Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1905-12-11

ton that the governor recommends
that a committee with power to sum-
mon witnesses, examine books, and
with all power necessary to invest.
gate expenditures and methods of
doing business be appointed and in
structed to make a complete report to
the governor by Nov. 1, 1906
Railroad Rate Commission.
It is gratifying to know, says the
governor, that no serious infirmity 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
spects:
First: The commission should be
authorized to prescribe a uniform sys-
TEN of keeping accounts of business
transacted in Wisconsin by carriers
and other persons, and corporations
amena5le to said chapter 1862, and
such carriers and corporations should
be required to file with the commits
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
Gil 70 otc oo
comes obvious when the law govern
ing the powers and the limitations of
a state railroad commission is con-
sidered. In determining whether
given rate is reasonable or unreason-
able the interstate earnings OK rail
road can be taken into account to a
very limited extent only. In order
to pass intelligently upon the reason
ableness Of a given rate. it is neces-
sary that the commission Should know
the value of the properAy 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 &C
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: 1t may be we'll to amend
section 8 of chapter 1862 in some par
ticulars in order that it be made more
clear and definite The section per-
mits, under certain prescribed con
ditions, the sale of mileage tickets,
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 hau
been in the habit of giving reduced
rates to persons or parties not, per
haps, coming technically within the
exception enumerated in such section,
! such as companies of the Wisconsin
national guard when attending the
state. encampment,. inmates of. sol
diers' homes, students in going to and
returning from colleges, homeseekers
and possibly some others. Constituting
the interstate commerce act,. the SUI
preme court of the United States hel0
that the language of the act enumerat~
ing certain classes to whom reduced
rate tickets might be sold was illus
trative and not exclusive, and that the
act did not prevent the railroads from
selling at reduced rates such tickets
as had customarily and usually been
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 at reduced rates to
companies of the Wisconsin national
guard when attending the state en-.
campment, inmates of soldiers homes,
students in going to and returning from
educational institutions and bona fide
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
no COCO, or froO no