The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-12-06
MESSAGE or LXroLLrrrE.
Lengthy Document to the wfsconsi
 Legfnlature

Lengtny DOcument to the Wisconsin
 Legfslature.
 Madison, Wis, Dec. 5.--The follow
 ing abstract of Governor Lafolletts
 message to the special session of the
 Wisconsin legislature read today:
 The governors message is lengthy
 document and contains over forty
 pages of closely printed matter.
 Four recommendations are made in
 the message regarding the reV'sion
 of the railroad rate commission iaw.
 In the first he recommends that sne commission be authorized to PrescIioe
 a uniform system of keeplhs
 counts of the business transac.e9
 in Wisconsin by the raiiroaas gnu that all roads shall be required to fiel with the commission from tune ~ time, reports on their income lie wants separate accounts Kept or .ne business done by the railroads m tnis state and in other states as well as an account showing the Vaiue oI each railroad in this state. His secono rec- ommendation provides that the iaw pc so amended that special miiiase tn cts communication tickets. excursion tickets and party tickets can be issued at less than the regular rates or the national guard and C.. A. R. encamp- ments. students. home seekers. etc. HIS third recommendation provides for ad- djtional power by the committee to in- mendation gives the commission pow | CT to decide what safeguard shall pc erected at any roalroad crossings in this state.
 Regarding railroad taxes the Gov ernor says that S1,144,399 in railroad taxes are now due the State, the pay ment of which has been held up py litigation. He recommends that legis- lation be enacted at once which Tn the future will compel the prompt payment of all railroad taxes. leaving the rail- road the right to recover such taxes IT 1t shall be found that they were un- just or wrongfully collected.
 The Governor pays considerable at- tention to the primary election law and points out that the strongest point that can be made by the opposition to this amendment Is the fact that this amendment Is the tact by the present law by less than ma jority vote. He suggests that provis- ion be made by amending the law so as to enable the voter at the primaries to indicate upon the ballot his first and second choice of the candidates presented for each office. In the event that no candidate had received a ma jority of the first choice votes than the second choice votes could be counted resulting in a nomination by majority votes.
 The investigation of public service corporations and insurance companies is one of the most important features of the message. He takes the
 railroads to task for maintaining and for resisting the prompt payment
 of taxes, 'The people of Wisconsin have at least as good a right to know just what money has been expended by the railroads and other public service corporations of this State in salaries,
 in lobbying, in political campaigns and legislative entertainment" he says, "as the people of New York to know the same facts with respect to the life insurance companies of that State. He suggests that a legislative inves- tigation which would uncover all facts
 with relation to this important subject will require much time and labor. tut
 that no money so expended would be
 wasted.
 He discusses at length the insurance scandals of New York and is bitter in
 his denunciation of those companies
 which have been caught by this East ern investigation.
 "The subject of insurance Legislation and expenditures of public service cor porations opens up scuh wide field. and there is such a need for a thorough investigation that recommend that a committee, with power to summon wit
 neses, examine books. and with all power necessary to investigate expen- ditures and methods of doing business be appointed and instructed to make a complete report to the Governor on or before November 1, 1906. who shall sub init the same to the Legislature at it's | next session with any recommendations | he may make thereon"
 Governor Lafollette will shortly re- sign to enter the United States Senate.