“My husband kindly delayed his citizenship until my case might be presented in the courts. Now that it is decided, he will become a citizen. This means that I shall be received back into the fold, but only because I am his wife.”
Concerning the effect of her test case, Mrs. Mackenzie stated that she had just heard that a Mackenzie Club had been organized in Oregon, for the purpose of “looking into the matter.”
Excess fare cannot be charged of passengers on the railroads of Wisconsin when tickets are purchased on the trains, unless provision is made to refund the amount of overcharge.
This is the effect of an opinion rendered by Attorney General F. L. Gilbert today. Prior to the passage of the two-cent fare law the Northwestern and St. Paul roads charged 10 cents in addition to the regular fare when the fare was paid on trains. This practice was temporarily discontinued when the two-cent fare law was passed, because of the heavy penalty provided for violations. An attempt has been made to find out if the railroad commission would not permit this additional fee being charged. An opinion was asked of the attorney general. He said:
“It seems to me that the plain spirit, intent and purpose of the law in question was to establish a maximum passenger rate beyond which common carriers could not, in any event, go and retain the excess as their absolute property.
“I am therefore of the opinion that such excess fare cannot be legally collected from a passenger unless provision is made for refund, or an act of the legislature is passed allowing the collection and retention of said excess as a penalty for failure to purchase a ticket at a point where facilities are provided.”
About two weeks ago, Lloyd W. Bowers, general counsel for the Northwestern and Burton Hanson, general solicitor for the St. Paul, brought this matter before the commission. During the course of a conference, the railroads claimed that the old law allowing an excess fare to be charged had not been abrogated. The attorney general held differently.
Over in Italy, on a big estate at Lenno, near the shores of Lake Como, Baptiste’s aged father is waiting to see him--that is, he was waiting to see him when Baptiste last heard, about three months ago.