Omaha daily bee., 1907-01-18
RAILROAD RATES DISCUSSED
Joint Legislative Committee Of House and
Senate Holds First Session.
INFORMAL DISCUSSION INDUCED IN
Consensus of Opinion Legislation
should Deal with Freight Rates,
Leaving Passenger Rate
to Commission.
FrOm a stan Correspondent }

NnFOn u SNdII CoTTespOnuentJ
LINCOLN. Jan. II-CSpecial Telegram.)-
At the first meeting tonight of the joint
house and senate railroad committee, en-
powered to draft a bill outlining the duties
and powers of the state railroad commits
sion. it developed that the committee will
not favor 2-cent passenger rate, but will
give the commission power to deal with
this matter. One of the committee men
toned the passenger rate and both Aldrich
and Epperson and others said this was a
minor matter compared to freight rate re-
duction and, apparently, majority of
the committee is of the same opinion.
Epperson of Clay favored the appoint
ment of subcommittee to draft bills COW
ering the various powers to be conferred
upon the railroad commission, in favor
of which. he argued that should one bill
by some unforeseen circumstance not be
legal there would be other laws left under
whose authority the commission could act
Senator Aldrich favored one bill cover
ing the entire subject including the quail
fications of the members of the commits
sion, powers, duties methods of procedure,
orders issued, and penalties for failure to
obey orders, but with separate bill max
ing fiat passenger rate, though leaving
the commission power to set this aside If
Senator Aldrich favors a measure which
will throw the burden of proof In case of
appeal to the courts upon the railroad and
not upon the commission. In other words,
he would provide that the commission
could establish minimum freight rate
and il 1t could be shown by the railroads
that such a rate was not compensatory, the
railroads would have to show the commits
sion or the courts that such was the case.
If they showed this then the commission
should have power under the law to in
crease the rate.
Power Il Too Broad.
Some Of the members were of the opinion
this power to change a rate in the statute
could not be delegated to the commission,
inasmuch as it would be equivalent to re-
pealing a statute. The matter was re-
ferrod to Senator Root. who, though not a
member of the committee, was present at
The hearing. Mr.. Root expressed the opln-
ion that no such power could be given
the commission. In case the courts set
aside the rate flxed In the statute, he said,
the commission then could put other rates
into effect
Commissioners Winnett and williams
were present at the meeting and DR.. Win
nett explained Mr.. Cowell was not there
because he had not had time to notify
him of the meeting. though he had prom
ised to do SO whenever his presence was
desired. The notice was received too late
from the committee to get word to the
Omaha member of the commission.
These two members were questioned re-
gai'ding their Investigations of the work
ings of the commission in other states,
and especially In Iowa and Kansas, which
places had been visited. The information
brought ought was practically that which
was published in statements from them
during the last week. Both members were
asked by Walsh to tell what they thought
their compensation should be, and both
modestly declined to put price upon their
services. saying the committee and legis-
lature could well attend to that. After
some question by Chairman Wilsey, DIR.
Winnett said the average salary paid to
railroad commissioners in all the states
was $2,S16 the range being wide. These
two members were requested to consult
with Mr.. Cowell and report to the commit
tee when II meets Tuesday night on the
help which will be required and about how
much money it will take to run the com
mission
The members of the commission were
given to understand they would be ex-
pected to devote their entire time to the
duties OF their office and to withdraw from
any other business I'm which they might
be engaged