The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1907-04-19

One OF the subjects. local Ia its ns
ture. Is that or rates charged by public
utilities In furtherance OF the priucI,
pal of local self.government, | believe
that the municipalities OF the State
should have power to fix reasonable
rates to be charged by public service
corporations. The corporation Is fix
ture in our modern life. It Is entitled
to fair treatment the same as individ.
uals; no more, and no less But II
should be required to treat the people
fairly. With the enormous growth OK
public service corporations, controlling
monopolics II has become necessary
for some governmental agency TO regu.
late their charges In order TO prevent
extortlon from the public. This should
be done, not with view OF injuring
the corporations controlling such mo.
nopolcs. but merely to secure justice
to the public.
Asks Racing Amendment.
Some time last year the Supreme
Court decided the act OF the forty
third General Assembly did not apply
to bookmakers tclcphoning their bets
out of the State to be registered. This
ruling, as ! pointed out to YOU at the
regular session. practically nullinas
the statute, as each boolSmaker under
II needs only TO add n telephone 10 his
other paraphernalia running to East
St Louis, H., or Kansas City. Kaso 10
defeat the law. recommend to you the
enactment OF r statute, making II
felony to register bet upon horse.
race, either on n blackboard or other
substance or To telephone bet on
horserace to any other State TO be reg.
lstcred there, or TO telegraph bet for
such purpose, or TO use any instrument
or device to accomplish the registra.
| ton of bets. This statute was passed,
| but the emergency clause was over.
| looked, 30 that It will not go into cf'
| feet until June II Of this year. Within
| n few hours after the adjournment OF
| the regular session the racetrack gam
| blers announced that the racctraCks
would be opened and gambling on
races permitted this spring. Their
preparations, to reap crooked har.
vest were checked by the call for this
/ special session. which included this
| subject.
The Saloon and the Law.
"The liquor traffic should be rcgulat.
ed by strict laws and those laws Wig
orously enforced We need law pro-
hbiting brewers and distlllers having
an interest in dramshops The crimi-
nal saloons are often the brewery
owned saloons. Competition between
breweries compels them to take a low
class of men and set them up in busl.
ness. These men have no sense OF
proprletorship or pride in running a
decent place and these saloons often
become dens of vice and lawlessness.
Effective local option laws for coun-
ties, towns and cities should he enact
ed.
The State Control Law.
"Why Is It that the plea Of local
self.government was not set up against
the State regulating the mines, the
railroads, the insurance companies,
the banks, the dentists, the BARRIERS,
the bee hives? 1t is only when the 81.
looms and gambling interests are
sought to be brought within the law
that local self.government is invoked.
At the regular session OF this Assem-
bly, laws were enacted placing all the
banks Of the State under the control
OF a banking commissioner: putting
the bee hives under the State lnspec
tor of Apiaries; placing the roads un
der the supervision of the State High
way Engineer; providing for a State
Game Warden TO enforce the laws to
protect the birds Of the air and the
fish that swim in the water; providing
for State control for the Weighing Of
grain in all public warehouses; max
Ing food.stuffs subject to the inspec
ton of the State Food Commissioner
There was nothing heard about self
government when these were being
considered. But when II IS urged tha
the State have some authority to en-
force It's laws against the liquor in
terests the situation in the minds o
some assumes a different aspect, anC
the cry of self-government Is raised
although real selfgovernment is II
no way affected by the excise law.
May Cite other Matters.
These are the only subjects embrac
ed in the call converting this session
During your deliberations occasion
may arise TO submit other matters, bu
this will not be done unless conside
them OF such grave importance as t
demand attention at once, for ! realizt
after your arduous labors OF the regu
lar session 4 would be imposing
hardship or you to bring your atten
ton to other than measures o! vita
consequence.