Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1897-02-25
CYCLISTS ARGUE FOR MR.. WHITE
HEADS MEASURE.
A FIERCE FIGHT OPENED
Ring and Wiswell are Present, but Do
not Attempt to Reply-Second
Round in Marquette Statue Contest
Taylor Urges Tax on Big Stores
Other Committee Work.
Madison, February "a.

got after the railroads with a sharp
st. rk Tuesday afternoon when the joint
raj It2l committee OF the Legislature
gave its first hearing on Assembly
II an Nnlteheads bill compelling rail-
I'D companies to carry bicycles free as
taggaac. While the st. Paul and
Northwestern roads were represented
by George N. Wiswell and M. G..
Ring, respectively, no arguments We're
made in opposition to the bill. MI.
Whitehead, the author Of the bill, Gi-
reclea the force fayoring the measuru
aud Introduced each speaker. In open
ing MI Whitehead explained that the
bill required railroads to carry free
10 pounds of baggage when requested
by any passenger and that bicycles are
to be considered as baggage. He eX-
planned briefly that there is now no
law ON the Wisconsin statute books
compelling railroads to carry free any
baggage for passenger. While they
do this out of custom, still there is no
law forcing them to do so. The law
has the two-fold object Of compelling
the railroads to carry $50 pounds of
baggage free and chasing bicycle as
baggage. He said that 10000 persons
of this state asked favorable consider
alton of the bill.
M. C. Rotier of Milwaukee, chief
consul Of the Wisconsin division of the
League of American Wheelmen, fol-
lowed Mr.. Whitehead. Mr.. Rotier
read his arguments. He said that
there are between $4,000 and $4,000
members of the l.. A w. in Wisconsin
who are anxious to have the bicycle
bill passed. He thought the matter of
bicycle transportation had reached a
point requiring special legislation The
legislatures of number OF other stat IS
have enacted laws making bicycles
baggage. The 7up, eme court of Mis-
souri, recently declared bicycle bag
gage and large number of transpor-
tation companies ALREADY consider BIZ
cycles as such. He said that the l..
Western Passenger association for the
purpose of perSuading that organlza-
zion to agree to carry bicycles as bag
gage. These efforts, however, the
speaker said, were Of 10 avail. 1t is
a discrimination against the bcyclist
tation of his machine weighing 20
pounds, when trunks weighing $50
pounds are carried free.
Judge Frank w. Hartman of Ap-
reton was the third advocate of the
bill. The judge deprecated addition
al legislation of amy character, but in
the case Of the bicy Gle baggage bill an
exception to this principle could prop
erly be made. His county, Outagamle,
has $500 bicyclists who are asking
for the passage of this bill. He said
that it is not generally known that
there is nothing on our statute books
requiring railroads to carry baggage
Of any kind. This IS not as it should
ne. When a passenger buys ticket
he should be entitled to the privilege
of having a certain amount of baggage
transported free. Other states have a
law similar to the one the Wisconsin
whcelmen want passed. Among these
states are New York, Ohio and Cali
fornia. The Legislature owes it to the
people of Wisconsin to pass this law
The judge concludes! with warm plea
in behalf of the lady cyclists.
John II. Bradbury of Madison, a
travelling man, was the next speaker IL
behalf of the bill. He said that dur
ing the past year he paid the railroad
companies about $40 for the transporta-
hooks could be placed in a baggage car
on which the wheels could be hung and
thus occupy d small amount Of space
The bicycle has become a necessity TO
many people nowadays and as such
should be carried free by railroad COM
panies just IS they carry certain other
articles of necessity.
Ex-Mayor Oelerich Of Oshkosh said
that ten years ago the wheel was looked
upon as luxury; today it is looked
upon as a necessity. He believes that
the bicycle baggage bill under consld-
Grafton would be valid law and the
wheelmen of his town, Oshkosh, would
be glad to nave the bill passed The
! Wisconsin Central has shown dispo-
stion to carry wheels free, but the
St, Paul and Northwestern roads OPP
pose such idea and through the West
ern Passenger association are able 10
carry their point.
! S. J. Ryan, editor of the Appleton
Crescent, said thai while rail
road would check his camping outfit
free, even including a canoe, stove ant
ether bulky articles, it discrmtnateI
against him when it came to his wheel
Attorney c. E. Buell. of Madison
made the speech of the day in favor o.
the bill. His points were telling anc
seemed to cause the railroad repre-
sentatives some uneasiness. Mr.
Buell. said that he believed that rail
road should not b. allowed to impose 1
special hardship on a certain class o
persons as they do when they force cy
clists to pay for transportation o.
wheels. I'VE are asking nothing uu
just or unreasonable, said MIR. Buell.
In times past railroads did not allow
passenger 10 have carried free an!
~. N...NH