Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1907-09-05
LATEST NEWS
OF MICHIGAN
NOW SUES THE WESTERN UNION
FOR FRANCHISE FEE
AND PENALTY.
THE POOR WIDOWS TAXES
Attorney General cites Pathetic Case
in Which the Law Works a Hard
ship.
Want $4,000.

Proceedings TO compel the Western
Union Telegraph Co. to pay the state
of Michigan $4,000 for It's failure TO
comply with the laws of Michigan was
commenced by Attorney General Bird
in the Ingham county circuit court
Thursday. The suit lis commenced In
the name OF the people and is by dec
laration The charge is that the tele-
graph company, ignoring the statute
of 1901, requiring foreign corporations
doing business in Michigan to file their
articles of incorporation with the sec.
rotary of state and pay franchise
fee. has transacted business in Michi.
gan for period of six years or more
without complying with the law, and
the court is asked to impose the penal
ty provided by the statute for such
failure of $1,000 per month. Attorney
General Bird has also asked Gov. War
ner to bring TO the attention of the
legislature in special session the ques-
ton of the taxation of the telegraph
and telephone companies of the state,
which, he asserts, are escaping their
just share of taxation while paying
stock.
In his letter to the governor the at
torney general says: You will see the
Importance of it when you are in
formed that the Western Union Tele-
graph Co. has physical properties in
this state worth S1,250,000, upon which
it paid, on July /, a specific tax OF
s3.401, or $2.72 on $1,000 valuation;
while its poorly paid employees resid-
ing in this state paid s16.46 on $1,000
on property which they owned.
THE Postal Telegraph Co. has phys
ical properties in this state worth
1904 900, upon which ii paid to the
state treasurer, on July /. a specific
tax Of $63S, or s2.10 on $1,000 valua-
ton; while its employees residing in
Michigan were obliged TO pay s1646
on every $1,000 worth of property they
owned
THE American Telephone & Tele-
graph Co. owns physical properties In
this state worth 100000, and it paid
a specific tax thereon, on July l, of
$72, or "a cents on 81 900 valuation.
"A little while ago there came to
my attention an old lady whose sole
means of support was life-lease on a
small farm The income was small and
had been entirely used In her keeping,
and the taxes Cat the rate OF S1646
per 81 900 valuation) had been allowed
TO accumulate. until she was in danger
of losing her farm. The guardian of
the old lady consulted with the public
authorities and it was decided TO take
her to the poor house until the rents
could pay the taxes. No other solution
suggested itself The strong and mex
orable falkland Of the state was reach
ing for the taxes or the farm. The
taxes had become a lien and could not
be RENTED. The approaching hand
could not be turned aside by the tears
of the old lady-nothing would satisfy
it but payment
She could not afford TO hire lob
by, So in order 70 satisfy this demand.
the old lady will in few days be hur-
ried over the hills TO the poor house >
IF the old lady had been assessed
at the same rate Of taxation that the
American Telegraph & Telephone Co.
is assessed, her taxes would have been
SO cents instead Of s65 last year and
she could have paid it; but. as it is.
she will now go to the poor house in
order that those demands may be
paid.
Il hope that when the door of that
poor house closes behind this trem-
bling ola lady, it will shut with a
bang loud enough to reach the ears
of every Michigan legislator; and
hope it will ring in their ears until
this outrageous discrimination ceases
to exist"