The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1897-04-09
THE RAILROAD BILLS.
An interesting Fight to Take
Place in the House.
REPORT ON PINGREE MEASURES.

REPORT ON PINGREE MEASURES.
House Committee Recommends That They
DO Not Pass, but the Fight on the Floor
Promises To he Unusually Sharp aud
Interesting-The widoe Special Investi-
cation q Gigantic Failure-The Bicycle
baggage Brl-Other Legislative Matters.
Lansing, Mich. April S.-The opposing
factions are now squaring away for the
fight to take place in the house one week
from today over the several railroad
bills. After two protracted hearings,
which were participated In by the rep
resentatives of the various roads, who
argued against the measures, and by
Colonel Atkinson and Railroad Com
missioner Wesselius, who upheld them,
the committee has reported out the most
important of the Pingree measures with
the recommendation that they do not
pass. These bills provide for the local
taxation of railroad property instead of
requiring the companies to pay spe-
cial tax as now, and for fiat 2-cent
passenger fare, and prohibit discrimin-
alton in freight rates by providing that
if a company grants any person, firm
or corporation q special rate, any other
shipper can demand similar rate. The
members of the committee were unani-
nous in reporting the bills adversely,
but Notwithstanding this fact, the fight
on the floor is sure to be unusually sharp
and interesting. 1t is believed that the
two hearings referred TO made many
votes against the bills, the converted
members saying that the cold hard
facts and figures submitted by the rail-
road officials were met by the opposi-
ton only with sarcasm, ridicule or
statements of general nature did not
tend to controvert the showing made in
behalf of the roads. Be this as it may,
there is no doubt that q number of
members, who before the hearings
were inclined to favor the bills, will now
vote against them.
Has Been Failure.
The facts that the Widoe special in
vestigating committee has confessedly
found but very few well-founded COM
plants of discrimination in freight
rates, has also had tendency to put
the companies in much better odor with
the members than when the session
commenced. The opinion is general
that so far as making a case against
the railroads is concerned, the Widoe
investigation has been a gigantic fail
ure. The result of all this is that,
although it was thought a couple of
months ago that some of the so-called
Pingree legislation would pass the
house but be killed in the senate, the
concensus of opinion now is that it will
never reach the senate.
The bicycle baggage bill will become
a law, the committee having reported
it out favorably after amending it so
as to relieve the companies from liza
bility in case they provide hooks or 9TH
er suitable device for holding wheels
during transportation. Under this bill
no charge will be made for earring the
bicycle of passenger. In this connec-
ton it may be interesting to note that
Michigan Central official Informed me
few days ago that his company has a
contract with Toledo bicycle concern
to repair all wheels damaged on that
road, and that the company's repair bill
amounts to a very large sum annually.
This official said it Is really astounding
what people will do 10 spite or injure a
railroad company. He declared that
this was especially noticeable in con-
nection with the transportation of BIZ
cycles belonging to passengers. numer-
Gus instances having been noted where
an evil-minded person would deliber-
ately kick a bicycle that happened to
be standing at station, knowing that
the expense of repairing 1t would have
to be borne by the company.
An Important Matter.
Another matter of very general inter
est has been made the special order for
next week, which, by the way, promises
to be one of the most interesting and
important Of the session. This the Kim
mis- bill providing that each county officer
shall be paid a salary to be fixed by the
supervisors within certain limits, and
that all fees be paid into the general
fund of the county. The consideration
Of this bill has been made the special
order for next week Thursday, and an
interesting debate is anticipated. 1t il
believed that the influence of the state
grange and state association of farmers
clubs, both of which are a unit in favcr
Of it's passage, will be sufficient to land
1t a winner, despite the fact that II g be-
ing fercely antagonzed by ever coun-
ty officer in the state.
Representative Wetherbee's civil SER
vice bill affecting all counties having a
population of 100000 and upwards, and
all cities having population of 10000
Is an interesting document, and but lit
tie has been said about it. 1t provides
for a non-partisan state civil service
commission of three members to be APP
pointed by the governor and confirmed
by the senate, each commissioner to
have a salary of $1,000 per year and ex-
penses. The classification of the SER
vice is the principal feature Of the bill
The only officials not included in the
classified service are elective officers,
officers whose appointment is confirmed
by the senate the heads Of the princi-.
pal departments of state or municipal
government, and their deputies The
governor and mayor are each permitted
to select their own secretary and stem
ographer. but all the other appointees
are to be within the classified service
The bill further provides for munich
pal civil service commission to be APP