The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-03-09
B tier Railway Rate War In the
House.
SOME SENSATIONAL TALK
CHARGES OF BAD FAITH AND
BROKEN PLEDGES.
A New Newspaper Libel Law-State
Dairy and Food Commissioners
Appropriation Proposed to Public
Institutions-The Land Bill Con-
sidered-Legislativ Notes.


A bitter railroad rate war broke out
in the house and ragged with great
fury for an hour or more. There were
sensational charges of bad faith and
members were accused of greater So
licitude for the rights of the railroads
than for the rights of the people.
Last week the house voted to strike
out those sections of the railroad bill
that prohibited discrimination in
freight rates. The members who had
fought for the retention of these sec
tons then succeeded in killing the bill.
This would leave the state without any
u railroad legislation, and the bill could
only be reinstated by unanimous con-
sent. 1t is charged, and not denied,
that the members of the railroad COM
mittee and friends of the bill, agreed
that these sections prohibiting discrim-
nations should be retained, provided
the anti-discrimination members would
consent to the reintroduction of the
bill. In accordance with this agree
| ment the bill was introduced, and an
attempt was then made to knock out
the discrimination sections. There were
! direct charges of bad faith and broken
pledges and an acrimonious debate en-
sued, but the opponents of rate dis
examinations finally triumphed and the
sections were retained.
The house also incidentally, en- pas
SAINT, as it were, so amended the news
paper libel law as to provide for the
confiscation of the editorial page of a
! newspaper by any person who fancied
himself wronged, but subsequently
passed new bill giving the aggrieved
person possession of the editorial page
but three days.
THE RAILWAY BILL.
Kimball of Cache, chairman of the
railroad committee, received unani-
nous consent to introduce house bill
143. He explained that this was the
same bill. relating to railroads, that
was killed last week, and that it would
take the place of all railroad legislation
in the code. Unless this was passed
there would be no legislation on the
subject of railroads. He asked that it
be placed on its passage.
w. c. Sorensen, as If suspicious of an
attempt to smuggle something through
that the house did not want, inquired
whether section %, prohibiting DIS
ordinations in freight rates, stricken
out by the house, had been retained
by the committee.
Kimball replied that the section had
been left in the bill, but he thought it
ought to be stricken out.
Thomson offered an amendment,
which was adopted, providing that
right of way should be forfeited if the
road is not completed within three
years. instead of five years.
Duffin'S amendment, making railroads
liable for stock killed, even when the
railroad is fenced, was adopted, it
being opposed by Sloan, Mangan, Mrs.
La Barthe and Price, and supported by
Duffin. Thomson, Thoreson, Roylance,
Ray and Greer. The latter declared
that railroads had a habit of killing
stock lust for fun and they should
be compelled to pay for it. Sloan gave
notice of a motion to reconsider
Kenner offered an amendment, limit
ing to eight miles an hour, the speed
of railroad trains through the ''thicl1ly
populated portions of Incorporated
cities and towns. 1t was adopted with
out debate, but the house Immediately
applied the brakes, reversed itself and
backed off from the amendment switch.
Cook of Box Elder, KimbaH of Cache
and others deprecated the apparent
spirit of hostility towards railroads,
and Thomson inveighed against hostil-
ity towards the people.
A scattering discussion and a period
of amendments, substitutes, parliament
tary tangles and disorder ensued,
which was terminated by the noon re-
cess.
THE FIGHT OPENS.
When the house reassembled con-
sideration of the railroad bill was re- /
sumed Roylance moved to strike out |
sections % and &c, the two sections /
that prohibited railroads from discrim- I
ination in freight rates, and the old /
fight was on again.
Wilson sprang to his feet and moved |
to strike out the enacting clause, |
which was promptly seconded.
Romney declared it had been agreed |
by those who were opposed to these
sections that they should remain in
the bill, and the railroad committee
was unanimous on this point. 1t had
been charged that he was an enemy
to the railroads, but this was not
true. He was not opposing the rail
roads, but was simply trying to pro-
tect the people.
Wilson corroborate ted Romney and
stated that it had been expressly un-
derstood and agreed by the friends
of the bill that they would not under
take, in any form, to strike out section
25 1t was upon this agreement, and
on the good faith of the rail-
road committee, that the members
who were opposed to rate discrimina-
lions had permitted the oil! 10 again
come up now. If the friends of the
bill were not going to stand by their
agreement he was willing to kill the
bill and leave the state without legis-
lation on this subject.
IF he cannot have his own way he
proposes to kill all legislation" re-
marked Kimball.
CHARGES OF BAD FAITH.
Thoreson also charged the railroad
committee with bad faith. There had
been a distinct agreement that this
bill should be reinstated and that sec
ton 25 should be retained. Had it not
been for such an agreement the bill
could never have been reintroduced
The chairman of the railroad COM
mittee has told you that these sec
tons are just what they want" said
he. They are just what we, who
have been charged with opposition to
the railroads, want Now, who is it
hat wants them stricken out?'
Awarded