The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1909-01-22
WATER POWER
OF The STATE
Its Conservation a Most IT.
pOrtant Subject.
LEGISLATURE IS TO ACT

Rumor That Several Big Water Power
Companies of the State Were Plan
ming Merger Stimulated the Leg
isIators - State Tax Commission
Completes the Work of Assessing
the Property Of Railroad Companies
-Anti-Lobby Bill Up Soon.
Lansing, Mich, Jan. 19.-The most
important subject to which the pres.
ent legislature has thus far addressed
itself is probably the proper steps to
be taken to conserve the water power
OF the state. This movement had its
inception in the action of President
Roosevelt in directing public attention
to the need for conserving all the re.
sources of the state and nation and
see to it that they were put to the
best use and protected from utter an
inhalation, and it was given further
and immediate impetus by the widely
circulated rumor that several of the
water power companies of Michigan
were planning merger to control all
the water power of the state that Is OF
any account.
Following closely on the heels of the
publication of this story. Represents.
tive Curtiss, OF Wayne, offered and Sc.
cured the adoption of resolution pro.
viding for the appointment of a com
mittee OF three members to investi
gate and report on this entire subject.
The committee appointed by Speaker
Campbell is composed of Representa-
tives Curtiss, Davis, of Newaygo, and
Yaple, of Kalamazoo.
Withdraws Land from Market.
AS the next step in the program
Chairman Curtiss has introduced a bill
which withdraws from the market all
state lands which border on streams
available for power. 1t is expected
that this bill will be promptly passed
and given immediate effect as an
emergency measure, and thus head Oft
any plan designing persons may have
to secure possession of these lands.
The special committee has taken up
the subject with vigor and has already
entered upon an investigation with
view to ascertaining definitely the
amount of developed and undeveloped
water power in the state, just what
regulative laws the state can consti.
tutionally enact affecting the opera.
tons of private water power compa.
MES, what rates are charged for pow
err and whether there Is a community
of interest low existing between the
companies, and what can be done in
the line of regulating the rates charged
for power, collect revenue from
these companies commensurate with
the profits of the business and the val
ue of The franchises, and to further
conserve the resources of the state in
this connection. The legislators gen.
orally appear to be greately interested
in The subject and determined to safe.
guard the interests of the state.
Taxation OF Railway Property.
AS required by the statute, the state
tax commission, on the 18th instant,
completed the work of assembling the
property Of railroad, express and car
loaning companies for the current
year. The assessed value of the rail-
road property is fixed at $20S,967 900,
an increase of $1,336,500 over that of
one year ago. The average rate of
taxation per $1,000 of valuation this
year will be SlS.008, as against $17622
last year. The companies interested
still have their day in court, as the
law requires the commissioners 20
convene as a board of review on the
third Monday in January and continue
in session until Feb. Is. During this
time companies which deem them
selves aggrieved by the assessment will
be heard.
In this connection 1t may be men,
toned that the ad volorem system of
taxing corporations will doubtless be
extended this year so as to include
telegraph and telephone companies.
the Dust bill making this provision
which was defeated two years ago
having been introduced last week by
Senator Anhut. A bill differing only
slightly from the Anhut bill has been
introduced by Senator Fairbanks. The
former measure, which has the en-.
dorsement of Governor Warner, pro-
vides that the two classes of corpora
tions mentioned be taxed on an ad
volorem basis, just as railroad com.
panies have been for several years,
but seeks to help out the little con-
Germs by providing that companies
with gross assets of less than $1,000
shall be exempted from the new law
and shall continue to be taxed locally
as at present. Much of the opposition
which resulted in the defeat of the
proposition by the last legislature
came from little independent tele-
phone companies.
Anti-Lobby Bill.
Another administration measure
which was advocated by Governor
Warner in his message has also been
introduced and will soon be up for
consideration This is the anti-lobby
bill, by which IL is hoped to put an end
to the activities of the professional lob
byist. The bill, which was introduced
in the senate by Senator Watkins and
in the house of Representative Nc
Naughton, of Kent, is drafted along