The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1895-02-22

Mike Sweeney is making quite 9
stir in the Senate, and has sue,
ceeded in showing that the Repub,
lican majority is controlled by the
lobbyists of all the big corporations
His bills, and the reports against
them by the Republican commit.
tees, in regard to fire insurance,
and railroad freights and passage,
served to show the subservience Of
Republican Senators to the demand.
Of wealth. The Brownstown Ran,
ner has the following in regard te
his railroad freight bill:
ION the 10Th day Of January
Senator Sweeney introduced bill
that was endorsed by every manu-.
facturer, shipper, merchant, trades
man and farmer in Indiana. 1t il
entitled ian act regulating the liza
bility OF common carriers in the
transportation Of passengers and
property, and regulating the amour,
Of weights upon which freights shall
be charged, and providing penalties
for violation thereof"
Section one invalidates any re-
ceipt, contract, rule or regulation
that shall exempt any railroad from
liability.
Bills Of lading or receipts given
by railroads are always 50 worded,
in small type, which the shipper
seldom takes time to read, as to be-
come binding contract exempting
the railroad from liability in case OF
loss. Many times the shipper does
not get his B-L until his freight is
in the car, and too late to enter a
protest. The railroads have the
whipping hand and refuse to carry
freight on other than their own
terms. The shipper is compelled to
acquiesce.
Section two makes it unlawful for
a railroad company to bill freight in
excess Of its actual weight or charge
for more weight than is in the
package.
The practice among railroads now
is to charge for 100 pounds no mat
ter if the package weighs weighs ten
pounds or less. This section should
be amended so as to establish the
minimum sum of fifteen cents for
carrying all packages Of less than
100 pounds.
Section three requires that tariff
rates shall be charged per mile,
making the charge for carrying
300 miles three times rs
much as for carrying it 100 miles.
This is on the same plan that pass
enger tariff is charged.
This section should be amended
so that a heavier tariff may be in-
posed for carrying packages fifty
miles or less, else the shipper who
lives very near to market will have
too great an advantage over the
shipper who lives at a distance.
This would be especially noticeable
by farmers, horticulturists and even
merchants who live at distance
from market, as they would be
scarcely able to compete with those
living within few miles.
With the amendments noted this
bill should pass. II is designed TO
protect shippers who now are at the
mercy Of the railroads, and is en-
dorsed by the people. Why should
i not become a law? It does not
hold the railroads down TO any Civ
On tariff rate. The income OF the
railroads will not be affected by il
and the people would be benefited.
The people Of one community il
given equal chances with those OF
another. The usurous rates extort-
d by railroads where there il no
competition is outrageous. Ere /
luently 1t costs double as much 10
'et package from Seymour /,
srownstown as the cost Of getting
from indianapolis to Seymour.
8 It right to permit railroads to thus
OBJ the people Of one community
hat those Of another may gain the
Inference? Who will say YES?
he bill should pass but we fear il
NIL not. The political leader Of