Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1904-04-21

business with the railroads as an aid
to such investigation.
How They Voted.
The following named stalwart sen.
ators voted to strike out these i'm.
portant provisions from the bill:
Beach, Eaton, Gaveney, Green,
Johnson, McDonough, Morse, North,
O'Neill. Riordan. Roehr, Rogers,
Whitehead and Willy.
The following named senators voted
TO retain these provisions in the bill,
Bird, Burns, Hudnall. Martin, Nc
Gillivray, Merton, Miller, Munson,
Wipperman and Wylie
Railroads Cheating State for Years.
The report of Commissioner Thomas
does not include anything from the
Wisconsin Central railroad, because
the work is not far enough along to
embrace 1t within this report. If in
Guided within the two-year period il
Ia reasonable to assume that the grand
total of S1,G9S .O7613, given above as
wrongfully withheld from their gross
earnings required to be reported,
would be swelled to the sum of two
million dollars ($2,O00,OOo).
This in round numbers and plain
terms means that the railroads Of
Wisconsin have been cheating the
state for years by Withholding from
their gross earnings million dollars
year, which the law required them
to report. Upon this sum the state
has lost. ut 4 per cent. the sum OF
forty thousand dollars (S40,0OO) a year
in railroad taxes
All Rebates Not on Books.
There is another very important
ma liter in the commissioners report
He says:
This office Is in receipt OF informa-
tttli SlNlllS INC anu auti tSSNS
of shippers who it is claimed are get
ting rebates regularly. Many of these
names do not appear on the account
ants. report. l believe this lnforma-
ton reliable, and that the scope of the
investigation must be broadened to
cover the entire field, and that 1t is
the plain duty Of this department to
continue this investigation until all
facts pertaining to the earnings of the
railway companies have been fully Sc
cured"
1t was very well understood by those
who prepared the bill which passed
the assembly that the railroad com
panies had doubtless carried on their
distribution of rebates under cover OF
different plans well calculated to
should come whether by state author
tiles or through the interstate com
merce commission in the federal courts
for violation Of the United States
statute. 1t was therefore regarded
as important that specific and clearly
defined authority should be given the
commissioner to take the testimony OF
shippers as to whether they were re-
ceiying rebates from the railroad com
panies.
1t was for this very reason that the
bill as it passed the assembly provided
for taking the testimony Of such wit
nesses. This testimony could have
been taken and it is now practically
demonstrated that Il would have
greatly increased the amount Of re
bates shown TO have been paid back
by the railroads,
Work VIII he Pushed Through.
The work Of the railroad commits
yioner is, however, going forward with
AZ great tforouehness as the character
of the investigation and the authority
Of the Legislature will permit Of, and
the state can rest assured that In so
far as It lies within his power the
present railroad commissioner will
perform his full duty. That he has al
ready dug out OF the ingenious and
intricate system employed by the rail
read companies the enormous sums OF
money withheld from their reports
tho largest proportion Of which con
Ssts OF rebates paid TO individuals,
axpnrtnrrrh,ps and corporations in
Whconan whc an heavy shipper, Of