Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1905-12-07

ton that the governor recommends
that a committee with power to sum
mon witnesses, examine books, and
with all power necessary to inyesti-
ga expenditures and methods of
doing business be appointed and in
structed to make a complete report to
the governor by Nov. /, 1906.
Railroad Rate Commission.
1t is gratifying to know, says the
| governor, that no serious infrmity has
been discovered that would operate
to prevent efficient railway regulation
along the lines prescribed in the new
commission. Yet he recommends
amendments in the following re
snCcts:
First The commission should be
authorized to prescribe a uniform sys-
i TEN of keeping accounts of business
transacted in Wisconsin by carriers
and other persons, and corporations
amenable to said chapter 1862, and
such carriers and corporations should
I be required TO file with the commits
sion, whenever required by It, reports
of their income from operation from
intra state business as distinguished
| from inter state business, and the
expense of conducting intra state
business for any designated period;
and these reports should be given in
such detail and in such manner as the
commission shall prescribe The
! g., l,p
comes obvious when the law govern
/ ing the powers and the limitations of
a state railroad commission is CON
| sidered. In determining whether i
given rate is reasonable or unreason-
able the interstate earnings CT Il rail
road can be taken into account to
very limited extent only. In order
to pass inteligently upon the reason
| ablencss of a given rate. it is neces
sary that the commission should know
the value of the proper1% Of the rail-
road affected in Wisconsin, the
amount earned on intra state business
as distinguished from inter state
business, and the expense of conduct
ing the intra state business as far as
practicable separate and apart from
the inter state business. Heretofore
carriers have not kept detailed ac-
counts of Wisconsin business sepa
rately. The labor of making the sep
aration as to business done in the
past is enormous, and in order to save
expense on the part of the state and
the time Of the commission, it should
be authorized to direct the manner in
which accounts pertaining to business
transacted in Wisconsin, whether in
tra-state or Interstate, should be kept
in the future
Second: II may be well to amend
section s Of chapter 1862 in some par
ticulms in order that it be made more
clear and definite. The section per
mits, under certain prescribed con
ditiOns, the sale of mileage tiCllcts, |
Communication tickets, excursion tick
cts and party tickets at less than the
regular rate Of charge Prior to the
passage of this act the railroads han
been in the habit of giving reduced
rates TO persons or parties not, per
haps, coming technically within tho
exception enumerated in such section, |
such as companies of the Wisconsin
national guard when attending tire |
state. encampment,. inmates of. so.
diers homes, students in going to ami !
returning from colleges, homescolicrs e.
and possibly some others. Construug I
the interstate commerce act. the Su- ,
prone court of the United States ho!a
that the language of the act enumorat. /
ing certain classes to whom reduced I.
rate tickets might be sold was Illus I
tratiVe ami not exclusive, and that the /
act did not prevent the railroads I'om /
selling at reduced rates such tickets /
as had customarily and usually been I
sold at such rates before its adoption /
The Wisconsin commission has fol
lowed this decision but it does not APP |
pear to have been acQuiesced in by |
the railroads.
TO remove any possible doubt as to
the construction to be placed upon |
this section, would recommend an
amendment expressly permitting the |
sale of tickets ut reduced rates to
companies OF the Wisconsin national |
guard when attending the state en-
campmcnt, inmates Of soldiers homes, |
students in going to and returning from /
educational institutions and bona tide
homeseekers, provided however that |
such tickets may be sold without dis
elimination as between persons or
classes applying therefor under like |
circumstances and conditions
In this connection the governor
recommends that the exceptions be
enlarged so as to permit railroad com !
panies to issue free transportation to |
former employees disabled in the ser
vice and to members of their families, |
and also To the members Of families |
of deceased employees
That the former system or giving |
free passes or free transportation has |
resulted in much evil ana should be |