The independent., 1903-04-02
THE RAMSEY BILL
A s.stone" Given In Place Of the "Bread''
Asked for by the Farmers


Asked for by the Farmers
1t is probable that the Ramsey bill,
as amended by the railroad lobby, Will
have become law before the next is
sue of The Independent is printed. lt
had passed the house, but was amend
ed by the senate and passed In the
following form:
"Section /. Section / of article ",
chapter 72 of the compiled statutes OF
Nebraska, is amended to read as 1ol-
lows: Section 1. Every railroad cor
poration shall give to all persons
and associatio reasonable
and equal terms for the transporta-
t,.,,r Of any merchandise or other
property of every kind and descrip-
tion. upon any railroad owned or oper-
ated by such corporation within TINS
state: and for terminal handling the
use of the depot and other buildings
and grounds OF such corporation, ana
at any point where its railroad shall
connect with any other railroad, rea-
sonable and equal terms and 1acll-
ties of interchange and shall promptly
forward merchandise consigned or ol-
rected to be sent over another road
connecting with its road, according 10
the directions therein or accompany
ing the same. and every railroad COM
pany or corporation operating a rail-
road in the state of Nebraska shall
afford equal facilities to all persons or
associations who desire to erect or
operate. or who are engaged in operat-
ing grain elevators, or in handling
or shipping grain at or contiguous TO
any station of its road. and shall sup
ply side tracks and switch connec-
tions, and shall supply cars and ali
facilities for erecting elevators and
for handling aud shipping grain to all
persons or associations so erecting or
operating such elevators, or handling
and shipping grain, without favorit-
ism or discrimination in any respect
whatever, provided, however, that
any elevator hereafter constructed, the
construction of which shall cost not
less than $4,000.
Section 2. Section of article ",
chapter 72 of the compiled statutes or
Nebraska is amended to read as fol-
lows: Section 4. Any railroad COM
pany. officer or agent thereof who
wilfully violates or evades any OF the
provisions of this act, shall be liable
to the party injured for all damages
sustained by reason of such violation
and in addition thereto, shall be liza
BILE for each offense to a penalty OF
one thousand dollars, which may be
recovered in any county by an action
in the district court where such rail
road company or corporation is doing
business.
"Section 3. Said sections l and
of article v, chapter II, OF the com
piled statutes of Nebraska, be ant
the same are hereby repealed
Article V. of chapter 72, as it ap
pears in the compiled statutes of 1901
is a return to chapter 68 of the ses
sion laws of 1881. 1t was supposed
that this chapter was repealed BY
chapter 60 of the laws of 1887 (tht
board of transportation act); but, il
the case of State VS.. B. & M. R. Co.
60 Neb., TAI, the act of 1887 was helt
unconstitutional. Then chapter sc 0
the laws of 1901 sought to repeal tn
act of 1887, together with the act o
1885, which created board Of rail
road commissioners. The Ramsey bi'
seemingly amends the act of 1851
but the difficulty is to know the statu
of the act of 1881.
Aside from mere technical objec
tions, however, The Independent be
lieves that the farmers co-operariy
associations will, after tedious law
suits, discover that the Ramsey bi
is simply ''stone" given them whe
they asked for "bread." And why
Simply because the principle involve
that of securing elevator sites on th
anti-dlscrimination theory-is nc
good 1t was thoroughly discredite