The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1907-04-17
LOW RATE BILL IS
DEEPLY IN DOUBT
ILLINOIS LEGISLATORS MAY PUT
MATTER UP TO RAILROAD
COMMISSION.
ROADS LOBBY EFFECTIVE
In Causing Law Makers TO Back
Down to Certain Extent BE-
cause Of Hint That Ser.
vice viii be curtai,ed.


Springfield, M. April lGsrAa d way
out Of the passenger rate difficulty iii
which the legisla urc finds Itself, it IS
proposed 10 Introduce In the senate a
Joint resolution requesting the rail.
lroad and warehouse commission I'D
take up the investigation Of railroad
rates with view to determining ON
reasonable and fair reduction. RI this
course be adopted the rate bills will
bc killed
The resolution has been drawn, but
may not be presented in conference
this week The fact that the senate
has held AL rate bills on the second
reading for several weeks without
touching them is sufficient evidence
in itself that the upper house finds
itself in a dilemma
Ever since the biz lobby Of railroad
presidents and vice presidents cane
to Springfield and talked against rate
reduction and reciprocal demurrage
the legislature has been irres9lute as
to what course 10 pursue. The agfta-
tion for cent fare which WAS spread
ing over the country at the time thc
house railroad committee produced
It's fiat reduction BILL has dropped
into the backgi ound Legislatures In
states where the agitation was tho
strongest have passed cent bills ami
have adjourned or are about to ad-
journ.
Legislators In Doubt.
In the senate no difficulty has BEEN
experienced In holding up this hunss
bill, and now legislators are wonder
ing whether or not they are ON the
right track. Leaders In both houses
|slislike III kill their rate bills. ha-
cause they think ttax III sioing M
they woiiid be plpyins into Gov. DE-
|neen's hands
This is practically the only oh
stacle in the way Of a substitution Of
tho proposed joint resolution in placc
Iof the rate bills now pending III the
senate. The legislature Is reluctant
to hand the question over to the rail-
road and warehouse commission for
fear that credit for such reduction as
might result would 90 entirely to the
administrative branch of the govern
ment. leaving none for the leg slatiye.
The relations of the governor TO the
legislature are little more friendly
than they were month ago. bnt,
nevertheless. the spirit OF cordigiiiy
is nowhere near the stage which
might be called enthusiastic. and the
general assembly certainly would
hate TO give the governor any cam
palgn ammunition If II could avoid
doing SO.
On the other hand It has been con.
sldered that IL the legislature passed
joint resolution authorizing. re
questing. or ordering the railroad
commission 10 investigate and deter
mine a fair passenger rate the appear
ance would be that the reduction
came as a result of legislative action.
The railroads themselves prefer that
the legislature forget that they are
on earth, but as a choice between The
two evils they prefer that this pro-
posed joint resolution should be
passed rather than the cent law be
enacted and the day has not been
reached vet when railroad prefer
ence carries no weight whatever in
the Illinois legislature.
Fear Effect On Service.
Aside from what Influences rail
road may exert members OF the as
sembly are wondering seriously whc-
ther they know exactly what they are
about in proposing a lat cent rate.
Thy are not afraid chiefly that the
law would be contested In the courts
aud knocked out They fear the PCS
sible effect that IL might have on ths
passenger service of the roads. The
railroad lobby told the railroad com
missioners that there would be no at
tempt al reprisals II such law were
enacted. but that necessarily therc
would have TO be some pretty serious
changes made IN methods
In considering this joint resolution
as a substitute for the proposed rate
enactmenis the legislators know th-t
they would not be subjected 20 muci
criticism for their change iu Pian.
They arc pretty well convinced that
fhe people would he willing 10 have
rates fixed on a basis which the rail
read and warehouse conmissi'a
shoud find fair and reasonable
An investigation might result IN
the establishment Of a cent rate for
the more important roads Of the state
IN Wisconsin exactly his method q
procedure was followed. and the con-
mi- sion. after an exfeHded inquiry.
put n ~ cent rate In effect