Fitzgerald enterprise. (Fitzgerald, Ga.) 1895-1912, 1908-07-21


samee. Fitzgerald Enterprise.
Wrong again A number of the members
of the Legislature are officers, attorneys or
physicians for the railroads, and these retain
their passes and come and go at will. One re-
suit of the anti-pass law is to make timpossibe
for any man not connected with railroad to
represent his county in either the house or
senate except at great personal sacrifice and
inconvenience. He must remain away from
his family and business for two months, or
spend more than he receives in salary Tor
board and railroad fare. Take Tiff county an
instance: 1t would cost our representative
$40 to come home on Saturday and return
Monday; he would pay in board, not less than
50 per day. making board and railroad fare
$22 per week. he receives for his weeks salary
1914 The anti pass ruling, instead of depriv-
ing the railroads of an advantage, gives their
represent ativesa great advantage over their
fellow members, and as we said before, makes
it almost impossible for any but railroad
man to represent his county.
Wrong as usual, John Dead wrong. The
Anti Pass ruling takes from the railroads the right
to bride legislator by the issuing of pass, as
was the case many years too long. 1t is quite
possible that under the present status the railroads
furnish large number of attorneys, physicians
and agents passes who really ought not to be en-
titled to free transportation as members OF the
Legislature. The law ought to be- and no doubt
will be perfected so to prevent the discrimina-
ton between railroad men and just common citizens
when they happen to be members of the Legisla-
ture or hold any othey official position. Because
a railroad man who happens to be member of
the Legislature rides free, is no reason why any
citizen who cannot use railroad passes should find
it ''almost impossible to represent his county "
If the pay of member is not adequate certainly
neither the railroads nor the Anti-Pass ruling can
be held responsible for the fact.
The Anti Pass law is all right far as it goes,
they cannot make it any too stringent for the
editor of this paper.
We believe that if the rule applied to every
member of the Legislature, whether he be railroad
employee or not that the sessions of the Legisa-
turc would be reduced some ten or twenty days.
It is fact that great deal of the time of the
members of the House and Senate has been con-
sumed in riding on free railroad transportation
and when we reach the tme as surely WILL
when no man shall have the privilege of free rail
road transportation it will not only remove me-
naclng influence, but expedite the states business.
fol Oh
Those confding but misguided citizens who
were led into believing that the overthrow of the
present ADMINISTRATION and the restoration of the
ring politicians was to bring about the millennium
as soon as the election was over have been rudely
awakened by the first use made by the railroads
of their moral support and the victims of this
renewed oppression are heapng upon their faith
less friends curses not loud but deep
A Month before the June primary concrete
evidence Of returning prosperity had begun to
appear in the number of idle cars which were
being placed in commission, and this movement
has continued until hundred thousand such cars
have been called into requistion by the demands
OF reviving trade and industry.
ar-seeing railroad men in the east have con-
sidered the question of freight rate increase and
interests it would be unwise.
But in the south, where the the railroads have
been given to understand that legitimate regulat-
ion and control has received a rebuke at the hands
of the people, the railroad representatives met
and decidee, just month after the election, to
make substantial increase i'll the rate on the
leading commodities which enter into daily con,
sumption.
1t should be borne in that this means an in
crease of from sixteen to forty dollars, according
to the commodity. on every carload of forty thous-
and pounds.
Above all it should be borne in mind that
the territory selected for this increase in rates IS
A