Golden Valley chronicle. (Beach, Billings County, N.D.) 1905-1916, 1907-01-17
GOVERNOR BtjRKE'S=
NJ INAUGURAL ADDRESS

free. and IL it does it is done 1T the cx-
pense Of the general travelling public. 1t
ros G ANA then so
carry carry . everyone CHEAPER. The railroads
being for the use of the public, there is
no no reason why one person should have
spect.
Because Of the magnitude of the rail-
road interests, I think it is especially
n wrong FOR for public official to accept
does not have the pass before the Office
ana he loses the pass when he loses the
once. The corporation understands hu,
70 return faNors. and that the public Off
cial honest, as the world goes remembers
inc n favor and is inclined to be inactive
OF laws regulating aud controlling rail-
roads roads public official ought to be II, a
position where he can enact. enforce or
and General Welfare l' Of ri the eI pablc With With
out embarrassment TO himself. and this
ne VIII find hard to do while his pockets
are full Of railroad passes. l therefore
recommend the enactment of
An Antt.Pass Law
to further supplement the rate pill'' and
state to reduce their rates for carrying
passengers.
IT, is now well settled that because rail-
public, through the legislature. has u
right to control and regulate them, so
Ign long as the regulations are reasonable
sonablc passenger and freight rates. the
right to regulate the condition of the
r0adbed, and the right to compel
proper and reasonable cauipmert
and cars to the public. The Regulation
may be by direct Hesitation or the power ,S.e
may be delegated by the legislature to
the railroad commissioners. The latter
Is the more practical, If your railroad
delegating TO them the power is sufficient
to compci theft. action. The reason why
such a law is the more practical is be,
and fast rule fixing passenger and freight
rates and the furnishing Of cars and
equipments. Reasonable rates, under
n m;rhi and nder
circumstances and conditions. and with
the power in the railroad commissioners
the condition could always be met with
a reasonable regulation.
law containing a mandatory provision re-
quiring the railroad commissioners to
make a schedule of reasonable maximum
gers and freight in this state. the law
referred to being section 4345 OF the Re-
yised Codes OF 1905. II this law is en-
Of pcwer to the railroad
commissioners is concerned If YOU
should conclude that the power should
b 1sat zig to shonS pe p
the rate I by the rule aid down BY the
supreme court Of the United States 81 IN
It's. United States. ie7: viz: The
reasonablencss Of schedule of rates for
must be determined by q comparison be.
tween the gross receipts Of the road and
the cost of operating it." The question
recommend to your sound discretion and
best Judgment. feeling certain that you
will find. on investigation. that the local
your action thereon will be fair and just
to the railroads and TO the people.
I recommend the enactment Of q law
requiring railroads to keep the roadbeds
in safe condition, and proytding severe ,a;
great, many wrecks this last fall, re.
ported to be caused by the spreading Of
the rails. was in one Of them, and
the same road, in the same county, and
in the same week the rails spread again;
killed, and. was told by reliable men
who were in the wreck. that the ties at
this place were rotten. There can be no
company allows its roadbcd to become
in such n condition that the ties are rot
ten. some one is guilty Of gross criminal
ana r ass9snt Of s suSa
punished accordingly. The railroad COM
E ny owes the public good, safe road
furnish 1t and keep it in safe condition.
In relation to the question Of the recent
shortage Of cars, ! recommend the en-.
companies to furnish a reasonable num-
Der Of cars to shippers without discfirn-
nation. I am informed that in many
have Discontinued in favor Of Certain
shippers by giving them more cars and
larger cars than other shippers in the
town 1 tn 49wS in
advantage over other towns with the
same railroad facilities, and no shipper
would have any advantage over any 9TH
roads should realize that. the railroads
are not for the individual. but for the
use of the public. and that there should
or person.
I Next Call Your Attention to Railroad
Taxation.
There is general feeling throughout
ing their Just and proportionate share Of
the burden of taxation. Railroad prop
erty should be assessed upon the same
There Is only one to assess
SO that the burden may fall alike upon
all. and this one way .is by assessing
one can complain. because ali should be
willing to pay taeir just and proportion
ate. share for the support Of the govern
ment which protects their lives, their lib
erty, and their property.
It IL true that the law now in force
requires all property to be assessed at
Its actual value, but every one knows
that no property is assessed at its actual
assessment Of personal property. The
law is not enforced in relation to the
assessment Of real estate. and the rail-
portion Of their actual value. 1t seems
that the present law is insufficient to &c
complish the results intended, viz: to
account of the low assessment, the rate
is necessarily high, which is a bad recon-
n.endation to the immigrant and to the
same time, on account Of the low as
sessment, cities are often hampered and
sometimes sol, , prevented from haying mod NOD.
limit. which Is based on the assessed
value of the property.
therefore recommend to you the en-
actment Of law providing severe pen
ors to assess property at Its actual value.
for the neglect or refusal of property
owners to list their property with the
It's aesua vaae the 70 neglect or
refusal Of any member Of a board OF
equalization to increase the assessed value
Of any property to its actual value.
And I further recommend that the board
Of equalization be given power to sub
fore such board and to answer upon oath
all questions relative to any property
owned by him, subject to assessment, and
to- produce all books and Inventories in
relation to the same. and that this state
board Of equalization be given the full:
est power to inquire into the value OF
the officers Of said road to appear before
said board and furnish information upon
oath concerning the value of railroad