The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-01-23
Four Bills 10 the Legislature Which
They Want to Have Slaughtered.
They Are Against Two-Cent Fare. Stopping
at County Seats and the Anti-lnsurancs
and Co. Employees Liability Bills.
Green Smith Trying to Smother lives.
tigation of His Official Affairs.
Matthews Has the Best Of the Other Side on
the Appointments Bill-Character
OK Warden Patterns Accuser.


Bills Before the Legislature to Which It Ia
Opposed.
1t is probable that tho Senate will prove
the field of battle between the railroad and
labor interests this year, as 1t did two
years ago. but the railroad people hope to
down the farmers in the House. The rail-
road people are particularly interested In
four bills now pending in the House, one
reducing railroad fare from 8 cents to Q
cents per mile. another compelling all
trains to stop at county seats. a third pro-
hibitinR the employees insurance in vogue
on the Panhandle and Baltimore & Ohio.
and finally the co-employes' liability bill.
1t Is the country interest that is anx-
ious for the first two of these bills,
and the labor interest is against them
rather than for them. The railroad people
claim that fare of cente per mile will
necessitate reduction in wages of en-
ployes. for. when their property is taxed as
heavily as tits under the new law, they could
not make operating expenses if compelled
to carry local passengers at less rate than
3 cente per mile. Many of their employees,
feeling that they NAV be affected iniurIOusly
by such law, cordially join with the en-
ployers In opposition to the reduction, and
these ere signing petitions in all parts of
the State asking the Legislature not to
make any reduction in passenger traffic. 1t
is also urged by the railroad companies
that, II compelled TO carry passengers at 2
cents per mile, they cannot furnish the &C.
commodations that are now provided for
the travelling public aud Will be compelled
to provide less expensive ana, necessarily.
less comfortable cars The proposed law,
they say. will bring TO Indiana all the old.
cast-otf passenger coaches and the best Will
be transferred to those States where the
people demand first-class accommodations
and at the same time encourage their use
by a broad and liberal policy toward the
operating companies.
The railroad lobbyists are also against
at oounty.seats. While the passenger
trains in the main stop at county seats,
there are certain fast trains that stop only
at stations fifty or sixty miles apart. these
trains making close connections at their
terminals and always running at the high.
est rate of speed consistent with safety.
The companies claim that they have never
refused to stop trains at points where the
business justified it and that, though run
ming trains that do not stop at all
day stop at all, thus affOrding the
citizens the opportunity of going to
or from home at least once every day. They
see In the proposed law measure that
q
tables and would cause them to miss con-
nections in all the large cities unless the
timetables of connecting roads were SINH
larly revIsed-a thing which they claim
would not be done, as Indiana lies between
the extremes of east and west. and her
roads must accommodate themselves to con-
ditions that arise in these extremes. They
boot at the idea of Indiana's timetable be-
ing made the basis for the government of
ali the railroad timetables of the country
Rnf Of 10
found in their claim that such law would
divert from Indiana much of the trade that
now goes over her roads, for the impossi-
bility of making connections would entail
additional expense upon the travelling pub
lie. and travel would seek the lines through
other States.
1t is not at all improbable that these two
bills. both of which are in the hands of the
railroad committee OF the House. will die
there. or, if not there, on the floor of the
House. Ii they fail there, they feel pretty
confident of the Senate.
On the co-employes' liability bill labor
is united, and it will undou btedly pass the
House, though It's fate in the Senate is
somewhat uncertain. AS it applies to all
industries, the railroad opposition is en-
forced by that of all manufacturers aud.
In fact. the whole employing class. Cullop
tried to let the manufacturers out
bill applying to railroads alone;
but the labor lobby will oppose this and
favor the bill prepared by the joint commit
tee of the unions aud introduced by Hench.
On the anti-Insurance bill there Is not so
much unity In labor circles. Those who
ask the abolition of the system in vogue ON
the Pennsylvania and the Baltimore &
Ohio contend that the employees are forced
to insure in the system. and that a refusal
TO do 40 results at once In their discharge.
and that the system. while perfectly right
il voluntary. becomes iniquitOus by snb-
iecting men to conditions that they would
not labor under if left to the exercise of
their own will. This Is being combated by
employees themselves. men who are
employed upon the two systems
and who have been or expect
to be benefioiarits of the insur-
a1ce feature. Whether they are being CO.
creed. as some claim. Is not known, but il
is undeniabls that this class is sign
asking that no anti-insurance legislation
shall be enacted, but praisiDg the system
of the two corporations in the most un-
measured terms. The companies them
selves are sending statements of receipts
and disbursements to the members, and
long lists of employees who have been In
jured and who have received the weekly
allowances are being sent to the members.
Against these measures the railroads of
the State stand together. but the Vandal q
has a little fight of its own on hand which
biennial bill is mp for a commission to
find out how much this company owes the
State and it will struggle along and die at
the end of the session, as usual.
With the railroad lobby interested in
those things 1t Is easy enough to see why
all the members clerks and door-keepers
can afford TO 60 home every Sunday.