The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-01-30
to favored shippers. but the abuse for
political purposes is disappointing.
How State Servants Fare.


Members Of the Wisconsin legisla-
ture get $500 salary for the session, no
of 10 cent? mile each way--barely
enough for three round trips.
State employees are allowed to buy
mileage books for necessary trips, but
they must make sworn statements Of
every mile travelled when the book is
used up. This Is audited by the secre-
tary Of state and paid from the funds
Of each department. Very little more
is paid for mileage, it lis claimed, than
in the days when all carried passes.
Under the constitution the railroad
commissioner may accept passes for his
business trips, but John w. Thomas,
the sturdy farmer who has served for
the past two years, refuses to do it,
He pays SO much a day for a special
car when on his inspection trips. or else
shares accommo dations with the rail-
road officials when they are making
their own inspections, and pays regular
fare. 3 = Z. II.
He is free to serve the interests Of
the people without prejudice. So are
MS feiloW ofhc1ais IN the state service,
and, with few exceptions, members Of
the legislature take no favors whatever
from the railroad, express, telegraph or
telephone companies. They have no
debts to pay when the roll is called.
Halls Long Fight for Law.
Wisconsin people are skeptical as to
the prospects of passing an antipass
law in Minnesota this winter. 4 They ex-
pect it /. to be- blocked in committee
or in the senate. In that case. thew
say, the thing to do is to put an anti.
pass plank in the next state platform.
and pledge every legislative nominee to
vote. for the law next time. The Wis
consin fight lasted eight years. A. r.
Hall was first elected to the assembly
OF 1891, and introduced his antipass bill
Hall was not. He had conference that
spring with R. NJ. La Toilette, then a
member of congress. Mr.. La Toilette
had sent back his railroad passes be-
cause he found that the givers ex-
pected him to stand for certain wood
fchucks' in congress- He pledged his
hearty support to Halls movement.
|, In 1892 the railroads spent $4,000 to
troduced his antipass bill at the 1893
session. It was beaten. He was re.
elected, and brought it up in 1895.
They beat it again, but after the vote
was taken he sent out circular to the
clerk of every town meeting in Wiscon-
sin. There were LAP such meetings
held April z, anu the resolution sent by
Hall was vot ted on in the large majority
of the meetings. The resolution was a
memorial to the legislature on the anti
pass bill. The vote taken at each meet
ing was reported to Mr.. Hall, and the
total was over fifty thousand, with less
than six hundred opposed.
| The lawmakers were frightened but
refused to reconsider. Next, Hall went
as delegate to the. state convention in
1896, and got q resolution into the plat
from pledg1ng the party to enact the
law. He was elected again, and put the
bill thru the assembly, but it was beaten
by close shave in the senate, The END
was in sight. Hall, assisted by La
Toilette and his entire following
pledged the party again in the. state
sion the law was adopted. a. - -
It is no wonder, after such long
and bitter struggle. that Wisconsin mer
are not sanguine about the chances OF
| - = Charles B, Cheney,