Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1907-04-18
eminent by destroying local lawlsss
Public Utilities.

y AA1 -
ness.
Public Utilities.
"One Of the subjects, local in its ma,
ture, is that or rates charged by public
utilities. In furtherance Of the princt
pal of local self-goyernment, l believN
that the municipalities of the State
should have power to fix reasonable
rates to be charged by public services
corporations. The corporation is a hE
ture in our modern life. 1t is entitled
to fair treatment the same as individ'
uals; no more, and nj less. But II
should be required to treat the people
fairly. With the enormous growth OF
public service corporations, controlling
monopolies, it 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-
nopolies, 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 telephoning their bets
out of the State to be registered. This
ruling, as l pointed out to you at the
regular session, practically nullifies
the statute, as each bookmaker under
it needs only to add a telephone to his
other paraphernalia running to East
st. Louis, Ill, or Kansas City, Kas., to
defeat the law. I recommend to you h
enactment Of a statute, making 1t a
felony to register a bet upon a horse
race, either on a blackboard or other
substance, or to telephone a bet on a
horserace to any other State to be reg
istered there, or to telegraph a 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, so that it will not go into eff
feet until June IA 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.
1.-.z-. 4.o eefa ,1N,.1J no roOIIlof
ed by strict laws and those laws Wig
orously enforced. We need a law pro
hibiting brewers and distillers 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 bust
ness. These men have no sense O.
proprietorship or pride in running
decent place and these saloons Otter
become dens Of vice and lawlessness
l Effective local option laws for coun
} ties, towns and cities should be enact
i ed.
t The State Control Law.
why 10 IL IAuL bhO PASe vi ANSS
self-government was not set up agains
the State regulating the mines, tn
railroads, the insurance companies
/ the banks, the dentists, the BARRIERS
/ the bee hives? 1t is only when the So
0 looms and gambling interests ar
sought to be brought within the lay
that local self-government is invoked
o At the regular session of this Assem-
/ bly, laws we're enacted placing all th
e banks of the State under the contrt
a of a banking commissioner; putin
v the bee hives under the State Inspe'
o tor Of Apiaries; placing the roads Ill
o der the supervision of the State Higl
It way Engineer; providing for a Stat
d Game Warden to enforce the laws t
n protect the birds of the air and tn
e. fish that swim in the water; providin
ID for State control for the weighing
grain in all public warehouses; ma.
ing food-stuffs subject to the inspe
ton of the State Food COMMISSIONS
10 There was nothing heard about Sc.
vs. government when these were beir
I'D considered. But when it Is urged tn
IL the State have some authority to e
It. force its laws against the liquor
Is, terests the situation in the minds
some assumes a different aspect, al
Is. the cry of self-government is raise
although real self-government is
no no way affected by the excise law.
III May Cite other Matters.
err These are the only subjects embrs
In ed In the call converting this sessic
lot During your deliberations occasi
Ity may arise to submit other matters, b
ey this will not be done unless l consid
no them Of such grave Importance as
au- demand attention at once, for I real
I'D after your arduous labors Of the rel
In lar session 1t would be imposing
It'll hardship on you to bring your att
tn ton to other than measures Of vi
ov- consequence.
Hinal - Enaak IS N&a&iaa