Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1910-12-06
Board Estimates Two-Cent Fare Helps
People Two Millions Year
BENEFIT OF FREIGHT " MUM
Three Quarter of Million D
Annum from Act. : =
LITTLE RAIL LEGISLATION NE.
Minimum Train Crew Law and
tos Teleph0ne Connection Act said
To Have Been Faithfully
Obeyed During Years.

LINCOLN. Dec 5-(special)-The maxi
mum freight rate law and the 2-cent pas
senCer rate law have saved the state S5O.OOO
per annum in reduced freight rates and
100000 per annum In reduced passenger
rates while it is in court being fought by
the companies.
This Is the estimate Of the Nebraska
state Railway commission I'm It's biennial
report Co Governor Shailenborger, submitted
today.
Railroad legislation Of the last session is
discussed In it's effects The minimum
train crew law is said to have been obeyed
10 the letter, as also the Bartos act COM
pelHng connections IN depots of telephone
services OF rival companies.
The same cannot be said, argues the com
mission, for the Randall act 20 prohibit
drinking ON trains. This act, 1t says has
been openly aud notorOusy violated and
the commission has been powerless. II
asks that this act be either amended as
to the penalty inflicted for violations or re-
pealtd altogether. The commission declares
the law a dead letter.
The report treats exhaustivey of re-
quiz ed amendments TO present laws, saying,
however that the need for railway legis-
la,ion is not Imperative 1t would have the
commission act changed so as to require
appeals from It's findings to be made with
IN a reasonable time and no new evidence
to be introduced, It would extend the con-
missions powers to Include the awarding
OF reparat on I'm cases where ! ates are found
TO be exce5tive or discriminatory. 1t reeOm-
mends the creation Of the office Of pdDiic
weighmaster giving the commission con-
trot over him; provision for the punishment
of any shipper guilty OF false billlng OF
goods correction OF the Joker In tho anti
pass law which by changing the word or
TO "and compels the commission to prove
the use az well a. possession Of pass TO
include other Industries as well as elevators
in tho Equal Facilities" act so they may
secure sidetraek rights; amendment of
the Banning act to give the commission
control over demurrage cases.
During the last year the COMMISSION has
recti ived die Informal complaints has salts
fled l9j OF these. found no cause OF action
IN 1Os and dismissed many others on VAN
Gus grounds. The total expense OF the
commission during the year 1910 has boen
siLs7b l8. OF which &9s2BO has been received
as fees. The expense OF the next biennum
a. estimated at $4,000 for commls sioneFs
salaries. s2e,55O for office help, and 5000
for general expenditures
This is the second biennial report OF the
commission to the governor. II Is
voluminous document, covering more thar
forty pages OF typewritten matter The
reports from all state institutions Will b'
coming in rapidly now, as the governor
uses them more or less in his message tC
the legislature
The cmomission heartily approves th'
Pool act. or rather the shallenberger act o.
the last legislature, which gives It con
troll over the Issuance OF stocks and bonds
by public service corporations II reports
that iS3 applications have been made to 1t
that the applications covered issues o.
SllA. 500 $50, and that Of this amount ap
provai had been given to Ss952,5oo. II II
pointed out that while most Of the contem
plated issues have been eminently Just
enough Of them were OF questionable ma
ture to justify the taking Of the commits
sion's time to a considerable extent