The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1905-05-19
MEASURE is SLATED TO PASS
There Is Opposition, However,
Especially on Appointiye
Feature.
Passage OF the Bill Means That Gov
ernor LaFollette Will Go to
Washington as Senator
Other Matters.

Madison, Wis, May 16-The senate
takes hold Of the railroad bill in
earnest this week and while there will
be discomfort, talk and protest in
spots, in all likelihood the measure will
pass. 1t may be amended in minor de-
tails, but when administration men.
like Frear and Hudnall and Hatten
united with Johnson in supporting a
measure to control freight rates to the
senate, the big thing of the session
happened. 1t means votes enough in
the senate to carry it. It means that
Governor LaFollette will go to Wash
ington, for there is nothing to detain
him. 1t means that the assembly
must accept measure endorsed by
Hudnall and Frear. It means that
failure to pass bill could have no
political significance now, for leading
men of both factions "got together"
and defeat would be no more the
fault of one than the other.
Nevertheless Opposition.
There is opposition to the senate bill.
The railroad men do not like it. 1t
Is doubtful If they would like any
bill. Their policy has been, to the dis
appointment of lawmakers who con-
suited with them, to claim everything
Some of the lawmakers have been
proud of disposition to hear both
sides and endeavor to do justice to
both the people and the railroad COM
panies. The latter, however, have
deemed it to their advantage to re-
sist these representatives and senators
who are conservative and men sup
posed to be even friendly to vested in
terests. Moreover, the railroad men
have not agreed among themselves.
The bill as now shaped provides for
an appointive commission, to go into
effect June 1. The Democrats in the
senate, and some Republicans, will
| hold out strongly for elective COM
missiOners, but with a number OF
Stalwarts conceding the appointive
feature, the latter must carry. These
| senators reason that confirma ton by
the senate is pretty good check, and
one that this body would not hesitate
to use under this or any administration
| which sought to inject politics into
the commission. Mr.. Gill, of the Wis
| consin Central, has favored an ap-
pointive commission. The railroad rep
resentatives have been unreasonably
insistent on the matter of stay Of
| proceedings every time the new rate
| liked by the commission was not &C.
ceptable to the railways AS they
wanted it, there was promise OF
| blOckading the courts with business
| for years, and their promise of a re-
fund to the shipper, if adopted, would
multiply bookkeeping and much of it
in very small way; for complaints
are often made by small shippers.
! Conservatives Disapprove Bill.
| Moreover not all the senators who
accept the compromise bill approve it;
indeed Senator Johnson, of Racine,
| one of the ablest business men
in the state and fearless and
Independent legislator, says frankly
that he regards railroad development
and the gradual decrease in the rate
two cents to three-quarters Of a cent,
and the enormous increase i'm the body
of shipments as pretty good proof that
| the railroad companies have incentives
enough to treat shippers reasonably
He admits that in individual cases in
Justice may be done, but he fears for
the result of unskilled Intervention OF
a popular character into the delicacies
OF expert financial calculations. How.
ever, men like Johnson and Beach rec
Ognize that all the platforms and all
the parties demand commission con-
troll, and reason that the people are
entitled to a trial OF what they want
The uSterances of President Roosevelt
and lately by Secretary Taft, indicate
to them a trend of public sentiment
which they do not feel justified in op-
posing. Compromise being necessary in
the drafting of the measur they have
put their own views to the rear where
they were unacceptable and have
Joined in measure drastic enough to
be called an administration measure
1t provides that when the commission
fixes a rate which is deemed unjust
by the railways, the latter may inter
pose by injunction, which makes the
issue then a matter OF court proceed
ure. The measure carries provisions
apart from the fixing of rates, which
time may prove ineffective, as Presf
dent Fish Of the Illinois Central and
others contend. To compel the furn.
fishing of CPS to shippers when there
are no cars to be had, and When they
cannot be unloaded in Chicago. owing
Ito a strike or other calamity-it is
,so.called interference" of this sort
that some antic;rate ca, v,isely be lei
alone by lawmakers. However, the