Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1905-09-19
JUDGE WEBB To DECIDE LEGALITY
OF Rate LAW IN WISCONSIN
Grand Rapids Juror Will Pass Upon
ConstitutionaIity Of New Meas-
ure This Week or Next.

citizens of the state of Wisconsin,
There are number of men who are
either employees of railroads or are
officers of such corporations, and who
hold some little insignificant office
under the state, and who, by this
reason are forbidden from using the
passes that the railway companies
have issued to them for their use and
that of their family. Many men who
will have to make a choice between
giving up the office or the pass, are
members of the state militia, notary
publics, city and county officers, etc.
These are the ones who are most
directly affected.
Newspapers Cheated out Of Their Pay.
This section quoted above is held
by some of the best attorneys in the
! state to be unconstitutional, as it is
directly opposed to and in contradic-
tion of the principal involved In franz
ing the "bill Of rights for this state,
in the opinion of these men. The
section makes it impossible for
publishers who hold an Office of any
kind to accept transportation after
they nave earn ID it through a con-
tract signed and in existance at the
time the law was passed and went
into effect. All the railroads in the
state have notified publishers that
| the contracts i'm existance are broken
and impaired, by the ruling of the
law. They and the publishers must
| have impaired. contracts existing at
| the time, and are prevented from
doing business with each other, in
trading ones. commodity for the
others. The twelfth section of
| Chapter l of the state constitution
expressly forbids this thing, but still
the law is upheld by the Attorney
Generals office. Some of the rail-
| roads are living up to their contracts
any Way, and are issuing transportation
as agreed in them; others refuse to do
so.
Publishers are Hit Hardest.
to whom the new rating means as
much as the newspaper publishers,
especially in the smaller towns. The
railroads need the papers space for
advertising, in fact they must have it
in order to call attention to the
changes made 10 rates and time
tables. The newspaper. publisher has
the space to sell, not to give away,
and he expects pay for it. He is no
sense an employee of the railway
company in printing advertising
matter for them. Since he must take
the money gotten in pay for adver
tising and pay it back for transporta-
tion, the mileage books which he
received for his space were as good as
the money to him, and much more
convenient. The mileage books were
not franks nor free passes, in any
sense Of the word, any more than a
check from the railroad company
turned back to their agent in pay for
a ticket. There is no question that
free passes were issued in many cases
where they should not have been, and
that holders of political offices used
the influence of that office. in many
cases, to obtain free transportation;
! but that presents no excuse or reason
| why advertising mileage. paid for and
earned, should be elaSsed as 'free
passes" and the pablisher thereby
prohibited from disposing OF his
merchandise, which in his case is
represented BY advertising space.
This ruling OF the new law has called
forth much condemnation, and from
it's effects is held by many good
iurists as constitutional. AS to
whether it is or not, a Grand Rapids
citizen is to decide, this week or next.
State Fortunate in that Judge Wehb Tries
Case.
| ln the choice OF men as to who
should be the one To attack this
question which means so much to the
, people of the state and which attack
: the whole state will watch eagerly,
: Wisconsin is to be congratulated
upon the circumstance which caused
the case to arise in the seventh
judicial district. There is not a man
, in Wisconsin more fitted nor more
competent to make just ruling On
the question, than Hon. Charles Nj.
Webb, of this city. He holds a record
{ sor lurist work unequalled in the
, north west, fair, just and allowing
outside to influence to is have no effect
, upon his judgement, the state OF
r Wisconsin rests we'll assured that
, when Judge Webb has rendered his
r decision, it will be known, beyond a
, reasonable doubt" whether the law is
constitutional or not The judge will
! attack the question with his custo.
T mary impartial effort to determine
! the right from the wrong, and there
will be no need to carry the matter te
the Supreme court above his decision
His long years of Just Judging have