Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-04-08

From the House: An Act amendatory
OF and additional to Chapter 81 of the
Public Laws of 1909. relating to the is
suance of mileage books by railroad
corporations.
In the House the bill was received
,,ader suspension of the rules and was
passed to be engrossed without print,
irg and without reference TO a commits
tee.
Upon request of the senator from
Aroestook, Mr. Hersey, the bill was
read.
Mr. HERSEY of Aroosteok: Mr.
President, this is repetition. is the
same in every way and form, the same
subject matter of that which has beer
recently vetoed by the Governor.
Now l have this to say. The utilitie.
commission was recently organized by
this Legislature for a certain purpose
of regulating the fares and charges o
railroads and public service corpora,
tions. as well as to destroy special priv
ileges and preferences and any advan.
tages to any person or corporation il
the matter of regulation of fares ana
charges. and one object of this utilitie:
commission is to do away with this
wicked system of mileages upon rail
roads. I assert, without fear of con-
tradietion, that one of the preferences
that was obnoxious to the people. to tbs
common people, to the laboring man
was the system of mileage whereby
tho man who had enough money t.
purchase a thousand miles had pref.
ercnce on fares on a railroad: and this
is simply saying that the man who car
purchase 500 miles can have prefer
enee over man who wants TO go 25t
miles or 100 miles or so miles.
. Now I believe that one-half of the
people in the state who travel on the
railroads do not want 500 miles They
want something less than 500 miles
one-half of the people. 4. X III
Now if a man by spurcila sing 1906
mnes or 800 miles gets that cheaper
the poor man who travels a short dis
lance and buys ticket, must pay the
difference that is taken off. The rail
road isn't losing any money They say
that they want this mileage. they are
willing to have it granted They have
heen trying, ever since the utilities
passed this Legislature. to get under
II In some way, and they want to get
under it in this way to perpetuate this
system of mileages.
Now Mr.. President, section 90 Of the
utilities commission says 1T shall be
unlawful for any public utility to de-
mand, charge. collect or receive from
any person, firm or corporation less
compensation for any service rendered
or to be rendered by said public utility
in consideration of the furnishing by
such person, firm or corporation of any
part vi the facilities incident thereto
ard section 32: TT shall be unlawful
for any PERSON. firm or corporation
knowingly TO solicit, accept or receive
ny rebate, discount or discrimination
in respect to any service rendered OF
to be rendered by any public utility"
Gne of the first duties Of the public
utilities commission when organized
ind IN force, will be to say that rail.
read fares in the State of Maine shall
be uniform, that they shall charge the
same rates to one person as to an
other, that If yen travel thousand
miles it will be the same rate per mil.
as though you travelled fifty, and there
shall be no determinations. and no re
bates. and no advantages, and no pref
crencfs.
There is no sense in it, that the mar
who wants TO travel from Augusta x
waterville. if he or she is an Italian
peddler. shall pay any more than tn,
Govern3r of the State of Maine TO &c
from Augusta ~ Waterville, because
the Governor vii have a mi cage bool
Of so mics And the utilities com
mission will srttIe it. and | object 4
any attempt 10 get under and hehint