The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1903-01-23


GOVERNOR LAFOLLETTE,
torial address is a matter of fact state
ment of the condition Of state finances.
with some commonplace observations
on state topics and perhaps a cautious
recommendation or two.
LaFolIette Tackles Things.
But nothing that the governor does
is common place. His message was
the longest on record-vigorous, draS-
tic and alive with newness. The most
signal feature was his proposal of a
state railroad COMMISSIONS body of
men who shall have the power to linn
it freight rates, to prescribe maximum
charges for certain distances and
classes of freight beyond which the
railroad companies may not exact. The
only relief for the company is to take
it's dispute to the courts.
Radical as this may strike many,
there is abundant precedent. Iowa
and Illinois have state railroad COM
missions which prescribe rates; and
it was with those states that the Strik-
ing tables of comparison were made
by the governor. 1t seems futile to
question the tables, at least those that
from % to 40 per cent. more for equal
distances than the two states referred
to. Much Of the labOriOus statistical
work was done, it is understood, by
Mr. Erickson, the labor commissioner,
and by a Milwaukee man, an associate
of E. P. Bacon, the business man, who
has long insisted that Milwaukee was
suffering from discrimination in rail-
road freight charges. Of course, AS
semblyman A. r. Hall Of Dunn county
was the pioneer in this reform. Ses-
sion after session l have heard him
read tables of this SORT, comparing sta
tons i'm Iowa and Wisconsin (Which he
named equidistant from Chicago, yet
paying unequal freights Hall was
wont to scatter circulars of the same
tenor among the members in his effort
to enact a railway commission; but he
talked into the east wind. Now that
Governor LaJNollette has brought his
influence to bear, his voice, his organ
izing talent and committed his adher-
ents to the movement, it must be that
a struggle will come For it cannot
be that the powerful railway companies
will do other than resist such control
of what seems to them their private
business.
The Railroad Arguments.
Of course, there are two sides of the
question, and the railroads have not
yet been heard in this state. The
governor is a champion of reforms, not
a judicial officer Comparisons with
other states are well enough, but when
a debate is ON it deals with things at
home, and the abstract questions of
long and cheap hauls versus short and
expensive hauls, of cities and villages
as termini with loaded or empty cars
to take back; of the sparsely settled
northern Wisconsin-all these things
will be introduced and will have
weight Then, too, the railroad lobby
is here. Despite the reform" atmos-
phere, the limited attendance of visi-
tors, and the notably respectable"
character of members, officials and all
else, the railroads will work along the
old lines.
Nc Longer Tax on Earnings.
The governor evidently studied to
avoid bitterness or the personal ele-
ment in his message, and thus avert
the charge that he relishes a fight and
dislikes harmony. But the message is
positive just the same. Take the sub
ject of railroad TAXATION compan-
les owe us a million dollars more
year." says Governor LaFollette, land
we want it." His authority is the last
report of the state tax commission.
His plea for taxation of railroad prop
erty as any other property is taxed
(the ad valorem system)-insteado the
present license system-fnds a fresh
precedent near home in Michigan, that
state reaping the fruit of the dead