The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1907-03-21
ANTI.RAILR0AD FEVER
a SPORADIC IN CHARACTER
New England Section Con
tinues Under Complete
Domination OF Railroads

lnr AsaocIated Press.l

Ni1J hRAItAAt'h = ANP'fJ
Chicago. H.. March 21-E. H. Har
riman, President sticlsney of the Chl
cago GFeat Western and other proml
nent railroad executives are quoted
as saying that they would prefer that
their roads be brought under the con
troll of congress rather than to be
subject TO the legislation of the sev
eral states II needs but a glance at
the list of anti-railroad measures
passed in the various states during
the last six months or SO to show that
there is good reason for this prefer
ence on the part of the railroad offi.
cials. Congress, in response TO the
popular agitation, commenced the cru
SADIE Tor legislation of railroads two.
years ago. but il is doubtful II even
the most farseeing statesman dream
cd then of the lengths to which the
crusade would be pushed by the
states.
The fever for anti-railroad legisla,
tlon by the states seems to have been
sporadic in character New England
has been comparatively free from 1t.
although no section of the country
has better reason to complain OF the
domination OF railroad combines. New
York has been busy regulating the IN
surance companies and other big cor
porations and as yet has not had time
to give n great deal of attention to
the railroads. New Jersey and Dell-
ware have not bothered the roads TO
any extent, but Pennsylvania started
an investigation that stirred things up
and Ohio followed suit by striking ;he
first successful blow for the 2-cent
| fare
But 1t is In this section of the coua
| try, IN the Mississippi valley and the
| prairie states. that the anticorporation
fever has manifested itself in its most
| yirulent form A wave of anti-rail-
road Legislation has swept like a prairie
| IRE from North Dakota TO Texas.
| rhe most popular forms OF legislation
we're two cents-a-mile fare bills and
| bills authorizing state commissions to
| regulate rates and railroad affairs gen
orally A number of states passed
| such laws a. the sessions now draw.
Ing to close, or just ended, and in
| many other states agitation began
which promises lively times at the
| next sessions.
Nebraska passed two-cent-fare
| bill and then gave its attention 20 q
| terminal taxation measure. a bill re-
| d0Cing Pullman rates one-third, and
| other drastic anfi-railroad legislation.
i Kansas passed q two-cent-fare bill
| providing for 500. 900 and 1000 mile
| age books. the 2 000.mile books to be
| interchangeable, Indiana also en-
| acted two.cent-fare act North Da'
ko'a and South Dakota passed a mum
| her OF antkrailroad bills including two
cent mileage books and two and one
halle Hat fare.
In the Southern states there has
been a great deal of recent legislation
| adverse to the railroads, The Ala
| bama legislature used a particularly
sharp stick. fixing rates on more than
hundred articles of freight. making
| sweeping reductions from existiDe
tariffs. providing for reciprocal demur
rage and redIlcing passenger fares e
two and one-half cents mile. The
activities OF the Alabama Legislature
Ia this direction were heartily support
ed and more or less directed by Gov
ern0r b. d Conner. who was elected e
Office on an antiraihoad platform.
The anti-railroad fever left tbs
Rocky mountin states almost i'm
mune. bur showed rself ia nearly al
the states on The Pacific slope. Wyom
ing, Colorado and Utah declined e
enter the autirailroad crusade, Colo
RADIO passed a few harmless measures
and Montana onfented herself will
providing for a railroad commission
California was moderate IN its de
mands on the rairoads bnt Oregon
pasted a comprehensive law empower
ing The state commission to reguiats
rates. providing for reciprocal demur
rage aud giving general restrictiy,
control Of the railroads. Washington
has been hot on the trail of the rail
roads for a long time and Nevada nov
has q railroad commission with broaa
powers OF regulation.