Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1907-07-18

the assembly. where the message was
read amid cheers.
Message to Assembly.
At the opening of the morning ses-
sion of the senate, Senator Wright
made a motion that the rules be sus-
pended and the bill messaged to the
assembly. Senator Whitehead OBJ
jected to this proceeding. and Senator
Sanborn asked If tire Wright motion
was In order. President Conner ruled
that the motion was in order and by
vote of IL to 6 the senate messaged
the bill to the assembly
EIver Starts the Music.
The fight in the assembly started
just before noon when the measure
was received from the senate. Mr..
Elver started the racket by casting
some reflections on state employees,
who, he claimed, had lobbied He
also called attention to the procedure
followed by self-appointed commit
! tee which he said had interviewed
the commission to learn what 1t want
T, ed Mr.. Ledvina fiared up at the in
situations and called for more def
mite charges and the names of those
who had engaged in lobbying ON the
floor of the house Mr.. Ingram also
arose to explain that the self-appoint-
ed committee had spoken to the COM
mission but only to assure the COM
mission that the passage of the bill
was not to be construed as refiec-
tion upon the ability of the commits
sion.
I Assemblymau Everett made strong
plea for standing by the rate COM
mission He admitted that at previ-
Gus he had opposed the creation of
the commission but that he had
grown to admire that body and pre-
ferred to trust 1t to take proper action
at the proper time. He said the
action of the senate in forcing this
bill so late in the session was IRE
prehensible" and pitied the meI. who
felt thai they had to vote for the bill
to save their political scalps.
Assemblyman Norcross, too, COM
mended the commission and urged
that the assembly not to take action
without scientific basis. Instead, he
said, the commission ought to be re-
lied upon. He called attention to the
additional duties given the commits
sion by the public utilities law. with
what courage" asked Mr.. Norcross.
will that commission enter upon the
duty OF regulating public utilities
when they must feel continuously that
at any time the legislature may step
in and tell them to go to the devil
with their rates and fix the rates
. themselves"
Assemblyman Reynolds also OPP
posed passing a two-cent rate bill on
the ground that the commission had
been a credit to this state and could
be trusted to properly care for pas.
senger rates. He scored the advo-
. Gates of the bill as gang of credit
seeking politicians"
Assemblyman Sprague pointed out
that no matter how desirable or pop
ular two-cent fare may be, the pas
sage of this bill In the face of rate
commission created for the purpose of
regulating rates was wrong In prin-
ciple He pointed out that the state
had committed itself to system of
regulation by commission and ought
not now go back to the erroneous
principle of rate-making by legislative
enactment. The reason, he said, that
the senators interviewed the rate
commission after the bill passed the
senate was to apologize to the COM
mission for having pushed the bill
through.
New Data Discovered.
Mr. Burke of Brown county was the
first man to speak for the bill, at.
tempting to explain why he had
changed front and now favored the
passage of the bill. He justified the
passage OF the bill at this time on
the ground that large amount OF
new data had been accumulated since
the commission had rendered it's 2ls-
cent decision. He claimed that the
railroads could AFFORD to give two
cent fare and that recent develop
ments justified reduction. Oppor-
tune action by the legislature at this
time he thought could in no way be
. construed as a reflection on the rate
commission
Mr.. ingram also favored the bill,
pointing out that throughout the
northwest the railroads were showing
a disposition 10 voluntarily reduce
their passenger rates and that there
was nothing to hinder the legislature
from enforcing the lower fare 4. this
state He denied that the passage Of
! the bill would tend to discredit the
commission but, on the other hand,
would strengthen the commission by
impressing upon the corporations the
fact that they had to obey the spirit
as well as the letter OF the commits
sion's decisions.
Mr.. Mckenzie deplor.d the inten-
ton ON the part Of many OF the mem.
bers Of taking to themselves the cred
IL for having brought about a two-cent
fare In this state instead OF letting