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TH E STATE REY1E\Y. 



PUBLIC OWNERSHIP CRISIS. 



Tlie dream of the advocates of public owner- 

 ship hasn't been realized in sonic localities de- 

 spite the assumption on their part that it is the 

 panacea for all the ills. During jhe last few days 

 the legislature of West Australia adopted a reso- 

 lution by a vote of two to one declaring in favor 

 of secession of that state from the Australian 

 confederation. This act is an incidental result 

 of tin- go\ eminent ownership of railroads, the 

 senate of the confederation having refused to 

 sanction the survey for a trans-continental rail- 

 way to connect the state on the west coast with 

 the existing lines penetrating the interior from 

 the eastern and southern coasts. The west col- 

 ony which proposes to go it alone has no con- 

 nection with the east and south coasts except by 

 water. Although first in size it is next to last 

 in the matter of railroad mileage. Six years ago 

 the various Australian states, having a combined 

 population of 4,000,000, less than twice that of 

 Michigan, entered into a confederation, placing 

 themselves under a general parliament and finan- 

 cial management. There has been more or les? j 

 dissatisfaction ever since the colonies hitched up 

 New South Wales with its large city population 

 demanded the capital which has remained in Vic- 

 toria. Its chief city, Sydney, and any point within 

 100 miles of it was barred at the formation of 

 the confederation. After a bitter contest the per- 

 manent capital was located last year at a "bush" 

 town, Dalgety, 32 miles frcm the railroad at 

 the time of its selection. 



As stated, the chief grievance and grounds for 

 the secession of West Australia was the rejec- 

 tion by the federal parliament of the proposed 

 survey for a trans-continental railway. Its need 

 of markets and quick communication with the 

 more populous states in the confederation is 

 recognized but the reasons for the rejection of 

 its demands are obvious. While the railroads are 

 owned by the states the federal parliament is ex- 

 pected to furnish the money for a trans-con- 

 tinental line. The cost would be enormous, the 

 greatest length of Australia being 2,500 miles. 



The confederation is about to fund the several 

 state debts as a federal obligation. The aggre- 

 gate is $1,200,000, many hundred million dollars 

 in excess of the public debt of the Unite?d States 

 with a population of eighty millions, and an awful 

 burden for a country having less than one- 

 twentieth the population of the United States. 

 ' If there was a chance of the proposed road 

 paying interest on the investment the confedera- 

 tion might have assumed this additional burden; 

 but as the intervening country contains vast 

 stretches of barren wastes which would produce 

 no revenue to sustain cost of maintenance for 

 years, if ever, it was deemed too great a burden. 

 At any rate West Australia won't stay in the con- 

 federation unless the road is built and the con- 

 federation has refused to build it. While West 

 Australia is the largest in area of the confeder- 

 ated states it has the smalles! population, only 

 184,124, or about one-half that of the city of 

 Detroit. It is rich in mineral resources, having 

 an annual output of $45. lioo.ooo in gold x and is 

 ambitious, but it has a debt of $83,000,000 which 

 is growing faster than the country. What would 

 be public opinion of the future prospect of a city 

 less than one-half greater than Grand Rapids in 

 this state, being burdened with a debt of $83,000,- 

 000? Class legislation is the result. Taxes are 

 high, so high in fact that capital carries the 

 burden, and in any fixed form, such as a manu- 

 facturing industry, has to look forward to what 

 amounts to confiscatory legislation as soon as it 

 is tied up where it cannot get away. The result 

 is that immigration lips ceased, population is 

 either stationary or declining and there is no in- 

 dustrial growth. 



What the result will be cannot be definitely 

 forecasted. Kach of the states consented to the 

 federation and the union was approved by the 

 general parliament. The constitution which was 

 adopted makes no provision by which the compact 

 may be dissolved. So the secession crisis is in- 

 volved in uncertainty. Railroad freights are 

 much higher in Australia than in the United 



States, and the government is unable to make 

 both ends meet in exclusively operating its rail- 

 road system at fixed rate-,. The situation is an 

 instructive example, and anything but encourag- 

 ing to the idea of government ownership of rail- 

 roads. Bay City Tribune. 



CITY CAN DO NO WRONG. 



The ancient and honorable principle of common 

 law that the king can do no wrong, lias been re- 

 affirmed by the supreme court of Michigan, and 

 as a result the city of Muskcgon lias won its case 

 with Abner Alberts, in which the latter was 

 suing the city for damages for the burning of 

 his barn. 



The case has been a long and hard fought one 

 and the decision was evidently considered as 

 settling an important point by the court from the 

 fact that after the briefs and arguments were all 

 in the court asked that the attorneys submit sup- 

 plementary briefs and that the case be reargued 

 before the full bench. 



October 24. 1903, while the city was operating 

 a steam street roller in front of Albert's barn on 

 a windy day, it was supposed that sparks from 

 the roller set fire to the barn and it was burned, 

 together with its contents, consisting of vehicles 

 and harness. 



Mr. Alberts brought suit against the city on the 

 ground that it had been negligent in not provid- 

 ing a spark arrester and also for working at the 

 pb.ce at a time when the high wind made it dan- 

 gerous. 



The city defended the suit on the ground that 

 it was a municipal corporation and was engaged 

 In a public duty and as such represented the state 

 and could not be sued, there being no statute 

 under which an action could be brought. 



The c-ise was tried in the circuit court before 

 a jury January 25, 1905. At the conclusion of 

 the case the city asked Judge Russell to instruct 

 the jury that the city was not liable, but the re- 

 quest was declined and the jury brought in a 

 verdict of $700 damages against the 'city. 



The case was appealed to the supreme court 

 by the city and submitted in June. 1905. The 

 coart was unable to agree and in November 

 asked the attorneys to file further briefs and for 

 a reargument of the case before the full bench. 



The reargument was finally reached on October 

 2, and the decision of the court was quickly 

 reached. 



NAMING OF MINES. 



Frequently the query is heard, "How are min- 

 ing companies named ?" The vagaries of the 

 human mind enter largely into the matter, and 

 there may be a dozen or more reasons why a cer- 

 tain mining company is given the name which it 



The names of the mines in Michigan, particu- 

 larly those in the copper country, arc so called by 

 virtue of their proxmiitv to the locations bearing 

 the same name. The Calumet & Ilecla, for in- 

 stance, being the combination of Calumet and 

 Hccla, two separate corporations later united. 

 The Calumet is the Indian name for nipe of peace, 

 and was given to the location as well. Ilecla was 

 an old Indian chief. 



The Allouez was named after the famous mis- 

 siona-y of the same name. The Wolverine proba- 

 bly was used by the incorporate >rs of that com- 

 pany to designate its location in the Wolverine 

 state. Michigan. Mohawk. Ahmeek, Seneca, Te- 

 ctimseh, Winona and several other similar Indian 

 names were taken by mining companies for 

 names, it being quite the custom to associate cop- 

 per mining with Indians. 



The Quincy was so named in honor of the man 

 who made this name famous in American history. 

 It is snid one of the organizers of the company 

 was a descendant of the Quincy family, and thcre- 

 fo-e suggested the name. The Hancock Consoli- 

 dated takes its name from the city of the same 

 anpellation. The Rhode Island was named after 

 the state of that name, while the Atlantic, and 

 Pacific took the names of the oceans. It was 

 quite natural that with a range of copper-bearing 



territory the Copper Range Company should as- 

 sume this name. The Keweenaw comes to its 

 name quite natnrallv from Keweenaw county. 

 lloughton Mining (jazette. 



FEARS LOOSE BANKING. 



State Banking Commissioner Moore, when 

 asked for his views regarding Daniel McCoy's 

 so-called bank insurance plan, for insuring dc- 

 po-,itors in state banks against loss, said: 



"While I can see that a great deal of benefit 

 might be derived from an organization of bank- 

 ers as outlined liv Mr. McCoy. I can also see it 

 might be productive of loose banking by direc- 

 tors, who would be inclined to think that deposi- 

 tor-- would bf taken care of in any event." 



It is the commissioner's idea that, if the safety 

 of deposits were insured, directors would be less 

 liable to exercise care in making loans, knowing 

 that depositors woidd be protected against loss. 

 At the same time he was loath to discourage the 

 plan, which has manv good points. It was ad- 

 mitted that successful bank insurance would re- 

 sult in greatly increased business and consequent- 

 ly greater profits. 



lion. Daniel McCoy thinks that State Banking 

 Commissioner Moore is "off" in his criticisms of 

 the plan. 



In answer to the commissioner's contention 

 Mr. McCoy made the following statement: 



"It does not seem to me that the directors 

 of the state banks of this state, after having 

 created a guarantee fund to insure deposits, 

 would of their own act or by their own neglect 

 weaken it in any way ; on the contrary, thev 

 would be more exacting that all banks be at all 

 times entitled bv their condition to the benefits 

 of the association, and it would not be long be- 

 fore the failure of a state bank would be impos- 

 sible." 



HOW PUBLIC WOULD HOWL. 



Would an American rather hang to a strap 

 than wait for a street car? is a question quickly 

 answered. During certain hours of the morning 

 and evening there is a great rush for street cars 

 in every city which is accelerated whenever there 

 is rain or snow. People congregate on street cor- 

 ners, waiting for the cars,, which oftentimes are 

 so crowded that the outside occupants of the 

 platforms are standing upon the steps and cling- 

 ing to the hand rails. Sometimes it is so appar- 

 ent that there is no more room to occupy that the 

 waiting groups permit the cars to pass without 

 divsent ; but whenever there is standing room it 

 is quickly taken. The would-be patrons of the 

 cars are either eager to get under shelter of some 

 kind or they are anxious to reach their destina- 

 tions in time to enable them to keep a pressing 

 engagement. 



American patrons of the street railways would 

 t'ot take kindly to any law which would pro- 

 hibit them from accepting the best the cars have 

 :o offer in return for their fares. If the conduc- 

 '.oi s were required to hang out signs, as in Paris, 

 announcing that even- seat is occupied, and to re- 

 fuse to stop for additional passengers, there would 

 be a great deal more grumbling as the compara- 

 tively empty cars passed the crossings th-m is now- 

 indulged in by people who can find neither seats 

 nor standing room. 



It is related by an American correspondent in 

 fiermany that nothing causes more complaint on 

 the part of Americans visiting in that country 

 than to be compelled to snnd on the corners 

 when the weather is unpleasant and witncs- a 

 score of cars pass without stopping because e'icli 

 seat in the same wns occupied. If s miel) >dy were 

 to devise a way by which the car service could be 

 adequately increased both morning and evening, 

 -i rd made ample for the prevalence of bad wea- 

 ther, he would doubtless be welcomed as a bene- 

 factor by the street railway patrons. The man- 

 agers cannot be expected to maintain equipment 

 which c n n only find use during two or three hours 

 in the day. It would be unreasonable to ask it. 

 Meantime people will continue to hang to the 

 straps or crowd the platform. Bay City Tribune. 



