The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1905-02-17
Controiing the Railroads.

There are not so many bills this year
as usual
Controlling the Railroads
The biggest thing on hand is the adj
ninistraton railroad rate COMMISSION
bill. with Senator Hatten in command.
THE Joint railroad committees did II
good de; of hard work. conferflllS
with the interstate commerce commas
sion. the university and other people
and this bill outlines commission ol
three. appointed by the governor WIN
salaries of $1,000 a year. There nave
been other bills. Including oeh''ol
Merton's. whose commission is elec-
tive but this Hatten bill is the one
with the administration backing
Where there is a complaint, the COM
mission may consider it and name Il
hotter rate if it is deserved. one OF
the commissioners must nave d
l1nowiedge of railroad accounting anu
the others must understand transport
tation and the law pertaining here'o'
The secretary is to have S2,oOo year
with three clerks, one of them q stem
onronher. The commission may Tx
reasonable rates, but different rates
for different lines and different parts
of lines if they desire. It's power IS
certainly very complete. BEFORE IN
ing rates or making an order, ten
days notice must be given the COIL
many involved. so that 1t may DE
heard The effort is evidently to Tor
ward this bill and get it out OF the
way. 1t is the biggest Of the session
and it may be to achieve it that some
compron.ises will be accepted.
The railroads have some bright men
on the ground and Will oppose any
powcr 10 the commission that goes De
yond correcting rates that are unjust.
In other words, jurisdiction over
equitable rates does not please them,
Curbing the Trusts.
We are hearing less than usual this
winter of antitrust legislation, Dut
Senator McGillivray always has some
thing pertinent to this topic. and AS
semblyman BekO has a resolution call
ing on congress to get after the agrl-
cultural implement people. The tele-
phone affords rise for many bill.
The independent companies have long
been worried by what they claim is
hardship imposed on them by the Dig
companies in exchanging telephone
connections. An even rate for all is
the purport of one bill.
In the assembly Friday the vexa-
tious question of employing boys as
messengers was disposed OF: the boys
stay. The Socialists raised the age Is
sue. While number of widows
sons. etc. find the compensation
helpful. the law seems to be against
their employment; but the lawyers got
around the point and now. it will not
be necessary for the legislators to
carry their bills. etc. to the clerks
desk
There is line of proposed temper
ance legislation that indicates that
people are taking Il keen interest in
the matter. No less than four bills
came in one morning. One of them
proposes Il staff Of one commissioner
and ten assistants. at cost of some
thing like $4,000 including expenses.
whose business it shall be to enforce
all LIQUOR laws Such bill illustrates
the American privilege of having an
idea and drafting it for legislation.
The man with the idea admits that
local officers will not keep the saloons
in their place. so he thinks that II he
could set up some men armed with
the law who should come into the
community as strangers they would
make the saloons close promptly and
GUS generally. One fears that such a