Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1905-09-12
THE LETTER OF THE LAW
Railroads Will Do Exactly as
Law REQUIRES Them to.

Whether the railroads doing buSi
ness in this state are trying to hole
the new rate law up to ridicuie anC
make it so offensive that the people
will want it repealed, or not, is q
question, but certain it is, they are
! living up closer to the new rate law
than any railroad ever did in this
state before. If newspaper publ.
sher holds an office of dog killer OF
pound master he gets no transporta.
tion in return for advertising matter
! if child is a day over five years he
pays half fare, and if he be above
twelve, full fare is charged, lest,
discrimination is made toward that
child"
This ruling affecting the carrying of
children is the latest feature of the
effort made by railroads to live up to
the rate law. A circular has been
sent out to railroad employees reading
as follows, which explains the reason
for the new ruling:
"It is therefore necessary that the
regulations regarding children'S tick
cts and fares be strictly observed, to
avoid violation of the law and conSe-
quent penalty. If, for example, a
child of five and under twelve is car
| ried free without the collection Of
half fare, or if person twelve years
of age or over is carried on half fare
| it is deviation from published legal
tariff regulations and discrimination
in favor of that person by law and is
punishable by fine.
agents will be particular to see
that proper tickets are purchased for
the passage of children and on failure
to present proper tickets for passage
on the train the conductors viii!
collect proper fare in accord with this
circular. Failure of conductors to
enforce these rules will make con-
ductors personally liable to penalty
under the law"
Heretofore, railroads realized that
should they require every child to
have ticket according to his age,
that many parents could not afford to
travel, so the conductors have been
very lenient, and many children that
will now have to pay full fare have
been carried free in order to hold the
patronage of his parents. But this
time is at an end. In the future if
any child travels on the cars he must
pay the regulation fare. lest the
railroads be arrested for showing dis
examination between persons. Minist-
ers no longer are able to get rates on
the roads. Formerly the clergy
Travelled on half fare ticket, but now
they must pay the same rate as any
one else. The only man that now
stands any show of getting a cheaper
rate, and getting around the new law,
is the tramp. He alone is shown any
discrimination" and that because
the RAILROADS cannot help themselves.
AS previously said, many believe
these extreme measures to be a
method applied by the railroads in
the state to make the new law seem
as odious to the people as they can,
and to make a demand among them
for repeal Of the law. That the
railroads have never before tried to
live as close to the letter of the law
as in the past few months, is regarded
as the best kind of evidence of this
fact. This is supported further by
the fact that there are many other
laws affecting railroads that are not
lived up to by them, such as making
necessary precautions at railroad
crossings, and many other safety laws
in force, but not enforced.