitted as the last cleo.
tion. Should such proposed amendmeni
be submitted to the people and be adopted
and ratified, the door would then be open
for new methods of taxation. Under such
conditions the legislature would be en-
abled to pass q graduated income tax: