Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1905-06-08
SENATE KILLS THE HENRY JOHN
SON MEASURE.
DAY FILLED WITH CEBATE
Fresr, McGiIIivray, Morris, Martin
and Munson Speak for the Bill and
HudnalI, Johnson, Sanborn and
Rogers in Opposition-FinsI Vote
II to IS.
Madison, June 1

Madison, June :.
The senate yesterday refused to con
cur in the assembly bill 10 establish
maximum passenger rate in Wiscon
sin of two cents a mile. The final vote
came after several hours had beer
spent in debate. in which Senators
Frear, Martin, McGilliyray, Morris anC
Munson argued for the bill ami Sena
tors Rogers, Hudnall, Johnson anC
Sanborn spoke against it. The oppo
stion was based largely upon the ar
gument that the law if enacted would
be declared by the supreme court no.
constitutional, as non-compensatory
and that the question of fixing passen
ger as we'll as freight rates was one
for the railroad commission to con
slider and determine. Senator Morris
speaking for the bill, declared:
There is not senator here who Is
fare bill ii it is right; and there is not
a senator here who is able to show
with any degree of conclusiveness that
1t is not right. The people will not
be satisfied with the killing Of this bill
as they were not satisfied with the
repeated killing of the railroad taxa
ton and the railroad rate commission
bills, and this legislation will assured
IL be secured"
Before the final vote was taken an
amendment by Senator Frear was
adopted, providing that the two-cept
rate apply to only such roads as re,
ceive a gross earning of $1,000 per
mile on their Wisconsin lines. The
original bill had $500 as the figure.
Final Vote.
The final vote on the bill as amend
ID was as follows.
For two-cent rate-Senators Burns;
Frear, Hatten, Martin, Morris, Mum
son, Noble, Randolph, Rummel, Ston.
dali, Stout-11.
Opposed-Beach. Bird Froemming,
Hudnall, Johnson, Merton. North,
Rogers, Roehr, Sanborn, Smith,
Whitehead, Wilcox, Wolff, Wright
15.
the bill, were paired with Senator's
Hagemeister and Stevens, respective
ly, against the bill The pair of Sena-
tor McGillivray with Senator Stevens
was the subject of an announcement
by Senator Frear that the pair had
been fixed up by ex-senator John Har-
ris. representing the st. Paul rail
road. Senator McGillivray frankly
admitted this and said that he thought
because Senator Stevens had been de-
layed by a washout on a railroad that
he ought to have the right to be re.
corded on the bill. Senators KreutZer
and Wipperman We're absent AMI not
voting.
Only Slight Reduction.
The morning debate was occupied
by Senators Frear for the bill and
Hudnall, Johnson and Sanborn in op-
position. Senator Frear argued that
the railroad commission would not be
able to provide general relief that will
reach passenger rates, at least for
some two years or more, and he de-
clared that a two-cent rate was de-
manded and just at the present time.
He said that II state legislatures had
acted along this line. The present
maximum passenger rate of three
cents mile was fixed by the legisla-
ture 81 years ago, in 1874, when the
average rate charged was 9.16 cents
per mile Today the average rate is
2.0l cents per mile and the reduction
will be very slight. Most people who
travel extensively now, declared the
speaker, pay only cents mile, and
it is right that all people share equal
~ in the use of a system that is uni
versally held by courts to be a public
spoke Of the great profits in the bust
ness of operating railroads. mention.
ing the fact that the stock of the
Northwestern system has increased
from $50 for one share of par value OF
800 to 1925 to $3.50, Notwithstanding
watering of stocks He said the prof.
its of the Northwestern road were
now $3.50 per cent
He said that the profits of the st.
Paul road in 1902 were 1921 per cent.
Senator Frear argued along tie line
tdat the market value of the securl.
ties was an accurate criterion of the
actual intrinsic value of the securities
and upon this he was disagreed with
by Senator Rogers who cited long
list of securities which never earned
cent, but which were being quoted
on the market Senator Frear replied
that 1t was the hope that these secur.
tiles would eventually increa SO in
value that made them marketable.