The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1908-09-11
PLATFORM PLEDGES
SUPPORT TO BRYAN
Many Of the PIanks Adopted at Denver
are Included in the State Platform.

Iconditions as, while insuring Justice to
the investors interested in power de.
velopment, will relinquish no inner
ent right of the whole people to whom
this and other resources belong.
Ninth.-The ownership and control
Of all streams in Montana, not naviga-
Die and %navigable streams above the
points were successful navigation Is
! possible, is and should be in the state,
and the assumption Of control and
ownership by the federal government
over the same is wrong; an unwar-
ranted invasion of the right of the
state, and the taking away Of a valu-
able resource from the people Of the
state.
Tenth-We demand the passage Of .
law that shall make it a criminal Of
Tense for state or county officers to &C
cept passes from transportation COM
panies doing business in this state or
for such companies to give the same
and requiring all such companies to
report to the state railroad commits
sion the Of all persons to whom
it may issue passes and the account
on which the same may be issued.
Neutrality-suspicious. having dem
onstrated the futility Of attempting to
fix rates for transportation by a rail-
road commission without accurate and
reliable data as to the value Of the
property involved, we demand the en-
actment Of a law providing for ascer-
tanning the fair value Of all railroad
properties in the state Of Montana.
Twelfth-For the greater safety of
persons engaged in the railway service
and persons travelling by rail, we de-
mand a thorough and adequate track
and equipment inspection law.
Thirteenth-We renew the demand
made in the platform Of the Demo
cratic party in the year 1908 that the
property of railroad companies be as
sessed for taxation at its full cash
value as the law requires. It is q
matter Of reproach to the state that
railroad property within it is assessed
at less than one-fourth of its CONNER
cial value as estimated by the govern
ment experts. Every material advance
in the assessment of railroad property
from the sum OF $4,000 per mile to the
present rate Of assessment has been
accomplished during Democratic as
tendency in the state board Of equali-
cation and we pledge the nominees Of
this convention, IL elected, to make
such further increases as shall obi
gate the railroad companies operating
in this state to bear their proportion
ate share Of the public burdens.
Fourteenth-We insist upon the pas
sage of a law authorizing city councils
to fix rates for water and light and
street railway fares.
Fifteenth-We demand the passage
of a primary election law applicable
to the whole state and a law permit
ing the voters Of the state to express
their choice for United States senators
and securing, so far as may be done,
the election by the legislature of the
choice Of the people SO expressed.
notwithstanding the decla-
ration of the national platform for q
reform in the abuses attended upon
the administration Of the forest re-
serves, We point particularly to the ap-
pointment Of incompetent and inexpe-
rienced persons to make examinations
on applications for patents to mineral
ground within the reserves, and we de-
mand such reforms as will enable
homesteaders and prospectors a right
to occupy and acquire title to agri-
cultural and mineral lands respect
lively within the reserves, without UNI
necessary delay or expense.
Seventeenth-We demand the enact
ment of a law for the systematic and
permanent improvement Of the public
highways Of the state.