The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1899-02-07
ESTATE
LAW NILLI
Business Men Closely Watch the
Wheels of Legislation.
MANY INTERESTS AFFECTED
New Sources or Revenue I'm the Freight
Lines and an Income Tax and Cheap
FreiGhts by Trolleys and Protection
For Miners In Proposed New Laws.

noes IN this city are watching very
closely the Introduction Of bills in the
legislature which affect their opera
ttons or which may interfere with their
continued prosperity by occasioning ex-
ira expense, either for taxation OF
through regulations which are not now
required. The commercial world is es-
pecially interested in a resolution which
was introduced in the state senate by
Senator Neely Of Clarion county, which
has an important bearing upon the tax
alton Of corporations and which may
result in a large increase in the annual
revenues Of the state. The preamble
Of the resolution sets forth that there
are certain companies, associations OF
corporations, doing business in Penn.
sylvania, organized and formed for the
purpose of carrying freight, and COM
monty known as fast freight lines"
among others the Anchor line, Union
line, Blue line, Green line, Union Tank
line, Empire line and Merchants line,
that have capital invested in this state
amounting to many millions Of dollars,
and that the records Of the treasury
department do not show that the said
corporations have complied with the
revenue laws Of the state or paid taxes
as required by law.
WANTS AN INVESTIGATION.
The resolution provides that If the
house concur there shall be a commit
tee appointed consisting of three mem
bers of the house Of representatives,
to be named by the speaker, and two
members of the senate, to be named by
the president, and that they be au-
thorized to investigate the reason or
cause for such failure to comply with
the law and all matters connected
Herewith, with power to subpoena wit
nesses and compel by process their at
tendance, with such books and papers
as may be deemed necessary, before
them. the said committee, to give evil
dence in like manner as in any court
OF record; the report of said committee
to be presented to this legislature not
later than Wednesday, March 10, 1899
provided that the meetings of said
committee shall be held in the city OF
Harrisburg, and provided further that
the members of said committee shall
serve without compensation, the only
expense incident to the said investiga-
ton to be the fees OF the stenographer,
which the said committee is hereby au-
thorlzed to employ, provision for which
shall be inserted in the general ap-
propriatlon bill.
AFTER RAILROAD COMPANIES.
The resolution was referred to the
committee on judiciary special.
Senator Neely also introduced a bill
on the same subject, which will require
railroad companies engaged in bust.
ness under charters granted by the
state to incorporate in their annual re-
ports to the secretary of internal af-
fairs the names Of all express COM
panies using or making shipments over
their lines, together with the amounts
received by said railroad companiep
from said transportation companies
and the amounts paid by said railroad
companies by reason and on account
Of the business transacted between
them in the carriage Of express and
freight matter and the employment of
the rolling stock Of the respective COM
panies.
1t is claimed that the passage Of this
bill will make subject to taxation i'm
mense sums of money made by GER
tain freight companies which have here
tofore escaped the tax gathering Of
dcials of the commonwealth.
The bill was referred to the COM
mittee on judiciary general.
MINE OWNERS CONCERNED.
Officers of the big mining and coal
concerns which transact their business
In this city show apprehension over
the prospects of the passage of a bill
which, II 1t becomes law, would make
the corporations or individuals owning
mining properties financially, II not
rsi afraa 11Wr =.
employees. This bill was introduced in
the house at Harrisburg by Repre-
sentative Tighe, of Luzerne. A decision
OF the supreme court relieves corpora.
tions from liability for damages for
injuries to employees OF mines when ac-
cldents causing the injuries are due
to negligence of what are known as
mine bosses, superintendent and fore
men. This bill defines the relationship
between mine bosses, superintendent
and foremen Of coal mines and per-
sons, firms or corporations owning
or operating the same, and provides
that lin all actions for the recov-
cry of damages against persons, firms
or corporations owning or operating
coal mines in this state brought by,
or on behalf of. any employe Of the
sentatives, for injuries sustained by
said employe while acting as such.
whether said injuries may have result
ed fatally or otherwise, any act of neg
llgence, whether OF commission or
omission on the part Of any mine boss.
superintendent or foreman which NAV
have resulted in or in any degree made
possible said injuries to any employe
as aforesaid shall be deemed and held
10 be the act of a representative or
agent or said persons firms or cor
porations owning or operating SAID
coal mines and not the act Of a CO.
employe Of the person Injured"
The laboring interests win make this
one of the special measures to be ad-
vocated this session, They hold that
frequently the lives Of hundreds OF
men who have gone down in the mines
are imperilled by the negllg, nee Of em-
ployes Of the corporations, whereas II
the companies we're made liable for
damages such neglect would not be
likely to occur. The shutting of OF
ventilation or the stoppage of pumps
has frequently caused the death OF
many miners.
FOR CHEAPER FREIGHT RATES.
Al the Offices of the steam railroads