The Big Stone Gap post. [volume] (Big Stone Gap, Wise County, Va.) 1892-1928, 1894-03-01

Mr.. CampbeH, an edltOr, WHO n.etS 't
IN the outset thatshe rode an editors
pass, and the otherby Mr.. Cooke the
genial and level headed member trom
Norfolk. There can be do doubt that
free passes to members of the iegls-
tive bodies has grown to be a great
evil in all sections Of the United
States. BY this means railroads have
acquired undue power in many
quarters. Experience shows that
accepting such favors brings men,
often uncautiously, under obligations
that are discharged to tho public
detriment. At the last session OF
this Legislature the Mason bill was
passed, which prohibited the grant
ing of such passes under severe pen
alties. but it was stated in the argu-
ment on the Campbell and Cooke
bills. and not denied, that the prac-
tice still exists to certain extent
and the idea of the advocates OF these
bills was to make the granting OF
passes compulsory, and in lieu oil
mileage from the State, and thus
take away all obligations that the
members might otherwise be under to
to the railroads. The Campbell bill
REQUIRED all railroads to issue these
masses to the members of the leglsla-
ture, the judges of the State and a
few other Of the higher State officials,
but not to go into effect until after
tile terms of the present members OF
the legislature expire, as to them.
One objection to this act was that It IT
would be held unconstitutional, as 1t
seeks to take something for nothing.
The Cooke bill provided that when
ever railroad company sought a
charter, OF an amendment tc an eS-
listing charter, the free pass clause
should be inserted in such charter, or
amendment, thus making it return
for the franchise granted Of course,
both these acts were defeated, as too
MANY members were too much afraid
Of their records to vote for any meas
ure that smacked SO strongly OF a
asalary grab" bill, even if 1t were
otherwise pnoIjectionable. 1t was
amusing, however, to ncc!e 'ee nun,
Der Of men who believed one way am,
voted just the opposite.
The discussion of these two bills
and the Richmond and Danville rail
road reorganization bill took up a
great portion Of the time Of tie house
t;ol two or three weeks. This great
system of railroads, embracing many
lines and several thousand miles, III
as many States, has suffered a com
plete collapse financially, and is all
in the hands of receivers, and much
of it has been foreclosed under mort
gage. The object of the bill men
toned is to allow a reorganization
of the system in its integrity, and
giving very liberal powers. Some of
the more Objectionable powers were
amended, and it was passed,
but the charter as it stands is quite
liberal. I may mention one feature,
which is that the company is allow
ed to issue three hundred and fifty
million dollars worth of stock, which
gives almost unlimited opportunity
for swindling
Another bill Of great Importance
to our section Of the State, and par
ticularly to Wise, Dickinson and
Scott counties, was one introduced
by the member from Wise, which has
now become law. 1t was bill
providing for the reorganization OF
the Three C'B R, r., which road, as
your readers all know, collapsed,
and was foreclosed under mortgages
given in Virginia, Tennessee, and
North and South Carolina, after
having completed a portion of its
line, and graded great deal more,
inclp ling that portion from johnson
City, Tenn, TO St Paul, in Wise
county. The reorganized road is
known az the Ohio River and Charles
ton railroad, and its general mana
ger and the agent Of the new syndl-
cate that bought in the old road
were here for week, and assured
me that they had the money and
would complete the road at an early
date. When this road is completed
from Cranberry to st. Paul, look out
for another boom at Big Stone Gap.
A bill was introduced by Mr..
Saunders, of Franklin county, which
has become a law, and will save the
State s6S,00G. # limits the time
to two years within which any suit
may be brought against the State to
recover money paid undera. mistake
of law. In cngrossing the tax bill
of 1890, the clerk omitted by mis-
take the words "and charters granted
by the circuit courts from the section
charging a tax on all charters grant
ed. The effect of the omission was
to exempt charters granted by the
cirenit courts from the tax, and the
above named SUM was paid into the
State treasury on such charters DUR
lug the two "boom years Of lS90-sl !,
before the omission was discovered.
The court of appeals has recently