Mexico Missouri message., 1907-04-18
snmsnt by aesir0yIng I0aaI Iavlaas.


that the municipalities OF the State |
should have power to Ak reasonable |
rates 20 be charged by public service |
corporations. The corporation ls a Ok
ture in our modern life. IL Is entitled |
TO fair treatment the same as individ- |
uals; no more, and no less. But Il
should be required to treat the people |
fairly. With the enormous growth OF |
public service corporations. controlling |
monopolies, Il has become necessary |
for some governmental agency to regu- |
late their charges In order to prevent
extortion from the public. This should
be done, not with a view of injuring
the corporations controlling such mo-
nopoiies. but merely 10 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 telephoning their bets
out of the State to be registered This
ruling as pointed out to you at the
regular session, practically nullifies
the statute, as each bookmalter under
II needs only to add telephone to his
other paraphernalia running to East
ST. Louis. ILL.,. or Kansas City, Kas., to
defeat the law. recommend 10 you the
enactment OF a statute. making IL a
felony TO register n bet upon horse
race, either on a blackboard or other
substance. or to telephone n bet on q
horserace to any other State to be reg.
istered there, or TO telegraph bet for
80 In firms inf
or device to accomplish the registrn-
ton OF bets. This statute was passed,
but the emergency clause was over
| looked, so that Il will not go into eff
feet until June II of this year. Within
a few hours after the adjournment OF
! the regular session the racetrack gam
| blers announced that the racetracks
would be opened and gambling on
races permitted this spring. Their
preparations, TO reap a 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 regulat-
| ed by strict laws and those laws Wig
orously enforced. We need a law pro-
hiblting brewers and distlllers having
an interest in dramshops. The criml-
nal saloons are often the brewery
owned saloons. Competition between
breweries compels them to take low
class of men and set them up In busi'
ness. These men have no sense of
proprietorship 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 be enact
ed.
The state Control Law.
"Why is II that the plea OF local
seif-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? II Is only when the sa-
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 hlves under the State mspec.
tor of Apiaries; placing the roads un'
der the supervision OF the State High
way Engineer: providing for State
Game Warden 10 enforce the laws tc
: protect the birds OF the air and the
: fish that swim in the water; providing
for state conSol for the weighing oI
grain in all public warehouses;; max
ing food.stuMs subject to the inspec
ton OF the State Food Commissioner
, There was nothing heard about self
; government when these were beinl
! considered. But when Il Ia urged tina
: the State have some authority to en-
. force its laws against the liquor In
. terests the situation In the minds o
. some assumes a different aspect. ant
J. the cry OF selfgovernment is raised
T although real self-government Is Il
o no way affected by the excise law.
i May Cite other Matters.
r These are the only subjects embrac
i ed in the call converting this session
I During your deliberations occasioI
y may arise to submit other matters. bu
y this will not be done unless conside
o them OF such grave Importance as {
I. demand attention at once. for reallz
d after your arduous labors OF the req
l. lar session II would be imposing
h hardship on you to bring your after
b. ton to other than measures OF vita
v consequence.