The Goldfield news. [volume] (Goldfield, Nev.) 1904-1911, 1909-03-20
GOVERNORS NEW COMMISSION

- = HEN IL state board If assessors net last January to assess the rail
rods, they ut the assessmea Of various roads against the pro
w test Of he governor, and practically told the governor % 90 to hob;
that it was their business and that he needn't interfere They had the
edge on he governor, but or . time only, a it prove
During the meeting Of the various county assessors who compise, the
stateb board. a strong railroad lobby was very much in evidence and it was
quite plain to those o the ground, among whom happened 10 be the editor Of
The News that there was more business being done in a mysterious way be-
sessions Of the assessors The governor was aware of this. and when the al
SCISSORS, under the influence II tn. lobby cut the valuation Of railroad property
for the purposes II assessment the governor "a not backward in venting his
indignation and wrath in lurtd terms, not hesinang to imply very broadly
OF course, were denied with proper show Of indignation OF the part Of the
aforesaid ASSESSORS.
The assessors dispersed 10 their various counties, but thu railroad lobby
remained o. the ground to watch the legislature then about to assemble. After
all the railroad legislation was disposed of, as the lobbyists supposed, they
too, left Carson.
But this - what the governor was waiting for, apparently, for Tuesday
night, without public notice. he slipped a bill into both houses # tn assembly
and the bill was passed in double quick order, the leaders Of both houses hv-
ing previously bent taken into the governors confidence. This bill bohshes
the state board of Assessors altogether and puts the power to assess the rail-
roads, telegraph and telephone and electric light and power companies, into the
hands of a new commission, composed Of the governor, attorney general and
state comptroller; and 30 the state board has lost its job with the railroad,
and the governor is in the saddle with the last laugh
Such q tai commission as tn governors bill provides may or may not
work satisfactorily. 1t all depends upon the members of the board them
selves. In Colorado, for instance. in 1901, the legislature took the railroad as
sesing power cut Of the hands If thu governor and placed it in the hands oil
the state board of assessors It was argued that the governor and state Of
fcials were 90 amenable to the railroads. The corporations in that state
IA used as a medium for political barter. For this reason the legislature
took away from the governors board the authority to value and assess the
railroads. and placed it in the hands of a state board of county assessors. K
acuy the averse II the action of Nevadas Legislature.
Whether the smaller board Of state officials will work an better in Ne
vaa than it did in Colorado, remains to be seen The people have
fdence N the present governor and the attorney general and the comptroller:
But they will lot always b % in office. Other dmnistraton will follows, and
it will depend upon the judgment and honesty II these officials entirely
whether the new scheme will work any better han the old. AS a rule there
is safety in numbers; but after all it is simply a question of plain honesty and
good judgment