Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1905-02-18

nave OSUkOsU tie tslpltdl CITY. we
are hoping for the best.
One day last week there were 100
bills introduced. Anyone is at liberty
to draft bill. no matter on what
topic. and members are good natured
in introducing them. although not nee
essarily taking the responsibility
There are not so many bills tits year
as usual
Controlling the Railroads.
The biggest thing ON hand is the adj
ministration railroad rate commission
bill. with Senator Hatten in command.
The Joint railroad committees did
good deal of hard work. comforting
with the interstate commerce commls-
sion. the university and other people.
and this bill outlines commission OF
three, appointed by the governor, with
salaries of 5000 year. There nave
been other bills. including Senator
Merton's, whose commission is elec-
tive. but this Hatten bill is the one
with the administration backing.
Where there is complaint, the COM
mission may consider it and name
better rate if it is deserved. one OF
the commissioners must have
knowledge of railroad accounting ana
the others must understand transpor-
tation and the law pertaining hereto.
The secretary is to have $500 year
with three clerks, one of them stem
ographer. The commission may fix
reasonable rates, but different rates
for different lines and different parts
of lines. if they desire. Its power IS
certainly very complete. Before fx-
ing rates or making an order, ten
days notice must be given the COM
pany involved, so that it may be
heard. The effort is evidently to for
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
compromises will be accepted.
The railroads have some bright men
on the ground and will oppose any
power to the commission that goes be-
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, but
Senator McGillivray always has some
thing pertinent to this topic, and AS
semblyman Beko has resolution call
ing on congress to get after the agri-
cultural implement people. The tele-
phone affords rise for many a bill.
The independent companies nave long
been worried by what they claim is
hardship imposed on them by the big
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 legislati ton that indicates that
people are taking keen interest in
the matter. No less than four bills
came in one morning. One of them
proposes a 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 a 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 if be
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
refuse to sell to minors and be virtu-
Gus generally. One fears that such
law would take from local officials alb
solutely all responsibility and that
salaries, would fail to get around TO
all the communities Of the state. They
might not stay long away.
The proposal that the state print it's
own textbooks comes up again; it is
a familiar face. This time 100000 is
to set up a publishing and printing
plant the books to be sold at cost to
the people, and the teachers are not to
throw out the old geography or rum
in a new mental arithmetic more than
once in six years.
Bill Taxes Bachelors.
One of the most delightful bills
taxes bachelors over 30 years Of age
at So. The introducer, Mr.. Cleary of
Elroy, has just turned that age and
if he secures a wife, the proposed law
will not touch him. He exempts old