The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-01-18
EMB0DES ARGUMENT OF
 CAMPAIGN OF GOV. C0MER
Telegraph and Telephone Companies
 Included in Measures.
Valuation of Corporation HoIaiass Sa ne Based by States Eaualis.- ton Board on the seIi- ing Price of
 Stocks and
 Bonds.

The Senate passed it's first bill yes- terday. and it was an administration measure prescribing tho way in whicn railroad. telephone and telegraph prop erty in the State might be assessed by the State Board of Equalization. The bill embodies the campaign argument of Governor Conner that the present | system of assessment is unjust. and that these public service corporations have altogether the best of the State in their transaction of tax business. The bill passed. too. without dis- l senting vote. The thirty-three Sena- tors present voted for 1t. unanimous- I ly. The vote was regarded as most significant. It was taken to indicate that the railroads would deoaine to be drawn into any sort of fight fin the Legislature. but rely on their faith in i the courts of the State to save them from any Legislation that might be oppressive. As seen through the vote of yesterday, the railroads are letting the Legislature work its own will with no further hampering than that furnished by their own sense of 5ua- tice. After that can come the fight in tho courts. if 1t has to come. There was no discussion of the bill beyond the explanation Of 1t, and the l argument for 1t by its author, Senator John A. Lusk. and his talk was not more than five minutes long. Tho l bill which was one of the earliest l measures introduced in the Senate. was reported Wednesday by Senator Lusl from the committee on the Judiciary: Fix Valuation of Property.
 The bill provides that in fixing the valuation of railroads. telegraph and long distance telephone companies. the state Hoard of Eqnaiisation can take into consideration frst, what the fee simple of that property would sell for in the open mhrkets second, the amount of stocks and bonds in each company to be assessed. and their value on the open market of the stock ex-A lnhange of New York. and third, th&% sworn returns of such n company ma to the Railroad Commission when tia company was summoned to give inf6r- nation in the fixing of rates.
 Mir Lusk briefly explained the car- dinal features of the measure.
 'Its purpose" he said, 'is to hays railroad. telegraph and telephone prop erty in Alabama assessed like any other property. There is piece ot railroad property in Alabama which Is assessed at S9,OG0. mile while it Is bonded and the bonds sold for from between $55.000 and $75.o0o mile on the New York Stock Exchange.
 Railroad property in Alabama of a
 
 of Equalization to be worth from s39.- 00o, 900 to $40.0o0.000. This property was increased by the state Board to an assessment of from S49.000,000 to $50, O00, ,000 But when 1t came to fix- ing the rates for freight and passen- gers on that road. the authorities of that road swore to Almighty God that 1t was worth $250.000.0o0. tell you there isn't a goat or a COW on an Ala- bama hill that is assessed in any such way as that"
 Mir. Lusk sat down and thirty-threo Senators immediately voted for the bill.
 Message That Never Came.
 The Senate yesterday expected a never came. The expected messages was to contain the new list of appoin-, tees, which, 1t was believed the new Governor would make to take the place of the list sent in by Governor Jelks. and which the Senate declined. through a postponement to confirm. Tn the nnain,1 the list that win be sont in Is expected to contain the larger number, of names sent Governor Jelks. but there will be some changes. These changes. are now giving Governor Co~a mer some thought.
 The Senators evidently expected the Governor would make up his mind on all the appointments about noon. So when they had gotten through with their brief session they recessed until o'clock, but before that hour had arr ried 1t was learned there would be no message, and the Senate was called together and the members relieved of duty for the day.
 The Senate is losing no time in busy- ing itself with railroad legislation.i The committee on Commerce and Con@ mon Carriers. through its ehairmans Senator Overton. reported favorabiy yesterday several of the late measures which went in when the gates were thrown open in the Senate for the first time for the introduction of bills.
 The big bill of the lot which Is Sen- ate Bill No. 16, and which contains the frightening table of rates which are proposed to be established by law. has not been sent back yet by the committee. but as it is regarded as one of the most important. if not the most important measure in the batch. The Senate has ordered printed thousand copies of 1t. This Is the bill which fixes the rate for each classin- cation.
 Railroad Bills Go in.
 But three of the railroad bills went In yesterday from the committee on Commerce and Common Carriers for a second reading. The nrst was the anti-pass bill, with the amendment adopted by the committee. The second was the bill fixing passenger rates at two cents q mile. and the third was the bill fixing the measure of loss by a common carrier and the amount due an owner for failure to deliver
 The latter is the bill which provides that the owner of lost or damaged goods can recover the value of the Tnef srhoda hava m frAfChf. fo y,~ ,-A
 (conttnued na Pn~a Eu,ev.,,.a