The Western news., 1908-10-14
\ DEMOCRATIC STATE PLATFORM

to suck use; these safeguards to be
furnished by law permitting the use
of water for power generating pur- |
poses thereafter initiated, only after
franchise therefor Is granted. and un- |
der such regulations. restrictions and
conditions as, while insuring justice to
the investors interested in power de
velopment, will relinquish no inherent
right of the whole people to whom this
and other resources belong.
Ninth.--The ownership and control
OF all streams in Montana, not naviga.
BILE and navigable streams above the
| points where successful navigation is
| possible. is and should be in the state,
report to the state railroad commits
sion the names Of all persons to whom
and the assumption of control and
ownership by the federal government
over the same is wrong; an unwarrant.
ed invasion of the rights OF the state,
and the taking away Of valuable
resource from the people of the state.
Public interests demand that the state
assert its jurisdiction over such
streams and contest, If necessary, with
the federal government it's claims to
the same.
Tenth.-We demand the passage of
a law that shall make it a criminal Of
fense for state or county officers to
accept passes from transportation COM
panies doing business in this state, or
for such companies to give the same.
and requiring all such companies to
1t may issue passes and the account on
which the same may be issued
Eleventh-kxperience having dem
onstrated the futility of attempting to
, fix rates for transportation by rail-
, road commission without accurate and
: reliable data as to the value of the
r property involved, we demand the en-.
actment of law providing for ascer.
tanning the fair value of all railroad
properties in the state of Montana
: Twelfth.-For the greater safety Of
n persons engaged in the railway service
y and persons travelling by rail we de
i mand thorough and adequate track
a and equipment inspection law.
d Thirteenth.-We renew the demand
l. made in the platform of the demo
J. cratic party in the year 1906 that tn,
l. property of railway companies be as
sessed for taxation at it's full casl
IT value, as the law requires. 1t is mat
.e ter of reproach to the state that rail
road property within it is assessed a
less than one-fourth Of it's commercial
, value, as estimated by the governmen
experts. Every material advance Il
.e from the sum of $4,000 per mile to tn
present rate Of assessment has bee
accomplished during democratic as
Il tendency on the state board of equal
re zation, and we pledge the nominees {
~ such further increases as shall obi
al gate the railroad companies operatin
s. in this state to bear their proportion
1e ate share of the public burdens.
Fourteenth.-We insist upon tn
% passage OF law authorizing city coul
ellis to fix rates for water and ligf
- and street railway fares.
~, Fifteenth-We demand the passae
~ of primary election law applicable
he the whole state, and law permittin
a the voters of the state to express the
~ choice for United States senators an
~ securing, so far as may be done, tt
N election by legislature of the choice I
cb the people so expressed.
III Sixteenth.-Commending the decl
nd ration of the national platform for
I'D reform in the abuses attendant upt
al, the administration of the forest r
N. serves, we point particularly to Il
ng appointment of incompetent and inc
ire perienced persons to make examin
et- tions on arcl!csst!c-c- eo- patent to L.
he eral ground within the reserves, al
ct we demand such reforms as will en-
BILE homesteaders and prospectors
ar of right to occupy and acquire tit
ur- to agricultural and mineral lands !
rty spectively within the reserves, wit
ter out unnecessary delay or expense.
ur- Seventeenth-We demand the {
in actment of a law for the systema'
per and permanent improvement of t
, a public highways of the state.
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