The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1907-01-12

proposition to amend the constitution
$685. 20 as to provide that 4, from the primary
dollars and half annually for each
child Of school age in the state shall be
apportioned on q Just basis among, the
Of mines, the three normal colleges and
the several county. normal schools.
.on This plan would give to the primary
even larger sums than have ever been
credited to II In the past, save during the
year Just closed. when the fund was
payment of back taxes which had ac-
cumulated pending the final adjudication
OF the railroad ,S tag case In the supreme
also provide for. the maintenance, on a
scale fully as liberal as has obtained In
Inc b1ehp past; a OF tn. the several institutions OF
Use For Entire Revenue.
Thus would the entire revenue from
purposes and the direct tax levy be re-
In a large majority of school districts,
the total amount OF money to be raised
BY BY direct taxation would be reduced; In
piling up and lying Idle in their treasur-
ers' hands, the apportionment suggested
they are now required to raise for the
support Of the higher educational insti-
''If this recommendation is adopted, the
one-Quarter mill tax now provided for
the university. the one-tenth mill tax
now leyied for the support OF the agri-
cultural college, and the direct tax levied
under the existing system for the MAIN
tenance Of the other Institutions specific
ally ally, mentioned can be paid out Of the
direct tax levy reduced to that extent
concur in the recommendation OF the
state tax commission that the law gov
n AN nam rNAa
be amended so as to eliminate from the
computation on which the tax is based
the ocean mileage Of these companies.
the result little less than farcical
Inc satisfactory operation Of the ad
yalorem system Of assessing. railroad
property suggests the desirability of ex-
tending this system so as to include the
property of telegraph and telephone COM
panies The present method of taxing
unsatisfactory. These objections can be
overcome and greater justice attained by
the application of the ad valorem system
The ad valorem system OF assessing
railroad property for taxation Is SO firm
" established as the policy. Of the state
railroads does not cafi for any extended
treatment In this message.
hOne OF the most important cases in
ested and which has been finally con-
ciuded In favor of the state, except in
one instance. is referred to as the rail-
court of the United States upheld the
constitutionality of our present method
Of Off taxing * 9s,. rsilroad property As Re;
corporations affected paid In taxes
A.7a ISIS and penalty thereon N.l6S,s2i.-
%; total amount OF $5.s4b: Sos13.
Railroad Taxation.
ton was determined in Attorney Gem
eral v. State Board of Assessors, I43
Mich. e. The legislature OF 1906 (Act No.
to lay down rule that would govern
In the determination Of q valid rate OF
taxation upon railroad property. The
tionaiity Of said act. and our supreme supreme
court determined that the manner Of de-
termining the rate. as prescribed in said
saase Of secton eis%en ~ Article TO se
teen Of the constitution. and that to such
extent the act was unconstitutional
Michigan Ssntra RaIoad by ns
against the state for ss.ooo,ooo damages
for the repeal Of its special charter. is
has been delayed. owing to the steps
taken to secure more specific bill OF
particulars than that furnished by the
THE so-called Michigan Central de-
liquent tax case is also pending The
case is ready for trial and will probably
circuit court at an early date. it being on
the calendar for the January term
The governor recommends that the
railroad companies be made common
carriers of live stock in justice to the
farmers of the state.
Legislation that will make the issu-
subject to the scrutiny and approval
of state authority, for the purpose Of
preventing manipulation. is recon-
mended, as also state supervision of
electric roads.
On the subject Of freight car short
age the governor asserts that the re-
peated recurrence Of the trouble, year
after year, warrants a thorough inves-
tigation as to the responsibility of the
railroad companies. He recommends
that a committee be appointed to in
With reference to railroad passen-
ger rates the governor says:
which the legal passenger fare was 4
cents per mile; 4,s20.1S miles on which
the legal fare was 8 cents; ss2.sO miles
1,o71.S2 miles on which the legal fare
was cents. The Accent rate is con-
fined. as provided in the law, to the
"An examination of the reports of
the railroad companies discloses the
fact that. with single exception. the
Companies. which have reduced their
passenger rates during recent years.
Increased in volume Immediately fol-
ioWihB the Teuuction'. comparison pc
Ing. made with earnings for like
period preceding the reduction.
There has been steady increase in
passenger earnings of Michigan rail-
roads during the past ten years the
average increase being about so per
cent. for that period. The reports
tai receipts Of these companies repre-
sents passenger earnings. One impor-
tant company whose track mileage has
not been increased in ten years shows
increased passenger earnings in excess
of 80 per cent The exact figures in
this case are that in 1894 the total pas
1885 1919. while in 1904 they Increased
to $1.0s3.235.75. Another company re-
ported passenger earnings Of $3,499.-
341.34 in 1894 and S4,S18.76354 in 1904.
The increase in this case was 40 per
cent
Would Amend Law.
1T am of the opinion that the law of
this state should be amended so as to
make the maximum passenger fare
ninsula cents per mile. and the maxi
mum rate in the lower peninsula. with
the possible execution OF that charged
by few independent companies whose
passenger earnings are less than " 200
per mile, cents per mile. The legisla-
ture can; think. be depended upon to
emit roads to which reference Is made.
Two years ago called attention to the
fact that several railroad companies
whose passenger earnings had passed
the limit fixed by the law for a decrease
In passenger rates had. after demand for
such decrease decrease. had been made re, by proper
tinue to collect the higher rate for sew
eral wears pending the final DISPOSAL of