Camas Prairie chronicle. [volume] (Cottonwood, Idaho) 1901-1917, 1907-03-15
ADMINISTRATIVE
TO GET EVEN With NEBRASKA
FOR REDUCING FARES.
1t Is Said All the Railroads Will Con.
test the Two Cent Passenger Fare
Rate Law Passed by That State
Agents Instructed to Abolish All Cut
Rates Usually Extended,

1t is authOratlVely announced IN
private report of official character from
Chicago that the railroads of Nebraska
will contest the 2-cent passenger fare
law which the legislature enacted a
week ago and the governor signed last
Wednesday at midnight, placing it IN
effect at once.
The roads are now preparing to
carry the case to the courts and there
make a vigorous contest to determine
the validity of the new law.
When the law was enacted it car
ried an emergency clause which pro.
vided for its operation upon it's being
signed by the governor or within five
days without his signature. The gov
ernor, George L. Sheldon, though elect
ed by the republicans upon a socalled
anti-railroad platform last fall, on the
stump during the campaign advocated
a graduated scale of fares, rather than
a fiat 2-cent law, believing the latter
would be confscatory in many cases
on small or branch roads. So when the
legislature passed the bill providing
don hesitated to sign the bill, thinking
to be consistent with his prediction
course. But when he considered that
without his signature the law, which
the people demanded, might be uncon.
stitutional owing to the wording Of
the emergency clause, he decided to
sign it rather than place himself in
the way of what the majority of the
legislature had deemed a wise meas
ure.
The railroads, however, contend that
the governor did not relinquish his
former conviction as to the unfairness
of such a measure and that he and
prominent members of the legislature
elected on anti-railroad platforms,
even now question the validity of the
law, primarily on the grounds, as he
advocated in his campaign speeches,
that it is cOnfscatory.
The railroads will proceed with their
contest as soon as they array their
forces and complete their plans of
campaign.
In retaliation for adverse legislation,
eliminating in the passage of the 2
cent mile passenger fare bill passed
by the Nebraska legislature, the Ne
braska railroads, including the Union
Pacific, Burlington, Northwestern, Mis-
souri, Pacific, Rock Island and Great
Northern have issued circulars abso-
lutely abolishing all classes of re-
duced fares. Under the head of "spe-
cial instructions" the circular says:
Agents must not honor clergy per
mits, reduced rate orders, orders or
instructions for rates for disabled vol
unteer soldiers, orders for charitable
rates, or any other form of a reduced
rate order, whether for a state or in
terstate journey in any portion of Ne
braska.
"All excursion rates, one way or
round trip, whether on excursion or
certificate plan, at present authorized
for conventions, assemblies, events,
ETC., hOmeseekers' excursion rates,
one way settlers rates, reduced the
atrical or party rates, Communication
rates or any other special rates, either
one way or round trip, applying be-
tween two points, both of which are
in the state of Nebraska, are hereby
cancelled"
The circular concludes by calling at
tention that it is the purpose to make
the 2-cent rate the only possible rate
TO apply on Nebraska passenger fares.