Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1907-08-01

The Northwestern and st. Paul roads
will not have to pay Wisconsin license
fees due prior to Feb. 1, 1899. The
Wisconsin Supreme Court decided that
the statute of limitations bars such col
lection.
The Interstate Commerce Commission
has announced the appointment of
board of experts to supervise and conduct
experimental tests of block signal sys-
TENS and other safety devices as provided
for by the joint resolution of Congress.
The officers of the Southern Railway
have appealed to the United States Cir
cult Court in North Carolina for an in
junction restraining the Legislature of
that State and the Virginia corporation
commission from putting into effect the
reduced passenger rate of 2 cents a mile.
This is the first instance in which the
legal questions involved in the reduced
rate laws have been brought before high
federal tribunal and will probably be
the first to reach the Supreme Court for
final adjudication.
The Interstate Commerce Commission
has reaffirmed the right of interstate rail-
for negroes, provided that accommoda-
lions be offered them equal to those in
tended for the whites of the same class.
Commissioner Lane says that the rea-
sonableness of regulations to segregate
white and colored passengers is estab-
lished but that it does not follow that
carriers may discriminate as to accom-
modationS. The decision requires that
where a line is providing wash bowl and
towels for first-clasS white passengers 1t
must give the same conveniences to first
class colored passengers. The complaint
was made by Georgia Edwards against
the Nashville, Chattanooga and st. Louis.
John H. Starin and two other members
of the retiring rapid transit board of
New York City have made known their
intention of financing a company to con-
struct a one-rail system of transit be-
tween Newark and New York City. 1t
is to be a four-track system, operated at
from 60 to 100 miles an hour, and is
of the design invented by Howard ii.
Tunis of Baltimore, a sample of which is
now on exhibition at the Jamestown expo
sition. This American monoraif' has
car At feet long and a maximum width
OF 6 feet, tapering at each end. The car
is supported on two trucks of two wheels
each, tandem, and the wheels Hanged on
both sides, and the whole being maintain
ed in an upright position by a combina-
ton of trolley pole and overhead support.
The interstate commerce commission
has announced the determination of the
Department of Justice to prosecute prac-
tically every railroad company in twenty
six States to recover penalties for viola
tons of the safety appliance law.
The recent conference of railroad presi-
dents at Chicago resulted in an under
standing favorable to the immediate adop-
ton of the 2-cent passenger rate on all
interstate business. This is meant to be
understood as bowling to public opinion,
but the lawyers say they expect no diff
Guilty in knocking out the 2-cent laws in
the higher courts.
One effect of the new law which limits
the hours of labor in railroad telegraphy
is to create 81 demand for about 5000 new
operators, and the supply is far short of
this.
The general manager of the Pennsyl-
yania railroad reports that 1909 locomo-
lines east of Pittsburg, and that only
3,141 passenger cars were used on the
same lines. He says that the most i'm
portart problem of equipment is repairs,
and that it required 207 COG new steel
wheels, p. S43 new steel axles and 6,63S
new steel tires to keep the rolling stock
in good order.
At Des Moines, Iowa, Judge McPher-
son of the Federal Court denied the ap-
plication of two stockholders of the Iowa
Central and the Minneapolis and st.
Louis for an order restraining the direc-
tors of the roads from putting into effect
the 2-cent passenger rate enacted By the
Iowa Legislature.
The report of Special Attorney Kel-
! logg and of the Commerce Commission
on the railroads controlled by e. III. Har-
riman asserts that these lines violate the
antitrust law by sitting all competition
and imitation of securities. The COM
mission is known to be divided on the
question of being able to prosecute Har-
riman successfully.