The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1908-10-23


Ledge in formally opening the cam
paign was we'll presented and effec
tive defense of his administration as
governor and a candid review of what
he had sought to accomplish. He re-
| ferred to the fact that as member
of the state senate, about ten years
ago he had voted for Gov. Pingree's
first bill to establish equal taxation
in Michigan. At that time the entire
income of our state from all specific
taxation sources was less than one
million dollars. Gov. Warner made
1T emphatic and very clear that the
increase over that amount which
the state is receiving from such
sources at the present time is direct
ly due to Republican legislation and
Republican management Of state az
fairs. The states income from
the different sources through which
its earnings come has reached the
splendid total of more than one mil
lion dollars in excess of Michigan's
entire state tax. 1t was well noted
that If those who are finding fault
with state expenditures would look
for moment on the other side of the
state ledger, they would realize that
congratulation rather than criticism
are due to recent Republican admin
istration of our state for the manage
ment which has produced this desir-
able situation. Gov. Warner referred
to the added state expense caused by
the state tax commission and the
further cost of the railroad commits
sion, and he made it plain that these
commissions have returned in value
to the state many, many times their
entire cost.
The establishment of the railroad
commission was directly in Line with
what has been done in some of the
other progressive states. Up to that
time Michigan had nothing to say
with regard to freight rates. The
state could take part in the regula-
ton of passenger affairs, but the
railroads could charge any rate they
saw fit from any point in Michigan
to any other point in the state, and
they could charge their rates ar
bitrarily' and without notice to the
people or to the state. Under the
present law the railroad commission
is given authority to receive COM
plants from any shipper, and if upon
investigation a rate is found to be an
unreasonable one the commission has
the right to take part in the forma-
ton of a fair schedule. The railroad
commission also has the power to.
adjust complaints as to the denial of
freight cars to one point while an
other point was being generously
served. Already during the first
year of the commissions existence
this law has been made use of in over
two hundred cases.
Within the period through which
it is claimed state expenditures have
most largely increased the enroll
ment at the University of Michigan
has increased from three thousand to
over five thousand; the attendance
at the Agricultural College has in
creased from less than four hundred
to over fourteen hundred the attend
ance at the Normal schools has in
creased from less than nine hun
dred to four thousand, and three ad-
state normal schools have
been established. And further in
that same direction, the state assists
In the management and expense of
over forty county normal schools, |
which are doing splendid work in
The way of providing trained teachers
'or the country district schools |
Within the period OF which complaint !
Of the growth of expenses is being |
made the Mining College in the up i
)er peninsula has more than doubled |
is attendance; the employment in
vas created and is well justifying its
establishment; the Home for the
Neeble-Minded and Epileptic at La
,eer has been built up: the sanitar-
UNI at Howell for the scientific
treatment of tuberculosis has been
provided for and put into operation
md the requirements of insane asy-
ums, reformatory institutions and
he penal institutions have largely
But the growth of the
tate and the growth of these institu-
ions have not been regarded as
ause for criticism and condemnation,
specially in view of the fact that the
of the state during the same
eiod have grown far more rapidly