Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1882-01-23
ruEsEw RAILROAD ELL.
what q Proposes and what speak,
WfEs0n Says crit.

what q Proposes and what Speaker
Wilson Says ofxt.
The celebrated fight of last session over
the Wilson railroad bill and its subsequent
defeat in the House. are still fresh in the
public mind, and require no further men
ton at this time. On Friday, Speaker
Wilson introduced another railroad bill,
known - House bill No. S6I, the synopsis
Of which is as follows:
The bill is entitled "a bill to establish
reasonable maximum rates of charges, to
provide for the correction of abuses, TO pre-
vent unjust discrimination and extortion
in the rates Of charges by all railroad COM
|, panies and corporations heretofore or here
after created by this or any other State, aud
Organized within or without this State, and
operating any railroad or railway, wholly
within, or partly within and partly with
out this State, for the transportation OF
passengers and freights, to protect the Just
rights of the public coueerning the same,
and to enforce the same by adequate peuai-
ties"
Ii is first made unlawful for any com
psny or corporation, whether operating it.
self or operated or leased by any other
company, to charge for passengers or
freight more for a shorter than for longer
distance in the same direction. IT shall be
the duty of every railway company to keep
constantly posted, in a conspicuous place,
in all its ticket offices aud freight and pass
enger depots, printed copies OF the second
and third sections of this act, which are
embraced in the foregoing sentence, to-
gether with q table of distances between
each and every Station Of its road, the
same to be printed in legible type.
All persons shall have equal rights IN
shipping freight; and the same facilities
for carriage, storage and handling freight
and transporting il with reasonable dispatch
10 the point required, shall be given 70 All;
and no company shall directly or indirectly
allow any rebate or drawback TO one Per-
son which is not allowed 10 all alike. No
company shall increase its charge after
january, Of each..year.
station shall be established at every
town of 800 or more inhabitants, where the
road passes through or within half mile;
such station shall be established within
three monthe after this act goes into effect,
and every thirty days delay, or failure
thereafter, shall be separate offense.
The remainder Of the bill is devoted to
penalties. For any offence against the pro-
visions of this act the offender shall be
deemed guilty Of misdemeanor and for
the first ofFense, upon conviction shall be
$40 coo; for the second, not less than $40
coo nor moro than SIS, 900; for the third,
not less than SIS, 900 nor more than $2O,OOO;
and for every oifense thereafter, 700,
each fine to be at the discretion of the
Jury. But if any company shall WHtubg
violate any section of this ordinance, it
shall be taken as an abuse and forfeiture OF
its charter, and il may be proceeded against
rs 10 judgment Of custer and final e4ecu-
ton.
The Circuit Court of each county through
han IN
tiOn and shall especially give this act IN
charge of the grand jury. The Judge, IL he
deem it necessary, shall employ special
counsel TO assist the Prosecuting Attorney,
in such cases.
The above is the substance OF the new
railroad bill. The difference between it
and the last one is, that it carries no riders,
and has but its one object. Speaker VIII
son said OF it, last night:
at is in.nly opinion the imperative duty
OF this Legislature TO pass this bill. The
Determinations practiced by railroads
against the citizens Of this commonwealth
are proving ruinous not only 10 the inter
ests of the citizens themselves, but will
prove very detrimental % its prospects.
To give you an idea OF these infamous
transactions: A stock dealer paid $50 per
car for shipping stock over the Is. and y.
railroad from Mineral county, in this
State, to Baltimore, while stock dealer
over in Central Ohio paid only $40 per car
to the same point. Another instance: 1t
costs lbs per barrel less to ship oil from
Parksrsburg to Cincinnati, and thence to
New York, than it did to ship from Park
ersburg direct. might multiply instances
by the hour, but only adduce
these 10 give you an idea OF
some Of the burthens that our shippers
are compelled 10 carry in this line OF their
transactions with these railroad companies.
The charters granted to these companies
were for the benefit of the State, and when
our own people are so grossly Disseminated
against, It is high time for the Legislature
to take the matter in hand and compel the
corporations 10 extend to this people all
and better facilities than are given to
Western States, 10 the exclusion and detrI-
ment OF our own. Home interests are
paramount TO foreign, and the interests OF
this as yet undeyeloped State are para
mount To those Of our neighboring West
ern States. The policy of these roads under
the present condition is to bring Western
States nearer Eastern markets than orr
State and il is suicide for US to permit it.
My bill has for it's object the compelling
of all roads in our limits To haul and trans
fer all freiShts as cheaply from one point
as from another, for instance: | want these
roads to haul cattle, coal and grain just as
checp from Grafton cast as they do from
this city. Competition compels low rates
here and want the same BENEFICIAL pro-
visions extended to those of our people
who are engaged in shipping all over the
State, ard especially at those points where
the benefits Of competition are not felt.
This is my bill and would like 10 know
the man who, with knowledge OF these
things, would refuse to vote for it"