Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1893-01-28
RAILROADS NEED NOT FEAR
Little Danger of Radical legisIa-
tion in South Dakota.
Tho House Committee Is Willing, but the
Senate Committee Would Rather
Not. .Prohibitonists Working
Hard..World's Fair.

PIERRE, S. d., Jan. 10. AS the days
go by it is more and more evident that
the legislature will not pass any radi-
cal bills against the interests of the
railroads of the state. There have
been plenty of bills introduced on the
subject, but even the introduccrs of
great many of the measures are not ex-
pecting them to get any more than
their first reading.
The house committee as has been re-
peatcdly stated, is composed mostly of
farmers and men who will not favor
the railroad corporations unless they
think it 10 the interest of the state and
their constituents But the senate
committee has decided that a law SINH
lar TO the Iowa law would
not be for the best interests of the
farmers of this state. The Hall bill,
which is called the Iowa bill, but is
claimed by the introducer to be con-
siderably modified, is not finding any
favor with the committee. Chairman
Donahue says he has the opinion of all
but two of the committee and none of
them would favor reporting favorably
uppii liN blll 40 IL IOM oldihS. ilS
committee will not be able To make any
report on the bill for two weeks, If
they do then. in an amended shape
Mr.. Donahue further gave 1t as his
opinion that some of the features of
the bill might become law. but he
thought it would be in several different
bills and not in the Hall bill
as whole This committee
- I'll,
some of the other bills before them.
The bill making the railroad commits.
sioners elective instead of appointive is
one that will be favorably reported.
Mr.. lIorner, chairman of the senate
railroad committee, in an interview
says: "Our committee is in favor of no
radical legislation. The question of
tariff has received some consideration.
but no one seems to think that a tariff
schedule arranged in this state would
greatly benefit the farming classes who
are cIamoring for some laws on this
subject. We have no shipping points
in this state, as all of our products
are shipped to market through other
states. Even if schedule was
arranged in this state as
soon as they crossed the bor-
DER into another state the rates
could be raised in proportion. Then
again ii would be liable To conflict with
the interstate commerce law. rs To
the bill reducing passenger rates, even
the Independents on the committee say
it will not benefit the farmer as they
do not do great amount of travelling
and even if they do they can now So
cure Il round trip ticket for cents
mile and this is all the bill introduced
proposes to decrease the present rate
of cents mile. The committee is
formulating q bill ont of the good
points included in some OF the bills
shat have come before them. This
bill will make the railroad commission
srs elective and increase their powers
considerably. They will have
power to compel better connection at
junction points, 20 allow no discrimina-
tion in warehouse sites in favor of the
big corporations, and can regulate the
furnishing of cars to shippers. |
hardly think they will have power to
regulate the schedule OF freight
charges
Elder Berdick, the leader of the pro-
hibition forces, claims that they have
now got the opposition on the run and
are gaining strength every day. He
says that there has been a big uprising
al! over the state against the repeal of
the law and this sentiment is having
its effect upon the members. Mrs.
Cranmer, president of the w. c. L. T.,
spoke on prohibition last Sunday even
ing. There was n large attendance,
including many members of the legis-
laturc, among whom was Speaker Law
son After the meeting a collection OF
$25 was taken up 10 help along the
cause. During her address she stated
that letters had been received from
thirty-ive OF the county judges of the
state and that in twenty-five counties
the prohibition law was now being in
forced, and further. that crime and
drunkenness had greatly decreased as
shown by the court records. The
statement was also made that 81, 900
barrels of b er were shipped to the
state before prohibition went into
effect, and that last year only 5000
were shipped in.
The first move on the part of the
prohibitionists was made when bill
was introduced To strengthen the pres
ent law and make it more effective.
| When the bill was read Elder Berdick
approached the reporters table and
stated that the repeal of the law was
low impossible and they expected to
be able to get through some measure
which would make the present law
more effective
The worlds fair appropriation is now
absorbing more attention than any of
the other measures. The woman's
commission distributed circular to all
the members which were to the effect
that at least $4,000 was neces-
sary to carry on the woman's
and the educational exhibit and that to
secure these the full appropriation
asked for by the commission was neces.
sary to carry on their work. Two years
ago the matter of an appropriation for
the worlds fair was left until the last
IF the session for settlement and as a
eesult the measure got lost in the
shuttle. This year the supporters of
the measure propose to see il is decided
early in the session just what is to be
done, and as result vote will be
reached in both houses within few
lays as to just the amount they arc
10 "a