The Tupelo journal., 1908-03-27
IMPORTANT MEASURES
OF LAST LEGISLATURE
Laws Changing Public Service Cor
porations, Privileges and Duties
Put on Statute Books.

| j
journed, among the following:
To prevent foreign public SER
vice corporations Corporations
chartered by the laws of other
states or foreign countries) such
as railroad, telegraph, telephone,
express, sleeping-car and elec-
trio railway companies, from re-
So ting to the federal courts in
any litigation for or against
them in this state. Heretofore
such corporations when sued for
$4,000. 90 or more in the courts
of this state, had the right to
remove to the federal court, and
thence to the circuit court of ap-
peals at New Orleans, and under
certain circumstances, from that
court to the supreme court of
the United States, and on the
other hand they had the right to
bring such suits against cit
liens of this state in the federal
courts, which when brought
would take the same course as
those brought against such cor
porations and by them removed
to the federal courts. If this
law is upheld by the supreme
court of the Uuited States, these
corporations will be forced to
fight out their lawsuits in the
courts of this state as any cit
izen or domestic corporation is
required to do, and cannot reach
the federal courts, except the
supreme court of the United
States, by appeal from the su-
preme court of the. state. Sen
ator T nderson from this dis
trict is the author of this bill:
A law to require railroad COM
panies to settle for lost or dam
aged freight within sixty days
after claim is made, when it has
passed over one line of road, and
within ninety days after claim,
when over two or more lines;
and imposing a penalty of $685.
90 as well, as actual damages,
for failure to so settle:
A law to abolish what is known
as the fellow servant rule" as
to railroad companies. This was
a common-law rule which prohib-
tied an employe of railroad
company from recovering dam
ages from the company for a
personal injury received while
in the performance of his du-
ties, through the negligence of a
co-employe. 1t is a rule of law
which has been in force for CEN
turies. 1t was modified in part
by the constitution of 1890. This
act abolishes the rule as to all
employees of railroad companies.
Senator Potter from Kinds in
troduced the bill, but he and
Senator Anderson drew the
committee substitute which be
came law:
A law to establish state de-
positories for state funds, which
provides for a depository in each
county where there is a bank
which will qualify by putting
with the state treasur er u. S.
state, levee district, county,
municipal city, or surety COM
pany bonds, as security, in
amount 10 per cent in excess of
the amount to bedeposited. Under
the operation of this law all the
state taxes collected in each
county where there is state de-
pository, will remain in the
county where collected, and be
lent out to the people, until
needed for state purposes. SEN
ator Potter of Kinds is the au-
thor of this bill as originally in
troduced. It was amended in
its passage, and it is thought by
some not improved by such
amendments. About $50, 900 of
state funds will be retained an
nually in this county and will be
paid out on warrants drawn by
the state auditor:
| A law amending the anti
trust laws so as to prohibit any
person, firm or corporation do
ing business in this state,
to SELF Or offAr IN ctms