Truth. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1901-1908, 1905-02-18
LEGISLATIVE NOTES.

seems a reasonable and a good meas
ure. The gist Of it is that corporations
organized under the laws of this state
may, (not shal) instead of electing its
entire board of directors annually as
now required by law, elect one-third or
the number of it's directors for term
| of one year, one-thir0 for term OF
1.-TWO years and one-tbTd for a term OF
three years, and thereafter at each
succeeding annual meeting of the
stockholders, one-third of the direct
ors for a term of three years.
The bill introduced under the name
of house bill % is perhaps the silliest
| of all the bills that have been intro
duced at this session of the legislature,
with the possible exception of the bill
which in damage suits sought to place
the burden of proof on the defendants.
That is that the defendant would have
to prove that the plaintiff was not
damaged in place of the plaintiff prov
ing that he was damaged
House bill 23 in substance provides
that if an employee is injured and &C
cepts damages from his employer for
the injuries and gives a full discharge,
leaves the employ he was in, goes to
work somewhere else, meets with an
accident again and dies from his in
juries, his heirs may sue the person,
firm or corporation in whose employ
he was when he received his first in
juries and from whom he received
compensation and gave full and COM
plete discharge. 1t is not only proper
but imperative that employees be gwen
protection by law, but there is no rea-
son in such legislation as suggested
by the two bills referred to. These
bills were doubtless aimed particularly
at the railroads. The public should
be protected from the rapacity of rail
roads and other corporations, but
there is no use in harrassing either
railroads or any other corporations
which play so necessary a part in the
development of the country. On this
subject Governor Sparks of Nevada
said some very good things in his mes
sage to the legislature of that state.
Among other things he said: For the
first time in the history of Nevada
prospective railroad building begins to
meet general favor with the great
magnates engaged in transportation,
and it is not beyond reasonable eXpec-
tation to predict the construction of
railroads, not only as trans-conti
mental extensions, but that will radiate
in all directions, thus connecting hith
= erto remote districts and completing a
system of transportation long hoped
for by our people. This is an age of
enterprise and progress, but it re-
quires facilities for intercourse to ac-
: commodate business. Our natural ana
undeveloped wealth will bring rail
: roads. and bushes will follow.
J ut is, therefore, highly important
) that encouragement be given to the
5 promotion of this enterprise, by adopt
: ing fair and liberal policy of taxa
5 ton, and also by enacting laws giving
full and safe protection. This accom-
3 pished, taxable property will increase,
4 cities will be built which will become
. terminals, and, naturally, transporta-
: ton charges will be reduced More
S main lines will produce more branches
v reaching undeveloped regions in our
g state. 1t is a fact that railroads are
d the developers of all new countries
o and especially contribute to the sue
= cess of mining districts.
: "The last two meetings of the state
a board of assessors have shown a very