Omaha daily bee., 1888-02-27
CONSULTING CONSTITUENTS
Hawkeye Legislators Prepare For
Raiir DAD Enactment.
OBTAINING VIEWS OF VOTERS.
Provisions OF the bill Which the
Lower House Of the General
Assembly Has Now Under
Consideration.
Railroad Regulation.

of the BEE. Both branches of the legisla-
ture adjourned las week for few days and
the members went home and interviewed
their constituents on the railroad bills now
under consideration. The result has been
wonderfully encouraging to the advocates OF
restrictive railroad legislation, and practically
assured the enactment of the measures pro-
pared by the anti-monopoly leaders.
The house commenced on Wednesday to
consider the bill to prohibit cxtortion and un.
/ just discrimination, and to empower the rail
road commissioners to fix freight rates. and
every one of the thirty sections of the bill
was given the most careful consideration.
The provisions of the bill in brief are as fol.
lows: Section extends the jurisdiction Of
the railroad commissioners to include every
common carrier in the state; section de-
clares that every charge for handling, stor-
ing or transporting property shall
| be Just and reasonable SEQ
| tion 3 defines unjust discrimination,
section req uires railroads to furnish proper
terminal facilities for receiving freight from
| connecting lines; section 8, prohibits Charg.
ing more for short than for long haul;
| section o, prohibits pooling and all combina-
| tion or agreements in regard to rates; section
Z, provides for the publication of posting Of
tariff rates and classitications; section 3, pro-
the amount of damage for any violation shall
| be three times as much rs the actual loss sus-
| tanned; section 10, requires the board of COM
| missoners to prosecute the case in behalf of
| the injured party, and establishes rules for
their guidance section IL, makes every viO-
| lation misdemcanor on the part of the agent
or empOye who aids or abets in the act, and
| fixes the fine at not less than $500 nor more
| than $1,000; section r. confers power upon
the commissioners to examine the books and
| accounts of railroad companies, send for per-
| sons and papers and Furnishes any neglect or
| refusal to comply with their orders in these
| particulars the same as for contempt Of
court sections 13, IA and 10, explains
at length the manner of making COM
| plants, and makes it the duty Of
| the commissioners to hear and de termine
| them as speedily as possible; section 10 pro-
| vides that the commissioners any party
| interested may take the case on refusal Of
| the company to obey the requirements of the
| board into the district court to be speedily
determined by equity proceedings, section
| IL empowers the commissioners to fix q
| schedule of freight charges that shall not be
! higher than the maximum rates fixed by stat
| utes; section Is to II prescribes the manner
| of reducing schedule rates; section % pro-
| vdes that annual reports from all railroads
| shall be made to the commissioners; section
| 23, "a and % defines extortions as charging
| any greater rate than that fixed by the COM
| missioners, and makes the penalty q fine for
the first Offense of not less than 81 900 nor moro
| than -, 600, and for the second not more than
| $40 900 and for the third not more than S2O,-
| 600. For all subsequent offenses uniform
| fine of $3.50 Is imposed. The remaining sec
| tions except certain property from the pro-
visions CT ths act, provide for free transpor-
tation for the commissioners and the repeal
| of all conflicting statutes.
| The discussion of the bill was quite ami
| mated and large number of amendments
| proposed. lSabb, of Union, the greenback
| leader, proposed an amendment to section z,
| abolishing the board of railroad commission
ers, but it only received eight votes. Gum
| Minis of Polk, who has steadily tried to
weaken the bill by all sorts Of twists and
| turns, tried to attach proviso that the COM
| missioners could only change the schedule
| after public trial in which both parties
| should be represented by counsel but
the amendment was only supported
by ten members, which is about
the full strength of the opponents of the
This bill has been under consideration for
| nearly two months and received the atten-
| tion of the best minds in the legislature IL
is safe to say that if any scheme can be de-
| vised by which extortion and unjust dscrim-
| ination and pooling can be absolutely prohib-
tied and reasonable rates secured this law
| will accomplish it, There is no question but
what it will pass although the vote in the
| senate may be close.
| The house will send the bill to the senate
| on Monday and it will come up for consdera.
| tion the last of the week. The bill fixing
| maximum rates will be next considered by
| the house, and will go through with a rush.
! The bill reduces the rates about one-third
| lower than the average during the past year.
| The farmers of Iowa are extremely wide
| awake on these questions and have raised q
| perfect avalanche of petitions upon their SEN
ators during the past week, with very notice.
able effect. Among the senators converted
| by these petitions are Deal, Of Carroll, and
Caldwell, of Dallas, both Of whom will now
favor stringent legislation, including the two
| cent fare bill.
Insurance companies got lively shaking
4, -
| Jasper, introduced bill prohibiting all pool
| ing or combinations among them, end an
amendment was tackled on requiring them to
| pay the full face of the policy, regardless OF
| the value OF the property insured. The bill
will not be likely to pass the senate, as that
| body has several insurance men among Its
| members, who are watching for just such
| bills, and will kill them off in committee.
The efforts of the house to protect farmers
| from fraudulent notes, by repeating the "in-
| nocent purchaser" clause will prove u fail
ure. Nearly every lawyer in the senate de-
| clares that any law of this character will
| throw a cloud on all commercial paper and
seriously interfere with all business transac-
tions, Two bills intended to protect the peo-
| pie from these outrageous frauds practiced
| by confidence men who securing the names
| of prominent farmers to receipts, and then
| transform their notes which they sell at the
nearest bank have been killed in the senate
and no bill OF this character can get through
| that body.
The republican state convention which
meets here on March 81, promises TO be an
exciting event. Many senators will favor
postponing action on the railroad bills until
the party can be heard from.
Both factions are bending every
energy to secure majority Of
delegates. 1t is even limited, and quite
broadly too, that the convention was called
| thus early to allow the railroad men TO get in
their work on the delegates and thus call q
halt TO all extreme legislation. 1t is conceded
| that Allison will be the unanimous choice OF
| the convention, but any conflict over pending
| legislation might cOmplicate matters and
| render success at the election uncertain. Tho
St, Johnites are already in the field and
making desperate efforts TO organize the
third party, and many feel that unanimity
| and concert Of action is absolutely necessary
to insure success, both in the convention and
at the polls, REX.
To Close Out Music