The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1907-02-21
Our Raleigh Letter.
GORMAN NEWS BUREAU
RALEIGH, \. G.. Feb. Is.

W
two branches of the General Assembly
know perfectly well upe a what basis the
agreement will be effected if the efforts
to accomplish it are successful.
There is positively no chance what
ever of the Justice Manning bill that
passed the second reading in the House
last week by such decided majority
ever going through the Senate in its pre-
sent shape. No bill that provides for n
reduction of first class fare below ~
cents will pass the Senate. The bill
which the Senate will probably pass
about the middle Of the week is likely to
fix the rate at two and three quarters,
which would he a reduction OF a hall a
cent per mile from the rate OF three and
q quarter cents that now prevails. Chair
man Graham of the Senate committee
on railroads whose bill is now pending
in the Senate, fixes the rate at two and Il
half cents for the first class tickets. But
since lis bill was drawn he has stated
in the Senate that he now believes that
figure it too low and will willingly vote
to make it two and three quarters, as is
provided for in two of the amendments
offe ed to his bill Consequently, one of
tho &c amendments may be adopted, and
probably the Mclean amendment will
be the one.
Major Graham's bill continues the sec
ond class rate, and fixes it at two cents
per mile. There is az amendment pend
ing to eliminate the second class coach
altogether. If that is done it will un-
questionably cause much dissatisfaction
among the class of people who habitually
travel on second class fare. for the re-
duction Of rate in the first class rate will
be no reduction at all to them, the only
difference being that they will in the flu
ture ide in the first class instead of the
second class coaches.
The Senate will resume consideration
of the Graham bill Tuesday and the
House will take up the Justice Man
| ming bill on third reading Tuesday night
| After these two bills have been passed
| finally i'll the respective branches in which
| they originated, each VIII lie defeated in
the other House, or SO amended as to
male concurrence impossible.
\ committee of conference on the part
Of each body will then have to be APP
| pointed and the question of whether
there will actually be any passenger rate
bill passed by both houses and enacted
into law at this session of he legislature
will depend upon whether the conference
committees can and will agree upon a
the two houses therein.
So it will certainly not be earlier than
the last Of this week that bill of this
character can beagreed upon and passed.
Ii the House insists on q two cent rate
there will be no bill passed at all. The
Senate will undoubtedly come down to
two and a half cents il that will secure
action by the House. But it can be
stated almost with absolute certainty
that the upper branch will not agree to
a lower figure. This would be a reduc-
ton OF three quarters OF a cent a mile on
first class fare and second class also, if
the second class coach is retained, the
latter rate being fixed at two cents So,
it is really up to the House to say wheth-
er there shall be any reduction at all this
year. OF course it will be very accept
able to the railroads ii both bills fail by
default and the rates allowed to remain
as they are for two years atleast longer.
That feature OF the Justice Manning
bill which sought to debar the smaller
| class OF country misrepresentation getting
any transportation at all through ad.
vertising for the RAILWAY companies was
| stricken out of the bill on the second
reading in the House by a narrow ma.
jOrity. The class Of papers affected are
the little county papers that do more
free political advertising for Office seek
ers and the Democratic party than any
| other papers in the State. And yet nearly
half the Democratic members of the
House, including the trainers of this Jus.
tice- Manning bill, the very men who
are among the chief benefciaries of the
free advertising and free party work
voted against the motion to eliminate
that section from the bill which deprived
them OF simple right the Legislature
has no business on earth to take from
any class or idividual. The same right
was accorded to the big papers, as some
OF these little ungrateful politicians
feared their condemnation and probable
opposition in the future. And why it is
that the smaller county papers will sit
idle and worse and allow such treatment
is beyond my ken. Why don't they
''blacklist" all such ingrates and make EN-
feel the power of the opposition of their
county papers when they next aspire to
nominations for political Office? Ii they
would pursue that course they would
command and exact the respect which
the politicians of that stripe now refuse
to willingly accord them.
The next three weeks of the Legislature
will be crowded with important legisla.
ton, most OF the more important meas
ures remaining to be yet acted upon.
Without going into an enumeration oil
these bills it may, be stated in general
that they include the several antitrust
measures now in the hands of the senate
committee on corporations and the Judi
ciary; the several important bills affect
ing insurance, especially the life compan-
| les; the very much necessary legislation
that must be effected if the freight trans
pOrtatiOn facilities are to be improved
and to correct the evils at present endur-
ed by slow delivery of the same and the
inequalities such as keep the markets OF
North Carolina at disadvantage wear
| after year.
! The fact that the revenue mea sure this
year will not make many changes in the
present admirable and effective law, and
will therefore not consume near as much
time as usual, likewise the machinery
act, relieves the pressure considerably
and there will not be any need to hurry
doubtful bills through during the closing
days OF the present session.
1t is matter OF sincere congratulatiOn
that the bill providing for additional IA
cilities for the insane has at last been
passed. The only undesirable feature
connected with its enactment rests in
the fact that the relief cannot be afforded
AZ speedily as most of us desired because
OF the length OF time which must elapse
before all of the appropriation is avail,
able. Ii the bond issue feature had not
been eliminated Ito be resorted to only
in the event that the funds in the treas
ury are not available when the bill calls
! for them) many of us would have been
better satisfied, for then there would be
more certainty about getting the appro-
/ priation after it has been voted, and
when needed and could be best used to
advantage. II the money appropriated
is wisely used all the mental detectives in
the State will be cared for within the
next Ave years. There seems to be no
Developments that improve the hopeless