Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1907-02-16
Legislators Keep the Companies
Guessing as to What May
Happen Next
HOLMES BILL is SWEEPING
Would Compel Greater Publicity as to
Railway Manasement-Hearirs on
Two-cent Fare Bill Concluded -
House Prevents Des Moines News
papers Digging Into State Treasury.
mes -Republican.


Des Moines. Feb. lift the blu Of
fered by Holmes, OF Kossuth, In the
house yesterday, passes and becomes a
law and the bill offered by Cottrell
passes and becomes law, the legisla-
ture will not hereafter lack for infor-
nation The Holmes bill especially
is destined TO attract some attention
at this session and is another prod un :
der the railroad corporations to cause
them to be responsive to the progress
i've ideas of the people.
The Holmes bill provides that the
railroads shall on or before July l, 1907
file with the auditor a detailed state
| ment of their business giving Informs
ton never heretofore asked OF them
and information that will assist the
I Legislature in getting at the real value
of the roads apart from all watered
stock.
| The bill recites that ii has been diff
| ficult to obtain reliable information as
| to the true value Of the railroads and
the railroad property and since such
| knowledge is very important to the
legislature in determining the adequate
passenger and freight rates for
that reason orders the roads to file in
formation giving the mileage, amount
of stock per mile and outstanding,
amount of stock outstanding every five
years beginning with 1856. the amount
of bonded Indebtedness July /, 1885,
1890. 1895 and 1900, the gross earnings,
both freight and passenger. the esti-
mated value Of the road and all Its
property.
The executive council and railroad
commission are furthermore given au-
thority to call upon the railroads for
any information concerning them and
the refusal of any railroad to furnish
the information makes them liable to
fine of $3.50 day.
The hearing of the senate committee
on railroads on the 2-cent fare bill was
concluded Friday evening, with an adj
dress by Judge Cook, upon the broad
questions involved. He referred espec-
tally to the political phases of the
question. and like others who preceded
him. denied there had been any decis-
ion by the people of the question. He
stated that he had done all in his
power to prevent political considera-
ton of the matter, and no one could
regret more than he that railroad
questions. which are entirely OF bus
mess nature, have been dragged into
politics. No matter who is responsible
for 1T. however, the question is here to
be disposed of. But he insisted that
even IL the people had voted for reduce
ton of rates, it was not incumbent on
the legislators to make the reduction.
He thought it probable that If a pro-
posal for a / cent mile rate had been
submitted to the people they would
have Endorsed it-but even then it
would be the duty Of legislators to deal
fairly with the business proposition
presented
Judge Kenyon, for the Illinois Cen
trail, made plea for inaction. He in
sisted with much force and strong
show of figures that reduction in the
passenger rate would cause great
loss 10 the railroads and would bring
about deficit annually In the earn
ings of the Illinois Central in Iowa.
Judge Carr also spoke upon the
proposition in line with others. Harry
Polk, representing the interurbans out
of Des Moines, spoke in opposition to
the BILL and insisted that the extern
sions contemplated could not be made
IL the bill passes because capital can
not be got to go on with the work.
The house again vindicated Its repu-
tation for economy yesterday when 1t
defeated the bill raising the rate to be
paid to newspapers for printing laws
with emergency clauses to them. The
into effect the Fourth of July following
the session but If deemed Of special inn
portance the legislature can provide for
their taking effect earlier by having
them printed in two newspapers. Us
ually they are ordered printed in two
of the Des Moines papers. The
names Of the papers are given in the
bill. Last year the two papers re-
fused at first to print the bills, having
previously informed the legislature that
the price paid was not enough. The
senate. this session passed a bill in
creasing the rate. The house yester-
day defeated the bill and then refused
to reconsider the measure which kills
it for good. Unless the legislature now
provides some other means for the laws
already passed being published in other
newspapers in case the two mentioned
refuse to print them, the bills deemed
Of special Importance will not go into
effect till July 4. 1t is possible that
some provision may be made to cover
the matter. The price paid for printing
the laws was established by the legis-
lature many years ago when the circu-
lation Of the Des Moines papers was
small and the price then was adequate.
1t is only fair to say that the price Is
now not adequate or reasonable as
judged by what the papers receive
from other legal publications and
judged in the light of their increased
circulation making the cost greater.
I. 8. G. soclETlEssMEET.