Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1905-01-16

company was Immediately notified OF
the amount of taxes assessed against
it.
Upon the ninth inst, suits were be-
gun by all Of the principal railroads or
Wisconsin to prevent the collection OF
any tax under the assessment.
And SO at the end of all these years
of delay, these corporations will seek
still further to defeat the ends or
justice and defy the will of the peo-
pie in state where they collect an
nually transportation charges amount
ing, in round numbers, to $50,000,-
100000 Millions of dollars have been
Wrongfully withheld from their annual
reports. How far reaching this fraud
upon the state may ultimately prove
to be cannot now be determined. It
has been found to extend as far back
as the investigation mas progressed.
Control of Railway Services and Rates.
The power of the railroads in legis-
lation has been, perhaps, as manifest
in Wisconsin as any other state in the
union Moving with the other states
of the Old Northwest in the early 70's
for the control of railway rates, a
strong law was enacted here, and,
likewise, in the adjoining states OF
Illinois, Iowa, and Minnesota.
The breaking away of Wisconsin
from railroad control was temporary.
In 1876 the Wisconsin law was repeal
ed. With the restoration to power of
the railways in Wisconsin, the abuses
were resumed, and have continued
without interruption.
Possessing experimenting power, it
becomes the duty of the state to ex-
erclse it broadly for the protection of
the interest of all it's people, not only
from unreasonable charges and eXtors
ton but from other abuses equally far
reaching in consequences and no less
unjust. The industrial and commercial
life Of every community, the comfort
| of every home, is vitality dependent
upon facilities of transportation, and
wherever the state has given a railway
corporation chartered rights to acquire
| land, establish and operate road,
there rests an obligation on the state,
to see to it, that the citizens and com
munities interested are given, in light
of all the circumstances, a reason
ably efficient and impartial service.
While the railroads have provided an
adequate service to many communities
in Wisconsin, all over the state, are
= e.+, II 81
just determinations in schedules,
against some interests in every town,
and many towns on every line.
+ The state fails in one of the essen
tails of government when it permits a
railway company to leave a populous
and productive area, like that between
Madison and Prairie du Chen, with a
railway service so deplorably bad as to
cause continual public protest for
years. without any redress whatever.
independently of the question of ex-
cessive freight charges the state
should no longer allow the railway
corporation to control without super
vision, absolutely and arbitrarily, the
commerce of Wisconsin, and through
the control of that commerce, deter.
mine what villages shall become cities
what cities shall become great mar
kets. and dictate as to business SUI
premacy in every industry.
Whatever temporary reduction:
may have been made for politica
reasons, a study Of railway tariffs il
/ force in Wisconsin at the presen
time discloses the following facts
which | take this occasion to presen
/ for your consideration:
! 1. Wisconsin rates are still highe
than the rates charged under sub