The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-01-03
WHAT FOLK WANTS.
Summary of the Missouri Governors
Annual Message.

| Jefferson City, Mo, Jan. 3.-Governor
Folk in his message to the legislature
| recommended a number of acts relat-
| ing to life insurance companies, among
| others, a standard policy for all life
companies, prohibiting discriminating
| and rebating, regulating the election of
| directors and requiring nonresident COM
panies to keep at least 20 per cent of
| the premiums received from Missouri
| policy holders invested within the state.
/ He also recommended the enactment
| of a law making it a crime for any one
for compensation to lobby with the
! members of the legislature.
The railroads, he said, should be re-
Quired to carry passengers within the
state for two cents mile.
| There should be state primary law
for the nomination of all elective off,
GERS, including United States senators.
The election of senators, by the people,
| he said, has long been demanded but it
cannot be obtained until the federal
constitution is amended. Public opin-
| ion will ultimately force this reform, but
in the meantime the next best thing
can be secured by having senatorial
candidates voted for at a state primary.
He advocated a registration law ap-
plicable to all towns of 10000 inhabit-
ants or over. He recommended a law
making it felony to register a bet on
a horse race, either on a blackboard or
any other substance, or to telephone a
bet on a horse race to any other state,
or to telegraph or use any device to ac-
complish the registration of bets.
suppress bucket shops"
Rigid child labor law, prohibiting a
concern or corporation from selling
higher in one part of the state than in
another, adding prison punishment for
violation of the antitrust laws, and
making the penalty for the viola ton of
the minimum freight law apply to per-
sons, corporations and partnerships;
also statute providing proper penal
ties for railroad corporations or the di-
rectors. employees or agents of any rail-
the state.
Every corporation, he said should be
required to furnish each stockholder
with a balance sheet of its business
once year. There should be an annual
tax in the nature of a privilege tax of
1 per cent on the capital stock of all
corporations, both domestic and for
eign. doing business in state. The |
state should regulate the charges of !
public service corporations in order to |
prevent extortion. To determine the un- |
power to inquire into and determine the |
actual amount invested in such corpor- |
ations and to fix rates on reasona BILE |
basis. The result of this should he 70
eliminate fictitious values.
He recommended that the people of
each city or town be authorized to |
purchase or own and operate any
utility of a public nature whenever
they shall vote to do so and to issue |
bonds in payment thereof. The /
necessary laws should be enacted Civ
ing the municipalities or the state full
power to regulate tolls charges and
rates for gas, electric lights, telephone |
and other public utilities within such
cities and compelling the interchange |,
of telephone service and fixing and
regulating the charges thereof.
1t was the province of the general
assembly to put an end to wrongs by
preventing one corporation from own
ing stock in another and authorizing
quo warranto proceedings to be filed /
to dissolve any corporation. ma jor-
ity of the stock in which is acquired
by holding company. This was
necessary, he urged, TO prevent the
creation of monopoIies in trade and |
business IN the state
The liquor traffic, he continued, does
not exist in the state a matter of
right but of sufferance. Yet it has
an exemption from authority denied
other interests.
The traffic should be made to OBJ
serve the law just like any one else.
He recommended the amendment
of the antibribery law so that a wit
ness could be forced to testify. but
relieving them from prosecution by
reason of their testimony.
The governor invited consideration
of the propriety and advisa bility of the
adoption of a resolution making ap-
piication to congress to call conven-
ton for proposing amendments to the
federal constitution, particularly with
reference to election of senators by
the direct vote of the people, the
Of principles of initia-
tive and referendum and for a just
income tax