Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1903-05-07
YATES WANTS TIME
Governor in No Hurry About
Signing the Mueller
Bill.
DESIRES ADJOURNMENT DEFERRED
Until He Decides What Ought to
Be Done With the
Measure.

Springfield, ILL.,, May 1T has been
settled mutually that Gov. Yates is to
task the legislature for Today re-
cess in order that he may duly con-
slider the Mueller traction bill and
that it may be further amended If
found Objectionable.
The governor this morning sent a
communication to the leaders of the
general assembly requesting their
influence TO postpone adjournment
until the 18th. He says he wishes to
avoid the expense of special session,
but unless he be given time to APP
prove or disapprove a number of bills
an extra session may be necessary
The steering committees of both
houses held a meeting this afternoon
to take action on the governors re-
quest. The general impression pre-
walls that the legislature will adjourn
this evening.
Springfield, Ills, May 7.-Governor
Yates yesterday morning heard argu-
ments for and against the Mueller mu-
nicipal ownership bill. \ large dele
CATION from Chicago came down to APP
pear for the bill. This delegation was
composed of Mayor Harrison, States
Attorney Charles S. Deneen, Edwin
Burritt Smith, City Attorney John f.
Smulski, George Z. Cole, William
Schmidt, Martin Becker James A.
Quinn, Monroe Fulkerson. Rev. II. y.
II, W.
Frank J. Bennett, John Minwegon,
Milton J. Foreman. Walter j. Raymer
W. S. Jackson, Nicholas Finn. Chas.
Werno. Henry f. Eidemann, Linn II.
Young and William Maypole. The OPP
position was represented by John II.
Hamline.
smith Makes the Chief Plea.
The hearing occurred in the execu-
tive office in the state house. Mayor
Harrison first addressed fine governor
briefly. and was followed by others
of the delegation. but the chief plea
was made by Edwin Burritt Smith.
He took up the various provisions of
the bill in detail. considering them
from the legal standpoint. Regarding
the Trautmaun amendment, to which
objection had been made, he said that
it had been drafted originally by Traut-
mann. but on consulting with the rep
reSentativeS OF Chicago it had been
modified. 1T was rewritten by u.s.
said he, Ito make it permissive and
not compulsory on the city. 1t is sim
ply lawful cor the city to deal with
this subject e it sees fit. This amend
ment does not deal in any way with
the length of the grant.
This one for HamIine.
81 don't see how anybody, much less
hoV Il lawyer can claim that this
amendment confers any right what
ever upon Il street railway company.
directly or indirectly. or deals with
the length of the grant at all. If it
did, and if it provided for a grant to
another company at the end of the
first grant. for 100 years by express
terms, those terms would be cut down
by section q, the last section in the
bill, which expressly limits all grants
to twenty years. That section by Il
familiar rule of construction will con-
troll all that goes before
Refers to Recent History.
Smith went into the history OF Ut
tempts at municipal ownership legis-
lation four years ago. and again two
years ago, 10 show that the Traut-
mann amendment did not originate
with the traction companies; but that,
on the other hand. four years ago sub
stantially the same proposition was OBJ
jected to by them.
HamIine on the Other Side.
John H. Hamline then proceeded to
make long argument against the bill.
He read a number of editorials from
certain Chicago papers to show that
the press was not opposed to long
franchises, and for this reason he
thought that it's attitude in the matter
of the pending bill should not carry
much weight He characterized the
bill as railroad" measure, because
as he said-it was passed under
whip and spur. which were applied by
the editors of the papers to which he
referred. He said further that the bill
had been rushed through the legisla-
ture without the consideration of its
provisions, and that the attitude of the
press referred was such as to intim- |
idate members of the legislature into |
voting for it.
The main point of his argument was
aimed at the Trautmann amendment. |
He said the Trautmann amendment |
was a misnomer. and that 1t was !