The Sauk Centre herald., 1909-01-14
LEGISLATIVE TIPS
HeraId's Special Correspondent
Gives a Few
AMONGTHfLAWMAkERS
interests of All Kinds Are at Work
to Secure What They Want From
the SOlOnS

81. fAOL, Jan. lo-1L 10 ny ~
means to the discredit of the govern
or's political acumen and derogates
not at all from his devotion to the in
terests- of the state that he should
take measures to secure the embody-
ing by the legislature of the reforms
he proposes in his message in statu-
tory form, and that in doing so the
party to which he belongs should get
as much credit as It can. This is
what l take it the introduction by
Senator eastman of two administra-
ton railroad bills means. One of
these provides for the re-enactment
of the rate legislation of two years
ago without the penalizing clauses
which the supreme court of the Unit
ed States declared in the Young de-
cision to be obnoxious to the con-
stitution. The other provides for the
excision of the penal clause by
amendment. The two bills are con-
sidered necessary to meet the situa-
tion, the first one in case the OBJ
jectionable clauses vitiate the entire
law, and the second to cut them out
in case the rest of the law is good as
it stands. A curious circumstance is
that at the time Senator eastman in
troduced these bills he also introduc-
ed one providing for the perpetuation
Of the state board of equalization
which is understood not to be admin
istration policy. IL Is not improbable
that there was design in this and
that in the inner counsels of the DEM
ocratic party, it was decreed to be
polite for Senator eastman to appear
to act independently of official in
struction. Whatever the fact there
are harder things to do than to see
through the hole in the grindstone.
Senator eastman has also introduc-
ed his distance tariff bill, which is an
an exact copy of the law which has
been in force in Iowa for the past
twenty years and also bill for joint
freight rate, and at the option of
slippers for continuous transportation
without unloading over two or more
lines. Senator Fosseen has intro
duced bill making the gross earnings
tax payable semi-anpualiy instead Of
annually as recommended by the state
treasurer and public examiner in their
reports. Senator Clague has a bill
establishing the size of train crews
and making it unlawful to move trains
without the full complement. A bill
to increase the gross earnings tax on
railroads to six per cent has been
introduced by Representative Spoon
er and to five per cent by Represen-
tatiye Robertson OF Argyle. These
ADDED to minor measures aren't so
bad for beginning and add to the
interest of an agitation for a reform
which is >now taking shape.
1t is well known that for some
years past the railroad commission
has had all to do in supervising steam
railroads that it could handle. 1t has
even been intimated in some quarters
that it has been unequal to the duties
imposed on it. However, that may be.
1t is unquestionable that to supervise
all the operations of the various rail-
roads in the state, to secure prompt
and satisfactory settlement of all dis
putes between shippers and carriers,
and to investigate and remedy grew
ances relating to transportation COM
planned of would tax the capacity of
any three men who could be selected
in the state. Recently the supervision
Continued on. Page 4