Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1889-01-18
EAU ENknS

The railroads Of Wis >onsin are 10 be Counted SIS
an' ns the foremost factors which have brought
tu"ajeiv for the best inter SIS Cf al Concerned
there has existed = wears frieutlc spirit q
c.. peratioa between the people and TIE rnS.
evolved from economic consideration Of their
mutual Snd corrHlstive dependence. Our terri
70 = trSvsrSai by not L - than twelve i'm.
q rtart lines VII Oh connect the est wl-h the
great nNrt1 invest. sides this, we enjoy the gres;
aiv8rI re Of water navigation on three sides II
rho state .r nes' " the VIII lie wear Living thus
in commercial pathway Of tn continent. in.
I r taUe ~ well IS domestic. ConmeHce IL de-
pendent upon the VS. 'om o. the laws which ulsy
h. enacted for The control # these great Interests
Tn memorable str ggte which took place n 1874
settled FOREVER the right Of the people TO control
orro.ations-
therefore. are not so much for supremacy 0S for
the right atju>tmenr "f the relations between the
peorle srd their servants. All laws should b
mpered largely vi the desire 10 do tn { which
whole.
1t has been q lite TOO COMMON in recent years
10 represent the agricultural element in our
popu alton As entertaining hostile and acr ri n
sent mentS towsri railroads snd other corpora
q MS and demag CUES hav1 sought 10 commend
themS Ives to this element hv ivnCati: 2 legSla-
non OF a most radical and destructive character
Thar they have hitherto fsileI in Visions is due
t. the we'll rrued conservatism of the far
msts. I feel myself authoriz@i to SayEn their
behalf that they hive no <ympathv. as have
none wi any effort st legislation. BON any qpes-
ton, which springs from rrejuiice Present laws
may not he perfect but pr0poSed amen lnlentS
should be scrutiniZed with care, ami mat'red Ms
well with reference t. future conditions IS to
present eNiEencieS. Commercial Nrohl emS-snd
railroad transportation IS one OF thenl-have
always been the most difficult to inclo>e in legal
definition. and so at the test large promotion
of the dim ,ultteS which confront MS. VIII ther
real or imaginary. must tird their solution in the
great unwrrtten law Of common sense and
mutual interest.
As nearly SIS can be ascertained the entire
mileage the s. ate is SITS miles: an increase in
twN Years 0f 400 mil :. OF this $40 miles were
built in 1887 AMI SIX miles in 1888 The entire
cos of railroads Of Wisconsin as rep Nrtei on The
80 h day Of June, 1875. was s20S, SG7, 6O62 "a The
smo mt Of cap tai stock at the same date was
S97. S9&5iSSi. The smoUnt Of debt (fun led or
bo2ded) and unfunded SIT $1,000 S.. OF a
total capital stock and debt s2l494l S2I 81 There
was earned on Wisconsin r iroadS for the year
e, ding June 50. 1888. S34S21 619C6 of which 81
26f. IS for the transportation of passengers
ard 81 1899 p for TRANSFORMATION Of freight
and Sl459, o0.47 for the tranSportion of mails
express etc. The number of passengers carried
IN same year. 6,77e $751; AZ an expense of little
less th1n s. cents per mile. The number Of
tons freight carried during year, 6q7. Az
and the rate per ton per m le was 1854 of one
cent per mile. There has been decrease in the
cost of freight carnage in ten years of over fifty
per cent. The total ca mir g per mile of roa on
an estimate of 5 IS miles Of operated trackage,
| was S4741qS Of this 81 1875 O6 Der NIL was FIR
/ Dos e1ger~; S2.2G0.S9 per mile for freight and
) 74O} for mails express and miscellaneous N 1t
| Ter.
In the past the Wisconsin railroad commission
| er has been the me1ium Of adjusting matters of
d ference between aggr ieved parties complaining
! "glin>tthe raiI Nad companies and the companies
themselves In most or n! the cases satisfactory
| aiJu tment has been had. II in any respect the
interests the PEG lie need more protection by q
clearer dettuiti n of his powers or ri hts. it
shout receive your deliberate thought and uhias-
| 81 acuon
INSURANCE.
The magnitude of the insurance interests of
! Wisconsin is a stronger commentator of the
| commissioners report to your consideration than
lQk h+A slHl
| report of the commissioner worthy of most
| serious study. Ibis officer oCCupi. most inn
! portant ami resp hnSibt position. 1t Is his ,'ut'
! 10 KNOW Mh'ther the CoutranIeS seeking business
| in Wisconsin, aUe solvent and worthy Of conf
! dence. I, a-crTtain the facts to their stand
| ing. it is sometimes necessary t. make personal
| examinations, winch involve travelling expenses
/ for The payment OF which there is now no provi
/ sion | would recommend that tins defect be
! renedie /. would also recommend that ihe law
! lie amended So as to require the appointment ct
! the commissioner by outside companies as an
! agent upon whom processes can be male.
A further defect in tn law, TO which the com
! missioner calls attention. relates t. the 81 called
/ fraternal life associations. Not only ar" they
! not subject to supervision, but IN Y are not re
| er reasonable that such associations should NJ
! least be required to make annual sworn state
mentS as t. their business and 'ndttion, and
/ that the statements should be published.
| sTAVE SOLDIERS HOME
| desire TO ca Your attention t" the advisable
iy ot Srch gil.atun rs shall place the Naupa ca
/ soldiers Home under state supervise and
/ control. Such action Is deemed adv sable 10
| enable each inmate 10 receive the sum of 800
! annually from thu Uuitei States, in accordance
! with the provisions of law passed by Congress
in 1883
! Our State to an exceptional extent, is the
! home Of a complex p0pulat.On Over seventy
per cent. of it, people of foreign birth the
! children of furei yn-bOrn parents MHnv do not
| SPEAK the langul@n of the country, while others
have but an imperfect knowledge of it Their
acquaintance with our laws aud Institutions and
/ with eur ent affIirs is largely gained
tar ugh the medium Of a foreign tongue
They have been invited here 10y
our liberal policy. They have come tc
, make our country their home and the home Of
I their children. They have common interest
with Other citizens in the general welfare, and al
are being moulded into homogeneous whole
In community thus composed, each retaining
I hirg of the pecui IT sentiments and ira.
di iDns brought from other lands, it becomes the
duty of the legislator 10 con~i er well i'll all gen
eral legislation the character of those who will
be affected by It. In government of people
and 10y the people the laws must be adjusted tc
the general temper and sentm mt sf the
( ge eat majority. They must have the sup
port. not merely of a comparatively few ad-
va"Cnd AMI radical spirits, but of the great body
of citizens, or such Laws will prove more thah
| unavaIling. WILLIAM D. HOARD
| Madison, Wis.