The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1910-05-03
SENATORS END
LONG CONTEST
Oefeat Woods Public Utilities
Bill By Vote Of 10 TO Y.
AUTHOR TO CONTINUE FIGHT

Announces That He Is Active Cand.
date For Seat In Upper Branch Of
Assembly Now Occupied by Frank
N. Patterson - Program Contains
Provision For Passage Of Langdon
Tax Commission Measure Before
Adjournment May 10.
Columbus, o., April 29.-By vote
Of 10 TO 22, the senate killed the
Woods public utilities bill as far as
this session of the Legislature is con-
cerned. The vote on the bill follows:
For Bader, Duval. Gotshall, John
son, Keller, Mathews, Phare, Rath-
burn, Futile and Williams-10.
Against: Alsdorf, Baker, Beatty,
Cameron, Cetone, Clevenger, Cory,
Crawford, Dean, Gillette, Huffman,
Kuhl, Lawyer, Mckee, Mahaffey,
Mather, Mooney, Patterson, Shaffer.
Thompson, Tod, Yount-22.
The bill, in the effort to secure its
passage in some shape, had been
amended by its friends until it did
little more than to extend the powers
of the present railroad commission
so it could protect the people from
high fares, poor service and watered
securities OF the public service cor
porations.
Patterson and Mather, Republi-
cans, and Alsdorf and Cetone, Demo
Gratis, led the floor attack on the bill,
decrying it as a "futility bill" uncon.
stitutional and illegal, as well as op-
pressive to business interests, and as
heavy, useless expense to the state.
They derided it as mass of amend
ments, most Of which had been in
serted in response to their own de.
mands.
Senator Mathews Of Cleveland
fought hard for the measure, as did
Williams and Phare. They warned
the special interests that defeat only
meant much more drastic measure
which the next legislature would not
dare refuse.
Frank Woods, representative from
Medina county and author of the
Woods utility hill, has not given up
the fight to secure the proper regula
tion of the utilities of the state. He
announces that he will be a candi
date for the Republican nomination
for state senator in the district
which includes Ashland Medina, Lo
rain and Richland counties. This dis
trict is now represented by Frank N
Patterson of Ashland.
langdon Bill Up Today.
The Langdon bill, before being
, passed by the upper branch, will be
materially altered from the shape in
which the house approved it, but il
will retain the fees of the Cole law
under the increased schedule, and
also the Nichols law theory of tax
ing property of all public service cor
porations at more nearly its correct
value than ever before. The Lang
don bill also will provide for an in
crease in Willis law fees from one
tenth to three-twentieIbs of / pei
cent of the capitalization. The sen
ate has tackled on amendments great
ly strengthening the power of the
proposed commission by giving it di
rect authority TO raise and lower as
sessmcnts fixed by local authorities
The plan is to pass the bill in the
senate today and then send 1t to {
special conference committee, which
will go over it carefully with state
officials between now and May 10
which is set for adjournment, wher
final action on the measure a!
agreed upon by the conference com
mittee will be taken by both houses
Lawyer members of the house de
feated the Grinnell Inheritance ta'
bill. The bill of Senator Mathews
providing for the exemption of grade
crossing and street intersection
bonds from the Longworth law btn(
limits, was defeated in the house
then reconsidered and passed.
Predictions made that the legisla
ture would recess Saturday were full
filled by agreement. Adjournment
will be taken May 10.