The San Francisco call., 1907-02-21
JERE BURKE GIVES OUT
SOUTHERN PACIFIC FIAT
THE Railroad Refuses to
Permit Any Regulating
Legislation"
McMULLIN STAGGERED
He Presents Bill to Help His
Town Obtain Depot,
but 1t Won't Go
McMULLIN STAGGERED
CALL HEADQUARTERS.
1907 EIGHTH STREET.

SACRAMENTO. Feb. 2O.-"The rail-
road refuses to permit any legislation
by which it will be regulated"
The foregoing are the words Of Jere
Burke, political agent of William F.
Herrin, and were uttered not in apy
spirit Of boasting, but merely TO assure
a member Of the lower House that the
Legislature belongs to the Southern
Pacific Company Burke impaired the
information TO Assemblymen McMullin
Of Bakersfield. who has fathered a bill
that displeases the master Of the show.
AIcMullin. who is naturally quiet. lost
the power Of speech for some minutes.
When he finally recovered his first
words were, Isn't that going someg
McMuIlin's bill was presented solely
with A view Of compelling the Southern
Pacific TO build a depot in Bakersfield.
Residents of that town have no such
luxury. and are compelled TO use the
depot in Kern City. a mile beyond the
Bakersfield limits. The bill provides
that railway companies must establish
and maintain passenger and freight
depots I'm all incorporated cities and
towns on their lines; also that all
trains. except those that cross the State
line must be stopped at such depots
10 take on and let off passengers.
InE southern GaGlLcs AlllOAE II Ks Il y
resentative, Jere Burke. found the bill
intolerable. II had so many objection
al bic features that Burke had to whis-
per al least twenty minutes to every
legislator he met The bill was uncon-
stitutional. unjust, called for unneces-
sary expenditures and would give de-
pots to towns unworthy of such high
favor Further. fl was argued that such
a law would compel the Southern Pa
al - CT linz
trains at every little station between
San Francisco and San Jose.
McMullin, being a sympathetic soul,
saw merit in the last objection. He
went to Burke and offered TO amend the
bill so that trains need stop only at
. county seats. In this way McMuliin
hoped to take the railway ban of his
! bill He made his offer. and it was then
that Burke told him plainly the South
ern Pacific would not permit any regu-
lation by the Legislature.
A less courageous regulator might
have quit, but McMullin is determined
3 TO fight II out. The bill viii go back
10 the judiciary committee, and that
body will hear arguments tomorrow
evening by prominent citizens Of Bak-
ersfeld. II will also listen to lawyers
representing the Southern Pacific. -
Another instance of the attitude OF
the Southern Pacific is the attempt to
bury Senator Millers bill forbidding
discrimination against oil shippers not
connected with the Standard Oil mo-
nopoly. Miller rose in the Senate today
and declared that an attempt was being
made 10 inter the bill in the committee
Senator Wolfe denied the charge. The
outcome of the dispute was that the
committee on corporations met this
afternoon to consider the bill.
Jere Burke appeared and asserted
that the railroads were not discriminat-
ing. but were doing their best He ad-
mitted that the Southern Pacific was
against the bill, and the committee
taking the tip, promptly reported 1t out
without recommendation. This means
il viii be beaten, but the roll call viii
serve to put Herrin's boys on record
once more.