Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1907-07-17
TW0-CENT RAILROAD FARE
WISCONSIN WILL HAVE THAT PRIV.
LEGE AFTER AUGUST 18TH.
That is, Unless the Courts Intervene
Legislature Passes Such Law Dur.
ing Its Closing Days.

Commencing August fifteenth, unless
the railroads appeal to the courts and
are granted injunetional restraint, Wis
consin will have inaugurated a two
cent per mile railroad passenger fare on
AL leading roads in the state. That
action was taken in both houses of the
legislature on Thursday last.
When the state railroad commission
made report to the legislature, in Feb
ruary, that in its judgment it was wisdom
to authorize the establishment of a two
and-a-half cent rate, the legislature and
and public accepted the order with COM
placency, entertaining as all did, and
still do. full faith in the integrity and
ability of the commission. And not
withstandng the fact that two-cent
bills we've pending in both houses of the
legislature, they were unfavorably acted
upon. 1t is not creditable to the rail-
roads that they failed to keep faith
with the legislature and the travelling
public, but instead, whether designedly
or not, matters little. The fairness
with which they were treated was not
reciprocated, and every person who at
tempted an interstate journey was
harrassed beyond endurance and three
cent fares have been uniformly exacted.
Within the past week, of their own
motion, the companies have established
interstate two-cent fares in all the
neighboring states. Why not in Wis
eonsin? Notwithstanding these facts
and conditions, an element in the state
is crying out against a two-cent rate,
asserting that the enactment of our
new law is reflection on the railroad
commission and discredits it's work and
will break its influence for effective
service. The statement is far-fetched
and without foundation. There has
been no purpose, in or out Of the legis-
| lature, to discledit or ambarrass the
commission. That body is composed of
able and just gentlemen-grown up
men-too big IL brains to sanction the
cry of the chattering newspapers that
they take offense at the new legislative
enactment, the two-cent law.
Concessions have been made to people
able to purchase 500 and 2, 600 mileage
books and other forms of reduced trans
portation until more than one-half of the
public is favored. Then why discrimi-
nate against the other half of our
citizens? Wisconsin has contended for
a two-cent fare these many years. All
parties in their convention platforms
have promised such legislation. We
are now in the procession with our sur
rounding sister states. Wisconsin has
been first in other corrective reforms.
The attempts of most of the Mil
waukee daily papers, editorially and
through their Madison correspondents.
to educate their readers that the new
railroad scheme is a cheap, petty
political scheme, calculate to dis
credit che railroad commission. " is a
tiabby piece of assumption and without
warrant. The statements are devoid of
truth or fact. Members of the legis-
lature of all political beliefs, recognizing
the justice of the situation, joined in
creating the new law. There was no
frenzied excitement, as the dailies
would lead their readers to believe.
The exigencies and developments of
changed conditions warranted the action
taken during the closing days of the
session. Members would have been
little less than recreant to their con-
stituencies il they had failed to act
when it was positively known that an