606
The Green Bag
thousand men in a community in scat tered portions, casting their ballots." Governor O'Neal delivered an energetic
supplement to other sources of reve
rejoinder, saying that he would rather
aided by fair and equitable taxes from other sources. He praised the New York
stand with Madison and Hamilton than to stand with some modern proph ts and some of our western statesmen. Other
nue but as a means of superseding or making nominal the direct tax system, if
inheritance tax law.
Governor Dix of
New York, on the following day, de
Governors spoke on the same topic.
scribed the inheritance tax law of his
Wednesday, the second day, was taken up with a discussIon of "Employers’ Liability and Workingmen's Compensa
state.
tion."
The principal addresses were
made by Governors Charles S. Deneen
of Illinois and Eugene N. Foss of Massachusetts. On the third day, "The R'ght of the
States to Fix lntra-State Traffic Rates" was discussed by Governors Herbert S. Hadleyof Missouri and Chester H.Aldrich of Nebraska. Governor Hadley referred to the Minnesota rate cases as involving a momentous question, namely, whether rates fixed by state boards of railroad commissioners are unconstitutional as directly burdening interstate commerce,
and urged the importance of the states retaining the power to regulate rates within their territory. Governor Aldrich also made a plea to similar effect, for state
authority in the regulation of public utilities, and gave the results of the oper ation of the Nebraska rate law to illus trate his argument.
Governor Francis
E. McGovern of Wisconsin later spoke in a similar strain.
Another topic discussed on the third day was "The Inheritance Tax and State Comity,” addresses being made by Gov ernor Dix of New York and Governor
Governors of twenty-four states voted Thursday afternoon to unite in protat to the United States Supreme Court against what they considered an inva sion of state rights by federal courts. The motion was made by Governor O'Neal of Alabama, and was “that this conference appoint a committee of five
Governors to take such action as may be necessary before the United States Su
preme Court to see that the rights of the states are properly protected."
proposition excited animated
The
debate.
which turned, however, chiefly on minor
details. The motion, as finally adopted, provided for a committee of three, and only one voted in opposition, Governor Kitchin of North Carolina, who thought
the action would be beyond the scope of the Conference. Governor Harmon heads the committee, and his associates are Governors Hadley and Aldrich. On Friday the Conference met in ex ecutive session, and voted to hold the next annual conference at Richmond, Va., Dec. 3, 1912. Afterward Governors Stubbsof Kansas,Vessey of South Dakota
and O'Neal of Alabama made addres ses outlining reforms recently adopted
Dr. Anna Shaw,
by their respective states. Governor Dix delivered his address on taxation.
president of a national woman suffrage association, also addressed the Govern
The Conference then dissolved, after Governor Gilchrist of Florida had an
ors, no final action being taken by the Conference in response to her appeal. Governor Noel outlined conditions in
nounced that the executive committee had agreed to place foremost on next
Noel of Mississippi.
the several states, and advocated the in heritance tax not only as a much needed
year's program a discussion on the advisability of having a uniform divorce law.
