The weekly herald. [volume] (Amarillo, Tex.) 1906-19??, 1908-04-09

- ssas "A s
W. r. Lanham In his biennial rneA-
sage TO the Thlrtleth legislature In
July, 1907, when he said
An extraordinary amount OF work
and great responsibility have de-
volved upon the attorney general
The routine business OF his office
has been unusually large. The off
cial correspondence, the investiga-
ton and approval OF bonds, railroad
and insurance charters and refund
claims, ar we'll as the preparation OF
opinions and Citing advice TO the
heads of departpentS and other Of
flcers throughoT the state, have oc'
cupied much ofkhe time % himself
and associates ADD required oiabo-
rate research at heir hands. N ad"
dition 10 their rbfular Office work
they have represented the state IN a
great number of snlts. The litIEnaion
involving important pubic interests
has perhaps been 6reater Tor the
last four years thar eger before dur
Ing the same length Of ume' WITH
in the last two years thefe have oeen
pending more than TIVE nuSdred
cases in the state and fedelal courts
The matters In controversy pave Gov
cred wide range, embraclRS suitf
relating 10 lands, leases, elkctions
railroad rates, violations OF N,antf
trust laws, public revenues Of vafAeW
kinds and other miscellaneous suR'
jects. In nearly all OF the cssel
that have been finally decided the
contention OF the state has been sus'
tanned. The fish and oyster law,
as before stated, has been upheld by
the courts. The law levying . tau
upon certain individuals, firms. cor
porations, ETC., has been sustained
by the district court and the court
OF civil appeals. The Law providing
for taxing intangible assets has also
been sustained In the court OF civil
appeals, The Law levying tax up
on railroad corporations, measured
by their gross receipts, was upheld
by the supreme court, but (it Is
understood that an appeal will be
taken from this Judgment to the SUI
prerne court OF the United states.
These tax laws passed by the last
legislature have been resisted on con-
stitutional and other grounds and
the litigation arising theretrom has
demanded and received the careful
attention OF the attorney general and
his able assistants. No department
OF the government involves more
work, harder service and greater re-
sponsibility than that OF the attor-
ney generals office, 1t has been
prompt to furnish legal advice 10
the governor ON all occasions and
has been OF invaluable assistance 10
him in the proper determination OF
many important problems that have
confronted him where reliable ooun-
sci was needed. During the lssl
two years there have been received
and collected through this office
from different sources s34,1Ss.10.'
The book then cites In detail the
numerous law suits In which the
state has been involved. and ends
with a general summary OF suits
prosecuted and defended which
shows that OF the 1872 railroad cases
in all courts, judgment for the stats
had been rendered in IS cases and
against the state in q. Eighteen
express and telegraph suits had been
filed and disposed OF; Judgment for
the state being found In seven cases
and against the state IN one. Forty
eight suits had been brought against
trust, Judgment being found for the
state in all but one case.
His showing is very merltorlous.