The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1875-04-01
BLUNDERING LEGISLATION IN
WISCONSIN.
It's Rufnous Effects Upon the small
Reads-What VIII They Do
About It9

From The st. Paul Daily Pioneer, Saturday March
18th. 1875.
In our issue of Wednes day morning we
published special telegram from our cor
respondent in Hudson, referring briefly to
De action of the Wisconsin Legislature in
prescribing arbitrary or fixed rates, arpli-
cable alike to all railways in that State.
We have since obtained copies of the en-
aetments passed at Madison during the
past session, and find, upon eyanina ton of
them, that the situation is about as follows:
One year ago the act sirce popularity
known as the Potter Law was passed,
which divided all railroads into class A, B,
and c., the latter or lowest class being com
posed of some seven or eight Of the smaller
roads which had meyer earned sufficient
money to pay their bonded interest added
20 their operating expenses.
The Potter Law provided that all roa1 is
in this class should retain the right to
charge their current rates for the carving
Of all classes of freight, and was there fore
generally accepted as satisfactory by the
smaller roads.
:. Ga the second Of March last the Legisla-
tare PASSED an amendment to the Potter
act reading as follows:
SECTION l. Section one of chapter p 5
Potter law of the general laws of 1874
entitled "An act relating to Railroads,
Express and Telegraph Companies in the
State of Wisconsin," is hereby amended to
read as follows; All railroads in the State
Of Wisconsin are hereby divided into two
classes 20 be known as class "a" g. 3D.
Glass "A" shall include all Railroads or
part of Railroads in the State of Wiscon
sin now owned, operated, managed or leas
ed by the Milwaukee & ST. Paul Railway
Company, the Chicago & Northwestern
Railway Company or the Western Union
Railway Company, except the Madison &
Portage Railroad.
Glass "B" shall include all other Rail
roads or parts of Railroads in said State,
and all tue provisions relating to class ''C''
IN the act of which this is amer datory, shall
be applied to these Railroads which by this
amendment are class "B."
This amendment was duly approved by
the Governor, and on March 9th the Legis.
lature again labored, and brought forth
not a mouse-but another amendment OF
the original Potter Law, the FIRST section Of
which reads as follows:
Section |. Section 4 of chapter 273 OF
the general laws of 1874 is hereby amend
ed to read ms follows: "Section T. No
individual, company, or corporation, own
ing, operating, managing or leasing any
railroad or part OF railroad designated in
Section l as class "a" or b. shall charge
for or receive greater or higher rate for
carrying articles ramed in the several
special classes herein designated than j,
hereinafter provided. namely
The amendment then goes on to pre-
scribe fixed rates for all of the several classes
of freight, thus applying An arbitrary and
Interchangeable schedule Of rates for classes
"A' and ''B,'' which by the previous AIMED
ment quoted, was made to include every
railroad in the State.
If the State authorities compel the small
roads to run under the law as it now stands,
(and they cannot well do otherwise, > it is
understood that some six or sever roads
will be obliged to suspend active running
operations.
There seems to be but one way out Of
this muddle, end that is for the Governor
to call an extra session of the Legislature
and thus afford the Granger element com
posing it another opportunity to redeem
itself and at the same time TO do requir
ed justice to the railway interests of their
State, now suffering so severely from the
unreasonable burdens that have been al
ready imposed rpon them.
The example Of the action taken by our
own State Legislature is before them, and
if they will but follow it and remove the
blight of cruel prescription of Wisconsin
railroads, the best material interests Of the
State will he subscryed, and they will have
to great extent atoned for the stupidity
which has resulted in the status of affairs
IA above set forth.