Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1909-03-02
PASSENGER RATE
BILL PASSES
Fare to Be Three
Cents a
Mile
MUCH ELOQUENct ON TAP
Speaker Miera's Most Power.
full Address Of Session.
Vehement Debate.

Without doubt, the most eloquent
address thus far delivered in the
House or in the Council, of the Thirty
eighth legislative assembly, was that
of Speaker E. A. Miera late yesterday
afternoon in defense of the railroad
rate bill, fixing the maximum charge
for passengers between local points
in New Mexico at three cents a mile.
Mr. Miera not only has a wonderful
command of language but his earnest
ness and vehemence carry his hearers
with him and the house and galleries
were so impressed that they forgot
all .decorum and applauded vigorously.
Mr.. Miera said that there is no doubt
that the bill under consideration was
important legislation; that it reduces
cent for every mile the transporta-
tion charges for the poor. Every man
who is the possessOr of $75 can now
buy a 3,00O-mile ticket, at the rate
of two and a half cents mile, and
why should this privilege be denied
the poor people? Mr.. Miera said that
he was not there to defend any COR
poration that he might be represent
ing in legal practice but there to de-
fend the rights Of the common people.
"We are here to represent the people
of New Mexico not the railroad COM
panies. l would rather be elected by
the common people than be favored
by the railroad companies that are
the leeches of the commonwealth.
There are states that have two-cent
a mile passenger rate and there such
laws have stood the test of the courts,
and yet, the railroads are still doing
business and are respecting the peo-
pie of such commonwealth the more
for insisting upon their rights. ] ap-
peal to every one OF yOlls except the
attorneys paid by railroads, the en-
ployes of railroads and the railroad
magnates to enact a law that is of
real use to the people, Great ap-
plause.)
Baker said the the address Of the
Hon. Speaker was the echo of the out
cries of long suffering people for re-
lief from railroad oppression. Cover
nor Curry has sounded warning
note IN calling upon the legislature to
provide for railroad commission and
that in response he hadh drafted such
a law and submitted it to the COVER
nor who was in sympathy with it..
But Baker had to agree with Roberts
when the latter stated the law cor
rectly and explained that the three
centrate bill as it was before the
House is contrary to the provisions OF
the Interstate Commerce Act and that
he (Baker) would not knowingly vote
for law that can not be enforced.
Moffat asserted that the trunk lines
take advantage of the fact that a few
of the short local lines in New Mex
leo are compelled to charge a high
rate for carrying passengers, and the
trunk lines therein find an excuse for
milking the public. That If tie rro-
posed act is contrary to the in,er-
state commerce law congress may
nevertheless approve it and thus re-
lieve the people Of the territory to
that extent If Congress did not rat
ify the act, then no harm is done by
passing it, for the courts would sim
ply annul it and that would be the end
of it.
Melquiades Chavez took a spirited
fall-out with railroad attorneys in gen
eral and the representative from Col
fax county in particular which brought
Roberts to his feet with the statement
that never III his life had he (Rob
.erts) received a cent OF compensation
from any railroad company, and thai
the passage Of the act would not af
feet the earnings of the little eight
mile road from Ration to Yankee, Col
fax county, which carried no more
than a score or so of passengers &
year that short distance and which
Judge Northcutt, of Trinidad, Colo.
business partner Of Mr.. Roberts, Is
the legal adviser. He said that his
motive for opposing the bill was that
1t is unconstitutional and Illegal; thai
it Is radical and it's passage would
create the impression that the people
of New Mexico are railroad and cor
poration baiters; that the true friends
of the people are those who woult
vote against the bill and that the
legislature can not afford, Just at this
time, when the eyes OF Congress ant
the entire nation are upon 1t, to make
mistake Of this kind. He explained
that atsthe behest Of the members q
the House he had drafted railroad
commission bill, now in the hands O
the attorney general, which woult
give the people Of New Mexico thu
4.