The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1906-10-22


bic for the tragedy
Heyworth returned home drunk late T,
last night from Gage He was sullen
and went directly to his room, where
his wife was asleep. The occupants
of the house were suddenly awakened
by shots Young Heyworth was the
first to investigate He was shot
Down by his father before he had time
to call for help and the two girls were
killed as they rushed from their room.
bridge was in safe condition for the
passage of trainloads of human
freight You all know the story: a
train filled with people did go through
that bridge. Lives near and dear to
somebody were snuned oJt in the
twinkling Of an eye If that engineer
or that fireman had lost his life in
that wreck which fortunately be
lieye he did not, his widow and or
phans could not have collected one
dollar from the Rock Island railroad
company because we have no fellow
servant law in oklahoma Why
haven't we got it? Whose fault is
#? / ask again, why didn't the
head of the railroad lobby pass
fellow servant law two years ago if
he believes in it now? Does lie really
want it now? ! don't believe il. /
will tell You what he does want He
wants to kill it with too much kind
ness. He wants to make il so broad
in its application that II can never
! pass He wants to do just what ev-
cry railroad lobbiest in the United
| States has tried to do whenever a
| railroad fellow servant law was pro
| posed. he wants to do just as Bill
Phelps tried to do in Missouri. He
wants to kill IT, He wants to unite
in opposition to it every farmer, ev-
cry merchant. every contractor and
manufacturer who is an employer of
labor He wants you. my friends, to
bear the burden Of this fight in the
interest of the railroads. Speaking
about Bill helps. he was the grea
railroad lobbyist of Missouri: he was
to Missouri what Henry Asp has been
to Oklahoma. But | will say for Bill
Phelps that he had the deeency never
to be candidate for public office
On one occasion when he was asked
aboN another noted lobbyist who was
candidate for office, he said I'VE
are very mach alike; we both such
eggs but he hides the shells" AND
when Henry Asp tells you that he is
in favor of an employers liability
law. he is simply trying to hide th'
shells"
Another count in the indictment o
the people against the railroads is II
the matter of taxation. The revenue
law Of this territory provides for Z
board OF railroad assessors consisting
of three Officers. the governor, terri
tcrial secretary and the territorial an
ditor Il is made their duty to asses
all the property OF the ailroads an'
railroad corporations in this territor!
At It's actua cash value This yalua
ton Is made from sworn lists whiel
the railroad companies are requires
to return 10 the assessing board
There is a great deal 4 difference n
the valuation fixed by a railroad com
pany. when they are hgJring hoy
much tribute to exact from the CON
merce of a state. aud the sworn yalu
ations they return OF the same proT
B erty for the benefit Of the taxin
r board. capitalization. as applied 4
a railroad rpOration, means the as
2 gregate amount OF its stock and BON
issues. The Santa Fe is capitalized a
D 100000 Per mile in round numbers
and is paying interest and dividend
2 upon every cent OF that capitalization
j. It's not earnings are about $500 pc
D n lie fof It's entire system of main an
! branch lines: its lines in Oklahom
D are ass essed for taxati-n al an ave-
: age valuation OF about $4,000 per mile
J. Just note the difference; the peopl
a pay freight on valuation Of $4,000
e per mile, and the railroad eompan
r rays taxes on a valuation OF $1,000
e mile. Now I do not think a gailroa
a ought to be taxed any higher In pr'
y poriion to It's actual value than th
9 property Of an Individual beiiey
s in the square deal tor railroads, a
; well as for individuals, but ! do suhm