The Richmond palladium. (Richmond, Ind.) 1906-1907, 1907-01-30
He Stood for a Flat Two Cent
Fare and Swung Senate
Over to His Side.
BATTLED ALL DAY LONG
THE BILL HAS BEEN ADVANCED
TO ENDORSEMENT AND WILL
RE CALLED lip FOR PASSAGE
ON THURSDAY.
(By Demas S. Coe.)

indianapolis. Ind, Jan. 29.-Sepato
Kirkman was in the center of tn
lime light in the Legislature today
Springing without previous notice, al
q 1endment TO the Bland 2-cent far'
bin, which in effect provided that the
rate should be cents flat. withou
regard TO whether a ticket is purchas
ed or fare paid on the train, the
Wayne county senator was in tht
midst of fight that lasted from 1875
this morning to 3:15 this afternoon
and what is more interesting, Senato
Kirkman won hands down.
The railroad committee a few days
ago reported in favor of the Blanc
cent bill, picking it out from among
the eight similar measures introduced
in the senate. lt had been generally
regarded certain that the provision
fixing a penalty of one-half cent a
mile if cash fare was paid, would re-
main in the bill and few protests were
heard among the members. The rail-
roads had claimed that they wanted
the extra half cent provision to throw
a scare at the patrons so that they
would always buy tickets and thus re-
Iieve the conductor of part of his
burdens and give him most of his time
for attending to the duties of running
the train.
This morning Senator Bland called
up his bill on second reading. Sen
ator Kirkman whose seat is Just "
front of Bland, sent forward an
amendment within a seconds time.
The amendment provided for the
striking out of the clause that de-
clared that the rate OH trains should
be 81. cents a mile. That started
the oratory and ii flowed without in-
terruption for one hour and half.
Senator Kirkman in vigorous speech
declared that the people of the state
wanted a flat two cent rate and that
they did not want two cent rate
with trimmings" The senator from
Wayne said there was no good rea-
son for charging man who bought
ticket two cents a mile but If he did
not buy a ticket, charging him two
and one half cents a mile. Senators
Thomas Moore, Hawkins, Kimbrough,
King. Cox Slack and others sided
with Kirkman, while Bland, the auth
or of the bill. and Senator Carl Wood
led the opposition. Senator Roemler
of Indianapolis said that though he
favored the Kirkman amendment in
general way, he feared that it would
endaneer the bill later and he there
fore offered an amendment which
proposed compromise between the
fiat rate of two cents and the two and
one half cent cash rate on trains.
The Roemler amendment to Kirk
mans amendment provided that when
q cash fare was paid on a train the
penalty for not buying ticket should
be 10 cents for any distance travelled.
1t further provided that the passen-
ger should receive from the conductor
a rebate slip which he could cash
with any ticket agent. which would
regain him the 10 cents. This precipi- /
tated further discussion and the SEN |
ate adjourned at noon leaving both |
amendments hanging fire. For more |
than an hour this afternoon the fight |
waged, Senator Kirkman being assist |
ed by Senators Slack and Kimbrough I
in the oratorical efforts. The amend I
ment by Roemler was first killed by I
so to- IL and then kirkman's amend |
ment. providing a flat two cent rate, /
was adopted by a vote of % to II. +
The bill was then advanced to en- f
grossment and will come up on Thurs
day probably, unless Senator Bland
should decline TO call it up. The rail-
road people are not particularly pleas
ed and there are some members of
the senate who believe that the meas
ure is now in danger of being defeat
ed. There will be an effort made
when the bill comes up for third
reading aud passage TO cmbody an
which Will place a penalty
thereon. but ii likely Will not be toll
Grated in the senate, today's vote be-
ing a fairly good test. In the house
however there is chance for the
people to impress on the
members the reasons why they ask a
penalty clause Senator kistier am
ended the Bland bin SO as 10 provide
that baggage to the amount OF $50
pounds shall be carried without extra
charge. There was little or no oh
lection offered to the amendment and
it was tackled on.
Both house and ue uansacrea
considerable routine business today
est there was nothing IA either
branch that was rs important as the
railroad fare bill in the senate The
Hawkins antitrust bill whicb was te
have been considered under a spec
al order by the senate this afternoon
was advanced 20 ereroesment WITHOUT
The venuhlicans af the
senate held caueus at noon today
ard decided that there ~1pst b anti
rust legislation Fnnr bills we've dis
by Hawkins. Kirkman,
Ifues and Cavins. AS the Hawkins
bills is by long odds the broadest in