Show NO SWEEPING RAILWAY LAWS Ban B n Is on Radical Enactment by 1903 Legislature HOYT SHERMAN TELLS WHY NO S rOB FOR OBEYING CONSTITUTIONAL 4 No important railroad legislation will willbe willbe be enacted ena ted by the Utah legislature in inthe inthe inthe 1 the opinion of Senator Hoyt Sherman r chairman n of the upper house committee on railroads While not attempting to speak for tor his colleagues Senator Sher Shern Sherman man rean n is of he the opinion that the senti sentiment sentIment sentiment ment among them is uncompromising ly adverse to the enactment of or any leg on the subject save that of a minor character Several amendments to the railroad laws are under consid consideration but none is of general or PI sweeping application In the state constitution is a clause making it mandatory upon the legisla ture to pass laws establishing maxi max maximum maximum mum rates of transportation correcting buses abuses preventing discrimination and providing adequate penalties So far tar the requirements of that provision have not been observed by any legislature and Governor Wells has taken occasion in his biennial messages to call atten attention tion to that delinquency That the con constitutions ns mandate will remain un heeded by the th present pr ent legislature is Senator Shermans prediction Opposed to Literal lateral Beading 1 I hardly hardI l hinK ik that tbt provision n of the be so strictly con construed construed construed as some think it ought to be said Sen Sherman yesterday It seems to me me It is there rather as a pro protection protection to the state than as a club to tobe tobe tobe t be used upon the heads of the railway systems Should the railroads become unfair to the th state s te or Its citizens by b exacting exorbitant rates jag ing or abusing the privileges which have been granted them the power vested in the legislature by the con constitution constitution could be used for their regu lation At this time when new transcontinental transcontinental lines are either projected or be ing lag constructed it would be inopportune to experiment with railroad legislation The result might not only be oppressive to the new com corn companies companies but costly to the state in that it might turn them away retarding the development of our territory and re resources reSOurces resources sources Just so long as the situation is favorable it should not be tampered with Making big blunders in dealing with a subject of this kind is easily possible even where there are the best of intentions and Utah cannot afford to take chances of mistakes at the present time Would Be De Turned Down Even should the house pass any sweeping railway legislation which is isI IsI I 1 think extremely improbable the sen seji senate s sate ate would I believe turn it down The bill Introduced by Representative Wil Wll WilSon Wilson son undoubtedly will not be taken seri serf seriously In the house but even if it should pass that body which result I regard as impossible it would be promptly squelched in the senate Whatever special conditions may arise re requiring requiring requiring quiring a remedy can be reached by minor amendments and some such may be enacted There are several such bills pending before the railroad com corn committee in the senate and they will be considered on their merits I have no doubt some of them will become laws Among the other her measures which the time railroads committee has before it is a a memorial to congress asking that body to require the Southern Pacific rail railway railway railway way to construct drawbridges along its projected line across Great Salt lake The measure was presented by Senator Barnes According to the railway of ot officials officials it is born of a misapprehension of the facts The company It is as asserted asserted asserted has no intention of cf cutting off oft the time northern T part art of the lake from the southern part but will provide water waterways waterways waterways ways at frequent intervals sufficient to meet the th requirements r of flow and of the scow navigation which is carried I Ion on upon the lake A meeting of the senate railroads committee will be held tomorrow at 10 a m in Several railroad attorneys will attend It Is said with the purpose of ot opposing three bills Introduced by Sen Senator Senator Senator ator Whitmore increasing the compa companies companies nies liability for damage dama ge to stock and damage by fire |