Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1907-07-31
Two-cENT FAR MEASURE BE
COMES A LAW.
IS A RETALIAT0RY STROKE
Governor Says Railroads Have Made
It Unpleasant for the Public Since
Commission Ordered Reduction to
Two and Half Cents-No Slap
at Commission.
Madison, July II

NS'SAAOa OdfluSOA slSueQ the TWO
cent fare bill yesterday, and the
measure became a law the same af
ternoon when it was published. The
law, which is TO go into effec- on Au-
gust 10, viii apply to Gle en- different
railroads in Wisconsin having annual
earnings exceeding $500 a mile.
The roads to which thu law will ap-
ply are:
Chicago & Northwestern, earnings,
S10,OIS.S9 per mile.
Chicago, Milwaukee & st. Paul
earnings S9,S47.71.
Chicago, Burlington & Quincy, earn.
ings s15,522.57.
Chicago, ST. Paul, Minneapolis &
Omaha, earnings sS,19179.
Wisconsin Central, earnings $7,I66..
SO.
Minneapolis st. Paul & Saulte Ste.
Harie. earnings $5,453.22.
Northern Pacific, earnings s4O4e.SS.
Great Northern. earnings S36.715.35.
Chicago, Lake Shore & Eastern,
earnings $5,635.24.
Drummond & Southeastern, earn.
ings $3,S15.S2.
Kewaunee, Green Bay & Western,
earnings $S.S4LS7.
Two of these roads with earnings
exceeding $500 a mile are not pas
senger carrying roads. They are
the Great Northern, whose Wisconsin
business consists almost entirely of
freight switching at Superior, and the
Chicago, Lake Shore & Eastern.
whose business consists of freight
switching between Milwaukee and
Sout.. Milwaukee.
Several Roads escape.
Several other roads carrying pas
sengers escape the effect of the law.
their earnings being beneath the
$500 a mile. Among these are the
Duluth, South Shore & Atlantic, with
earnings at sS,35S.52 a mile, the Hi.
nois Central with earnings at 1887
a mile. and the Green Bay & Western
with earnings at $500 a mile.
There is no information available
as to whether the railroads intend to
test the law in the courts as they are
doing in Minnesota, Iowa and Mis-
souri, but there are reports to the eff
feet that the family mileage books
will be withdrawn and that the com.
mutation tickets will be discontinued.
Speculation continues as TO what
action the railroad commissioners will
take now that the bill has been
signed. John Barnes, chairman of
the commission, is in Milwaukee and
the other members refuse to discuss
the matter in his absence. This
would seem to indicate that whaterer
action is taken will be concerted
though there appears to be no auth.
orization for the reports that have
been circulated that the commission
ers would resign.
Result of New Conditions.
Certainly no man in Wisconsin
holds this commission in higher es.
TEEN than ]" said Governor Davidson
yesterday after signing the bill. THAT
a two-cent fare bill has been passed
by the legislature and has been
signed by the governor should not be
interpreted as any lack of confidence
in the ability or integrity of the com.
mission. Thi bill is the outgrowth
of complications and conditions which
have arisen since the railroad com.
mission rendered its decision for
two-and-one-haifce cent fare The trav.
cling public has been harassed when.
ever interstate tickets have been pur-
chased. Information has come to me
officially Of instances where men
travelling between states have been
forced to pay three cents mile, and
of other instances where travellers
have held family mileage books, when
the railroads have required passen.
gers to pay So instead of 50 for sleep.
ing car berths. arbitrarily adding 81
to the sleeping car rate. These things
and the arbitrary refusal to check
through baggage. have contributed TO
SSAiuAhlphS NhiSu StSIiSu W IHdhG q
two-cent fare law advisable in order
that the people of Wisconsin might
enjoy the same rights and privileges
accorded to citizens of other states"
A Bad Precedent.
The passage of the two cent rate
law established a bad precedent" said
Speaker II. l. Ekern. If the Iegis.
lature can be sked to come in and
fix a new maximum passenger rate,
after the commission has made it's
two-and-one half-cent ruling. why can
not the legislature in the future be
asked to step in and fix new max
imum freight rates. new maximum
gas rates, new electric lighting rates,
and new maximum rates for all pub
lie service corporations which are
now regulated by the railroad com
mission? 1t appears to me that the
passage of the two-cent fare bill has
established a precedent which will
admit of such actor in the future"
Litir alton Probable.
The enactment of the two-cent rate
law, in the form in which 1t has been
hastily pushed through. opens up a
fruitful field Of speculation as to the
| ultimate result should any of the
! roads feel inclined to litigate. II ii
4 Na,.1 = d.