The Cairo bulletin., 1907-03-29
LOWER RATE BILL
IS SURE T0aPASS.
ILLINOIS SENATE EXPECTED TO
VOTE FAvoRABLY ON ACT
PASSED BY HOUSE.
ROAD HEADS OBJECT
To Proposed Demurfsge Measure and
Hartman Sounds Note Of Warn
ing--Uree Senators BY Popu-
lar Vote.

Springfield ILL.,, March 2S.-After
the meeting of thc senate and house
Joint railroads committee today it was
stated that the senate would pass q
cent bill, nj Nt week the house having
already done So
Several railroads made their last
stand at lengthy heaging today.
Their ghess executive officers, in
Guiding dozen presidents or general
managers, for three hours pleaded for
mercy or protested against 2.cent fare
and reciprocal demurrage bills.
Instead of gaining ground, however,
the VI o,s suffered from he queries
aimed at them by Lieutenant Governor
sherman, Representative Cicero J.
Lindley and Senator Mckenzie, who
compelled the speakers to admit that
a 2-cent rate woald affect only
Slight porticn of pas enger traffic and
could not materially reduce the in
come of companies.
Road Heads Urge Point
The sps akers for the railroads were
President Has ahan OF the Illinois Cen.
trail, who voiced a warning" against
Interference with the railroads; Vice
President Willard r Burlington, who
said that reciprocal demurrage would
open way 70 legal r bates to fay-
ored shippers who would simply order
more cars than they needed and by
an understanding, would collect de-
murrage for failure 10 receive cars
ordered Vice. President Powell of tae
Southern. Pre- ideat FeIfgtn Of the AL
ION. Vice gsssident lIy4aaa@sfe ST..
Paul. whose plea for three cents was
based up5n the argument that 1t Is
dosirabls in ordei to permit lower AMI
enticing excursion rates: General Pas
senger Agent Sloan of the Louisville
and Northern; General Manager Jack
son of the Oh cago and Eastern Inii-
ana, and Superintendt mt Of Transpor-
tation Daily of the Illinois Central.
Indy Discomfits Delegation.
What proportion of your total in
come Is contributed by passengee re-
ceipta." asked Lieutenant Governor
Sherman.
When Hyland replied go per cent
there were general smiles, as Lindly
already had elected that the 2-cent
rate wo1ld reduce fares on only one
quarter or less OF the total passenger
incoL.e and one-sixtieth of the total
income from all sources. Indeed
fmther queries by Sherman ELECTED
from President FELTON, of the Alton
that for last Sept mber out of $l72,-
900 passenger receipts only $4,000
came from Scent fares. Sherman per
sisted in asking how much came from
mileage books sold at the rate of 2
cents a mile, but the visitors said they
did not know.
IF yu can afford to sell 2,000-mile
hooks at the 2-cent rate Sherman
summed up why can't you live with
that rate?' Indy added to the dele
gaticn's confus on by suggesting that
the slight loss of income from 2-csnt
fare Jaw would be- made up by in
eased travel.
Less than per cent of the passen. !
ger traffic was on pasGes," said Pres
ident FELTON,.
Banking Bill Considered.
McGoorty. of Chicago, won round
in his fight for banking law to pro
tect depositors, when the house com
mittee on Banks and banking. after 4
week of unpleasant publicity in the
newspapers of the state, had its
slaughtering ak and gave seriors con-
slderation to McGooriy's bill. 1t was
decided to appoint a subcommittee 10
confer with similar senate commit |
tee.
Publicity was also effective in |
bring ng the dangerous machinery bill |
out of the subcommittee. to which L
had been sent from the house COM
mitiee on labor and industrial affairs. |
This was a valueless sop to the labor
lobby. however, for Chairman Field |
stack. ar ardent Busse man refused |
70 call the full commit e to take ac-
iion ona report TO the house.
The Busse legislative machine in
tends to kin the bill after the Chicago !
elect on.
Urge Senators BY People.
The senate, after decade Of pigeon |
holing. passed a Joint resolution intro /
duced by oJnes Of Chicago, asking
congress to call a constitutional con-
vention to submit an amendment pro
viding for the election of United |
States senators by popular vote. Only
Evans. stubblefieId and Chafee had
ths temerity to vote No. the ayes
being tairty-six. The ho Sc always
has been wiling to pass such = resoiu-
ton and has done so for four sessions
cniy to see the resolution killed in the
senate.