The Lebanon express. (Lebanon, Linn County, Or.) 1887-1898, 1889-05-03


railroad commission matter, / cheer
fally comply. aAd will say that when
the railroad commission bill was first
introduced into the legislature In 1887
| had the honor to be a member Of the
state senate, and supported the bill ~
the best measure that could then be
passed In the interests Of the farmers
and others who depend largely upon
railroad transportation conducting
their business. | Ibelieved at the time
that many abuses Of railroad manage
ment, seriously affecting the material
interests Of the farmers, might be RAM
edied by the commission under the
power conferred upon them by the
bill. Another very important benefit
accrning to those affected by the abuse
above referred to under the operation
Of this bill was the vast amount of sta-
tistical information TO he gathered to-
gethcr by the commission andrcp0rted
to the Legislature. This last duty was
faithfully and elaborately performed
by the commission, and their report i
before the people, As to the abuses
which the friends OF the measure had
hoped to see corrected, am sorry 10
say they were all doomed to disap-
pointment. On many occasions very
extortionate charges have been made
by some of the railroads for transport
ing freight, and 1t was hoped that un-
der the power conferred by the bill
upon the commission ii would be au-
thorlzcd to interfere In such cases and
compel railroads to reduce charges ON
freight to such figures as would be
considered reasonable. The railroads
at once disputed any such authOrityon
the part of the commission under the
law, and the commission were conf
PEELED to go into the courts to have
their power defined. To this end a
suit was brought in the name Of the
commission in the circuit court OF the
state Of Oregon for umatilla county
against the Oregon Railway & Navi-
CATION Company asking decree Of the
court requiring the railroad company
TO refund TO one, i. ]. Summerville,
the sum Of Sll, claimed To be an excess
over and above reasonable compen-
sution exacted by the railroad from
summervilIe for transporting for him
car load of of wheat from Pendleton
to Portland. The commission obtain
ed Judgment against the railroad COM
pany in the circnit court, but on APP
peal to the supreme court the judg-
ment of the circuit court was reversed
aud the case dismissed. The court
held that the commission had nc power
under the law to fix rates Of fare or
freight or to determine when suth rates
are reasonable. Hence .aIl 1t w1ls pos
sible TO secure under the law had been
secured in the report of information
concerning themanner of the manage
ment Of railroads. AT the late session
Of the Legislature n bill was introduced
In the senate by Senator Dawson of
this county amending the law 80 as to
increase the number Of commissioners
TO three, instead Of two rs under the
old law, and 10 provide fur their elec-
ton by the Legislature instead Of their
appointment by the governor as under
the old law. This bin conferred no ad-
tiitiOnnl power upon the commission.
Viewing the commission as utterly
p0werIess to help the farmers ngainst
the extortionate exactiOns of railroads
unless additional powers were c0nferr-
ed upon it, sought to amend the bill
BY providing TINT "Said board shall
have the power to fix the maximum
rates of freightto be charged blythe va
ri0us railroads Of the stute, between all
n0ints iii the state.n This amendment
was voted down aud the bill passed as
originally introduced. 1t was vetoed
by the governor, who among other
things said:
"TlIe board consisting under the law
as ii now stands, oftwo commissioners
and a clerk, thecompensation of whom
amounted to $500 per annum, had not
really enough work to do, owing to the
prercriled Limitation Of its power, TO
Keep zone man In healthy, steady em-
ploYmemt. and there il no reason why
the taxpayers Of Oregon should be bur-
deneI with the expenditure OF Sg1lO
more for the employment Of another
commissioning who will really have
nothing To do but draw his salary quar-
toFIy, where for this unacconntable
bcnefaction of the legislatuae Of Oregon
he might be able to earn an honest liv-
ing on d farm or In q workshop
This bill passed over the governors
veto, and 1t il very evident that Ii WIS
entirely satisfactory to the railroads. AZ
all ralIfoad inemhefs IN both houses
supported II. Summarizing the whole
matter. / sfOpnrtel the It'll passed In