The Norfolk weekly news-journal., 1909-01-08

system. the bankers should be given
share in the control OF the depart.
ment
Revenue Law,
"Our present revenue law should be
amended insofar as Is necessary to re-
store 10 the people the right to elect
the precinct assessors and to limit in
part at least the arbitrary powers
which the present law gives to the
state board of equalization and as.
sessment. so that the people shall
have restored to them some voice in
determining the amount of taxes they
shall be compelled to pay to support
the state government. 1t appears to
me too great n gift of power to give
to the state and county boards the
right to determine the amount of the
levy which shall be laid upon the
property OF the citizen and at the same
time empower the state board to de-
tcrmine through its mandates to the
county assessors and their deputies the
valuation that shall be placed upon
the property OF the taxpayers. When
we consider that the members OF this
all powerful board OF assessment, act.
ing in their Official capacity as the
heads of different state departments,
are authorized to spend the money
taken from the pc It's of the people
by the force of Z "a 'e revenue law,
the danger lurllin,D is excess OF
power becomes mon y, went 1t is
to be remarked that % mt state
departments have co. 10 ed the
present law because it pro "a. uuch
money for their use. 1t isN 70. lily
to be noted that those who "a t
money which others must pay int Jew
the magnitude OF the amount to be eX.
pended with greater equanimity than
those who have to provide it. The
cost of our state government has in
creased enormously in recent years
wish to impress upon you that funds
should be provided to meet every le-
climate demand of the government
our different state institutions and our
schools, but every dollar that comes
out of the treasury must have been
paid in by some taxpayer and the bulk
of the state S income is dug out of the
soil by the unremitting toll of those
| who can i'll afford to pay for eXtrava
gance or unnecessary expense.
Railroad Commission.
The railroad commission should be
authorized and empowered to appraist
| the physical value of the public ser
vice corporations of the state, and
to control their debt-makng power
II they have that power now, as some
maintain, the legislature should pro
vide the means with which to pay the
cost of such an appraisement A de
termination of the actual value of the
property of these corporations must
be the starting point of any effective
attempt at rate regulation. | believe
that adequate funds can be provided
for this purpose by requiring all cor
porations doing business within the
state, to pay small annual license
fee into the state treasury. The right
to incorporate and operate under oul
laws is a valuable consideration anC
the power and protection given enti
ties the state to proper report as tc
the conditions of such corporations
together with fee commensurate
with the privileges granted. Such {
law in other states brings a sufficient
revenue to warrant its enactment by
this legislature and the devotion o
so much of the fund so provided t
the purpose of obtaining a proper ap
praisement of public service corpora
lions, would be entirely proper, be
cause in any event corporations SHOULD
be required to pay for the expense o
examination and valuation just as
bank or insurance company is now re
CURED to do.
Administration of State Institutions
Il would suggest that the cOnstitl:
ton be so amended that non-partisaI
board of control could be created, t
be appointed by the governor, anl
have conferred upon it the entire man
agement of our various state institu
lions. The state institutions SHOULD
be removed from politics as far al
may be done and merit alone shoulC
determine the right of any person t
serve the state in the different depart
ments made subject to the board o
control. This board, in my opinion
should consist of three members an(
have at its command the state accoun
and a qualified purchasing or business
agent, who should have a genera
knowledge as to machinery, materia
and construction contracts and of al
matters of business coming before thu
board. This board of control SHOULD
purchase the supplies for all the stat,
institutions by open competition
among those desiring to sell to thu
state. The practice OF maintaining ;
cash fund at the various state institu
tons should be abolished and the bust
ness of the state, so far as it applies
to the general conduct and administra
ton of the different state institutions
should be thoroughly systematized
In DalyiDU what CHANCES | cOntpm