Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1907-07-17
NEARLY ALL ROADS Affected
They Will Not Make a Fight on
the New Rate Until Ii Is
Tried for Awhile.
Governor Signs Bill Apqropriating
100000 for Soldiers Nfonu-
ment at Vicksburg-Insur-
ance Regulation Bills.

sage or q tWo-cent passenger fare bill.
after once being defeated in the sen
ate because of the announcements of
the Western Passenger association
that on July 10 they would make a
reduction in passenger rates for inter-
state trips fl Illinois, Minnesota. Iowa
and Missouri on the two-cent bass.
but discriminating against Wisconsin.
was the most significant scene vet en-
acted in the legislature
Almost half of the members had re-
turned to their homes expecting that
the question of a two-cent fare was
dead The Wednesday morning pa
pers last week contained the an
nouncement of the reduction in the
other states, except Wisconsin. Thi ;
caused a storm of protest and as soon
as the senate convened Senator Wri- hi
introduced a resolution, which PAS e l.
requesting the assembly to return the
Turner twO-cent fare bill, which it hid
killed two weeks before, after hav.n :
sailed through the assembly with a
safe margin.
Senate Passes Drastic Bill.
The measure as returned provided
for twO-cent rate on all roads earn
ing $1,000 gross per mile. An amt nd
! ment was t !1c2rp2Egtsd cEg tttIEp.g G9wn
the earning amount to $500. which
will take In nearly all the roads In
Wisconsin. The bill passed by 4 vote
of Is to 10.
But a second fight was al eady
awaiting it in the assembly. J. p.
Peterson, of Polk county, asked that
the bill be killed, which was refused
by vote of a to 81 Then an amend
ment was adopted prohibiting the
charging of more than cents a nile
when the passenger purchases his
ticket of the conductor. The bill was
finally passed and was sent to the
Governor Friday morning.
Governor Will Sign Bill.
The governor will sign the two-cent
fare bill passed by the legislature and
on Aug. 10, unless restrained by I'm
junction, it will go into effect.
This seems certain owing to thu
fact that his private secretary, Colonel
%. G. Munson, of Viroqua, who is also
a senator, made the fight In favor of
this legislation. This would indicate
that the governor had already con-
sented to the passage of the bill and
will sign it on the first opportunity.
1t was reported from the enrolling
room today and is now before the
governor.
TwO-Cent Sure to Come.
A two-cent rate was to be estab-
lished in the state within the next
three months at any rate, accord ng
to the interview Assemblyman 1. NJ.
Ingram recently had with the rate
commission. The voluntary announce
ment of the Burlington road that it
would reduce its passenger charges to
two cents on all of its lines has led
the commission to the belief that it
was only a question of a few days
when other roads would fall into
line.
Some of the members of the IegisIa,
ture showed considerable tint lily in
claimed they were in favor of 4 two
cent rate, voted against it, because
they believed the rate commiss o
would Immediately resign as the re
suit of the activity of the legislature.
The more conservative men interested
| in legislation. however, are of the
opinion that the commission will not
f0I Nf 70
suit, but merely attribute it to charged
conditions since the two and one-half
cent rate was ordered, and the result
Of 4 popular demand which is now
sweeping the country.
May Not Fight Reduction.
Although there are some half dozen
of railroad attorneys in Madison. no
one of them has received Informal
ton from their road that the rate will
be contested in Wisconsin courts. Ii
fact one Of the men saiu he believed
the larger roads would prefer to sea
the plan operate for few months
and then determine whether the re-
duction made by the states was too
much.
An interesting feature of the fight
was that with the exception of the
Democrats the other part eS were d
vided. The so-cal!ed stalwart wing Of
the party was split, the more radical
pushing the measure through, while
In the half breed camp Ingram was
fighting for the passage of the meas
ure and Speaker Ekern was asking
that ii be defeated
Favors Soldiers Monument.
Governor Davidson has signed the
bill appropriating 100000 for the
erection of soldiers monument at
Vicksburg. Senator Bird of the senate
and Assemblymen Ties and McGI eg)r