The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1913-01-09

two years ago in making speclnc anu
regular appropriations in separate
bills compel me to recommend that
you again handle your appropriations
In two enactments.
There are two matters aside from
our ordinary needs which demand
your consideration. One is the Pan
amaPacific exposition and the other,
the celebration Of our centennial OF
state. At slight expense to the
state, | have secured one of the most
desirable state sites at the exposition
for the Indiana building. We cannot
afford to let Indiana lag in this matter,
All of us are interested as matter
of pride and the business interests of
the state are particularly concerned
as they will receive business from
the states participation in the expo.
sition while the state is receiving
glory.
| suggest that you authorize your
governor to appoint a commission
with women representation thereon;
that you make the governor chairman
ex-ofticio; that you appropriate a def
and that you make available an ad
ditional sum, not to exceed 100000,
with which the state may meet dollar
for dollar any sum which the business
interests of the state may raise.
Memorial Building Project.
A centennial commission created
by the last general assembly, will
make a report to you. The subject
is Of so great moment that the report
should, in my opinion, be referred to
a special committee with instructions
that the views of all interested per
sons be obtained and that the origina.
idea of memorial building be tena-
ciously held.
Recent laws of other states have
empowered state boards to order a
reassessment in townships and coun-
ties where glazing inequalities exist
and some statutes authorize state
boards to equalize by individual
classes of personal property. Our
law should be amended SO as to au-
thorize the state board of tax cam
missioners to assess bank stock and
to equalize by individual classes Of per
sonal property, not by the generic
term of personal property, ana also
to empower it to order reassessments
in townships and counties where glar-
ing inequalities may exist. This
would legitimately increase the rev.
enue of the state. There is another
legitimate and desirable method of
increasing our income, commonly
known as an inheritance tax. l recon-
mend the enactment of such a law
Under proper restrictions. exclusive
franchises in Indiana should be grant
ed to public service corporations,
pending good behavior. They should
be under the charge of a public util-
tiles commission, the duties of which
should be imposed under our railroad
commission. The act imposing this
duty upon that commission should be
fair and reasonable, guaranteeing an
ample return to the corporations, but
at the same time safeguarding the
rights of the public which they were
incorporated to serve and providing
an expeditions way of adjusting rates
so as to honestly treat the corpora
ton and distinctly serve the people.
I recommend further that no bonds
shall be issued until application made
to the state board of tax commission
ers asking for leave to issue the bonds
and showing the purpose of the issue,
is granted; and that the board grant
no leave until it has fixed the mini
mum price at which the bonds may
md hoy
to guarantee the use of the proceeds
for the purposes named when the
bonds were authorized. | also recon-
mend stringent laws against the offer
ing for sale and selling or the adver-
Using for sale Of stock and bonds in
orporations-laws to protect the un-
wary against investing their money
in that which it not property but mere
promise in those schemes which are
ordinarily known to the BUSINESS
world as blue sky"
Compulsory Compensation Law.
AS it is the duty of the state to
use preventive measures for the less
ening of crime and disease, so, also,
it is the duty to enact legislation that
Will prevent us CltlZenS from DoCOm-
ing public charges. OF recent years,
manufacturers have sought to avoid
responsibility for injury by taking
out casualty insurance. At least sixty
per cent. of the premiums paid go to
the profit of the casualty company
This system has totally failed, both
from the economic and the moral view.
point. It has become a mere game
Of chance in which all the legal tech
nicalities Of the law are taken advan-
tage of to prevent payment of dam
ages. It has failed morally because
it has built up a miserable class Of
ambulance chasers, who bring suits
upon the hope of compromise. and of
expert witnesses. who testify in &C
cordance with their employment. The
greed of this class robs the injured
employee or his family of the dam
ages even when recovered.
The intricacies of modern manufac-
turing demand of the state that it
take steps to protect itself from the
liability to support those who are dis
abled and the families of those whose
lives are snuffed out. The state has q
right for its own protection, if for