The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1907-01-21
Kimbrough Fires First Gun
in What Will Be Big
Railroad Fight.
BILL FOR MORE POWER
Commission Now Sinecure Would
Be Clothed With Real
Authority
6speIcal to Lake County IIme.)

Indianapolis. Ind, Jan 1S-A bill
that will make the railroad commission
what it is commonly supposed to be
but is not. was introduced into The
senate today by Senator Kimbrough
The gtate railroad commission ia
supposed to have powers superior to
the railroads it attempts to regulate
As matter of fact, recent workings
of the present law have shown that II
has practically no effective power
over the railroads
The bill introduced today by Senator
Kimbrough, is aimed to remedy this
defect In the present laws. 1t ia the
shippers bill. the one indorsed by the
various shipping bodies over the state
and by commercial and shipping bodies
In the leading cities.
This bill touches mainly questions
relative to the handling of cars, ques-
tions of car shortage, demurrage, etc.
Prominent among its stringent pro-
visions is one that would enable the
commission to place a railroad in the
hands of a receiver, in case such a
road refused or falls to obey the COM
missions order. IL this provision il
made, such a situation as arose at
TerTe Haute over the Southern Big
Four coal, trouble would be obviated
Under this bill the commission would
have been able to appoint a receiver
for the Southern road, because of It's
failure to turn over cars to the Big
Four. This receiver, under the bill
has the authority to operate the road
under the Jurisdiction of the commits
sion, issue receiver certificates to pay
all bills. hNshp new equipment, etc.
which certificates are TO be the first
lien on the assets or the road. This
perhaps is the strongest section of the
bill.
Tt provides. also, for reciprocal de-
murrage. and is aimed to facilitate the
movement of cars. Excepting termi-
nal points freight has to move at
least fifty miles a day. under the bill
Twenty four hours is given the rail-
roads to get the freight out of terminal
yards.
The consignee of goods is given
forty eight hours in which to unload
his cars. After that time has expired
the old charge of 50 day is to OBJ
tain. If, however, the consignee had
unload the car within the first twenty
four hours he is to receive 81.
Another phase of this reciprocal de-
murrage bill is that railroads are to
pay possible consigners SIS g day for
every day that the cars are delayed
after forty eight hours.
In case of car shortage, the carriers
are to be required to pro rate their
cars and equipment out to the different
carriers without discrimination, and
without any distinction as to competi-
tive and on-competitive points.
This bill will probably cause one of
the hardest fights in the legislature
In addition to this bill, it is supposed
that the railroad commission will have
a bill of its own, that will have for its
purpose the further engagements
of the powers OF the commission along
general lines.
The insurance lobby got very busy
yesterday when the Babcock insurance
bill was discussed informally in the
house committee. A delegation of
seventy five insurance men, headed by
two of the directors of the State Life,
Charles E. Coffin and Samuel Quinn,
stormed into the committee room and
demanded that they be given a public
hearing. Chairman Elliot of the in
surance committee told them that the
committee had no other intention A
meeting was arranged for next Mon
day night, but this meeting may be
postponed until the latter part of the
week.
Opposition is springing up to the
bill of Senator Will Wood to allow the
city and town councils to have con-
troll over the budget of the school
boards.
Innocent enough in the reading.
those opposed say that this Will open
the whole question of bringing politics
into the school question. The city and
town councils are made up on partisan
lines. OF course. and any question of
expenditure might very easily de-
generate into a party matter All
phases Of school work. being depend
ent upon the purse strings, would get
into politics.
INSURANCE. COMPANY MOVES