The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1908-01-31
FRANCHISE TAX
BILL IS KILLED
IN THE SENATE ev A VOTE OF 2s
TO is.
VOTE WAS ON PARTY LINES
All the Republicans Voted Against Il
Together with Two Democrats,
While Two Democrats
Did Nor Vote.

Columbus, O., Jan. Slater de
bate which consumed practically the
entire afternoon, the senate on Thurs.
day defeated the franchise tax bill in.
troduced and championed by Senator
Howe, of Cleveland. Two democrats
Senators Harper, of Hamilton county.
and Denman, of Williams county, vot
ed with the republicans against the
bill, making the vote 20 nays to 15
yeas. Two democrats, Senators Boeh.
mer, of Putnam county, and Carter, OF
Wyandot. did not vote.
Senator Howes bill, following the
lines Of the Ford franchise tax law OF
New York state, proposed new meth
cd of fixing the valuation of railroad
and other quasi-public and public ser
vice corporations, based upon their
earning capacity.
Senator Howe declared there was
from $12,000000 to $40, 100000 In
taxes evaded every year by corpora
tions, and his bill sought to recover
at least part of that for the peeple
He declared that his proposition to
tax franchises was not novelty, but
that 1t had been before the legisla'
tupe In some form or another for the
last Is years.
Referring to influences which he al.
legged were at work to defeat the bill,
Senator Howe said the methods of the
lobbyists had changed. The means
used in former years, he declared, had
been discarded and one lobbyist had
said, Watch us beat this bill with a
cornstalk lobby" The plan of those
seeking to defeat the measure, he
III a.
and surround the legislators with
clamoring constituents. In other
words, the means to be used was so.
cial pressure.
Senator West in arguing against
the bill declared that 1t provided for
two rules to be followed in the valua.
tion of property, whereas the assess.
or had but one rule and he doubted
for that very reason whether the bill
was valid. He said also that 1t pro
vided that the valuations fixed under
the proposed law were to be trans
mitted to the governor, but no power
was given the executive to review the
findings of the commission. A pro
vision in the measure providing that
money spent In improvements should
not be considered as operating ex
peuScS, ut ucCldTtu, WOulu luTOttlt
every steam and interurban railroad
in the state.
Senator West also took the stand
that IL would not be wise to pass the
bill at this time, as the constitutional
amendment recommended by the tax
commission would give the Legislature
power to enact adequate laws for the
taxation of all corporations. without
IN tlA oil 80 4.
methods being attacked.
The Rose county option bill was re
ported to the senate with a recon-
mendation for its passage signed by
Senators Drake, Sites and Atwell. The
bill was ordered on the calendar for
next Tuesday.
The house passed number of bills
and defeated one which provided a
penalty for any one unhitching horse
from public rack.
A bill amending the law specifying
property to be exempted from taxa.
tion SO as to include stocks owned by
counties. cities, villages or townships
when the same are acquired with
money raised by taxation, was passed
after lively debate.
The senate joint resolution pro
viding for the appointment of joint
commission to continue the investiga
tion at Cincinnati begun by the so
called Drake committee" of the sen
ate. was made a special order for next
Monday in the house.
The house adopted the joint resolu
ton providing for an adjournment oI
the general assembly from February
6 to February IL on account of the
republican state primaries.