The Norfolk weekly news-journal., 1907-03-01

ter
THEIR DUTY TO INVESTIGATE.
The Omaha Commercial club has
turned a somersault on the two-cent
passenger fare law in Nebraska. Be-
fore the measure was assured, the
Omaha Commercial club, through its
properly authorized executive commit
tee, passed resolutions against the pro-
posed bill. The club allowed the mat
ter to stand until after the law had
beer passed and become assured.
Then the resolutions were rescinded
and another resolution was passed. en-
dorsing the measure which Governor
Sheldon is about to sign. Omaha
views the two-cent fare matter from
a perfectly selfish viewpoint, and sees
added retail business by reason of the
cheaper trip into Omaha from all parts
of the state, at the expense of the
merchants of the smaller towns and
consequently, the entire business in
terests of the smaller towns. Be that
as it may, the Omaha Commercial club
has had little to do one way or an
other, with passing the law. 1t would
have passed with or without Omaha
resolutions. In fact the bill was
passed as result of popular demand
q nd Mt Nf IDl; tx
and exhaustive investigation into the
merits of the case, as should have
been taken and as was taken in Wis
consin.
The two-cent fare law in Nebraska
was passed because an agitation was
started year ago for an arbitrary
two-cent fare, with only the popular
ity of reducing fares a third as its jus
LITIGATION. No figures to show whether
the law was just or unjust were pro
duced, nor have they been even al
this time, though the state lawmakers
have enacted the law
The two-cent fare may be reason
, able. 1t may be unreasonable. There
is nobody in Nebraska today who has
studied the matter intelligently enough
to say whether it is right or not. Fol
all the people know, a one-cent fare
or half-cent fare, may have been oul
just deserts. mo legislator has gone
deep enough into the matter to set us
right on this point They have mere
ly passed law for a two-cent fare ant
the laws passage has shown nothing
votes at home. Popular sentiment sale
Give us a two-cent fare" Popular
sentiment may have been right L
may have been wrong. But the law
was passed because it meant votes
The legislature lacked courage, il
face of popular clamor, to stand III
and do it's duty by the states indus
tries and its citizens alike.
The Wisconsin railroad commission
has just finished an investigation af
ter eleven months. The commission
was appointed by Governor LaFollette
and was therefore removed Distant!
from railroad influence. Governor La
Toilette said they were an unusually
strong commission. They spent $4,000
in investigating conditions of the st
Paul road alone. Six months were
consumed in taking testimony - COZ
pages of it-and five in celebrating
The verdict was important because il
was based not on popular clamor bu
on facts. The commission said that il
had analysed the business of the roads
setting apart the passenger traffic
freight, mail, express, etc. They hat
tried TO separate each department sc
that the just valuation might be stood
up against the business that it die
and therefore its earnings. After ar
exhaustive investigation, the commits
sion ordered reduction from three tC
: two and a half cents in fares. The
commission states that at 21a cents
the Northwestern in Wisconsin car
earn 61a per cent. on the value proper
ly set against passenger earnings
The Omaha road can earn 51a per cent
: OF a two-cent fare, the Omaha road
, could earn, the commission says, 2.S
percent. and the Northwestern 3h pei