The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1905-02-28

4 Az l<S0A aAa Ad5 So1&4Rk2lgs 49,
TO provide for the inspection OF iIlumi-
| mating oils. To incorporate Fair view
| church In Ashe COUNTY.
Mr. Murphy, OF Rowan stated that ne
| had received a telegram calling him
away and it would be impossible for
him to get back before Monday nigh
He asked that the Ward bill. which
was made a special order for Saturday,
be postponed until Tuesday. This re-
quest was granted and the bill was
made special order for Tuesday
BILLS RATIFIED.
/ The following bills were ratified:
To protect certain church gatherings
IN Hartford, BERTHE and Northampton
| counties from the annoyance OF vende
Of goods, cider and the like.
/ To prevent the obstruction OF SLaGe
Swamp and Smiths Hill Race In Co.
lumbus county.
To authorize the city Of Monroe 20
issue bonds to fund its current indeot-
| ness.
To authorize and empower the Board
! of Commissioners for the county Of
Jackson to levy special taxes for the
purpose Of building iron bridges AID
for other purposes.
To protect wood and timber la11s
from fire.
For the relief of H. III. p. Clark, re-
lating to a certain bond No. 40 and -.
To provide fence law for part OF SCOT
land county.
To prohibit the sale of Intoxicating
liquors within h three miles CT
! Friendship church in Harnett county.
An act to prohibit the sale or manu-
featuring of intoxicating liquors with
in the corporate limits of the town OF
Yadkinvtile.
An act to provide for the working OF
convicts on the public roads OF Mellow
ell county.
An act to regulate the construction,
! and Improvement Of the public roads
of Marin county.
An act to enable the town of South
ern Pines to issue bonds to establish
a sewerage system and to enlarge and
improve it's waterWorks sytem n for
/ other public improvements.
An act to amend the charter of the
town of Spring Hope.
An act to provide for the erection Of
! 3 bridge across the Catawba river be-
| tween Burke and Caldwell counties.
An act to incorporate the town OF
Haywood in Chatham county.
TIC improve the public roads in Smith,
field township, Brunswick county, and
to provide for the issue of three thGu-l
sand dollars in township bonds.
To provide for the payment of rail-
road bonds of Cleveland county.
To amend the charter Of the town
of Black mountain.
To prevent the sale of wine and cider
within a mile and one-half of ST. Mat
thews Church in Sampson county.
To amend chapter 81 laws of 1881
amending and revising and consolidate
ing the charter of the own of Frank
lin in Macon county.
To authorize the board Of commis-I
sionecs of the town of Dunn to issueI
bonds and pay off and discharge itsl
enlarge Of otherwise beneficially changeI
enlarge or otherwise beneficially chrgel
the present size or condition Of theI
present public properties owned by thel
town of Dunn.
To protect landlords and tenants.
To levy a special tax in Wilkes coun-
ty for the purpose Of building bridgesi
across the Yadkin river.
SUBSTITUTE FOR LAUGHING
HOUSE BILL.
The special order on the bill repOrt-|
ed by the committee as a substitute fer
the LaughinghOuSe bill was taken up
The committee substitute provided that
first class passenger rates should not
exceed three cents a mile and second
class should not exceed 2k cents rerl
mile, except that branch line roads of
less than IS miles should remain uni
der the control in fixing fares Of theI
corporation commission. Mr.. Ward off,
fered an amendment excepting theI
A~sheboro and Aberdeen railway. Mr.
Woodland offered al amendment reQu:r-l
ing the issue of one thousand mile tick
cts for $22.5 so Interchangeable on all
roads.
Mr.. Laughinghouse opened the dis
cuSsiCn ON the bill. He said in the paStl
ten years the railroads of the state nadI
increased five hundred miles in extent,
While net earnings had almost doubled
He read from statistics showing that
ten years Ago total gross earnings werel
$S,S64,0 900 and operating expenses six
millions Of dollars. Last year the gross
earnings and profits eight million dol
Grating expenses twelve million and nett
Earning and profits eoght million doll
lars or as much as the entire operat-I
ing expenses of ten years ago.
Speaking Of the immense profits theI
railroads were making he declared thatI
after paying all expenses Of taxes, in-I
terests ond bet, etc. they had declared
a dividend on all stock, a great deal of
Which was pure water or impure water
He said the Coast Line stock now Wasl
worth forty dollars for one, and it cost
them only forty cents on the dollar. Hell
said that the SUI course the railroads.
had pursued by raising the freight ratesl
to make UP the increased taxes would
be baked this time, for a bill would
pass the legislature heading them oTl
in that respect. He stated that in spiteI
of h immense income the railroads.
passenger rates, Mr.. Pou and MI
Miller came near weeping when teltingi
the committee what a hard time ehel
railroads were having now to keep outl
of the poor house, and that if this bill
passed they would almost be compelled
to go out of business. He said he wasf
so sympathetic by nature he was all
most tempted to prepare a bill for tnel
state to issue a bond issue to help theirI
public benefactors out of their triou-l
lation, but on second thought he HasI