New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1874-03-02
MINNESOTA POLITICS.
WORK or THE LEGISLATURES.


sysrEm-THs NORMAL sCmoo's-rns
FUEL PROBLEM ~. q
tFRoN AN OCCASIONAL CORRESPONDENCE or TDp rRIBuEg
ST.. PAUL, Feb. l6.-The sixteenth annual
session OF the Legislature OF Minnesota began about q
days sncc but yet little nothing boon accom-,
pIishea The time has been taken Up by halliday res
SONS, during which long speeches aud debates pet,s
matters have takeu the place of real business Accord
ing 20 the statutes Legislature OF the State
in session only co days and onchaf Of this time baa
already elapsed the leading members have seen the
oessty OF getting 10 work aud IL IA therefore hoped
there will De more tine wasted. Tie political CON
plexOn OF tue Senate and the House changed
Qedy within the past twelve months. In tho Houss
particularly there has been o largo the Lab
erai clement The House composed Of l9i 'neml.n
One year ago the regular Ms had majority d
30 or more. hut Don they have majority Of four
on full vote. II aqueston should como up involving
the support OF tho National Administration 1t d, quite
probable chat tho Democratic ana Liberas would have
| a majority. Tlls shows that thore has been
great change among the throughout the
State The Liberai campaign Of 1872 really
divided the Republican party, which, with tho disstis
faction caused by the Salary Grab and the President
Louisiana policy, caused widespread desiro for
change. More than onehalf the mcmbeTs of the House
farmers will be following classified
ist Farmers, 6j merchants, IA; lawyers.7 mechao'cs
editors, other occupations l6 Another analysis
Of the House shows that IS OF the members foreign
born natives of Now York from the New
England 5tates tho remainder. with the exception Of
hafa-dozen from the South. from the Central
Western The foreign element s about equally
divided between the ScanJnayians and the Germans
The Senate ia composed Of II members. aud presided
over 10y Lieut. Cow Alphonso Barto OF Sank Centre.
There Is in the Senate a Republican majority OF n-
which is Liberal gain of Eve OF six since last year
AS IN the House. the farmers compose large part OF
tho Senate The following list gives the occupations OF
the members: Farmers, "a; merchants u lawyers. 7.
lumbermon 8; editors 2; other occupations TO- Ofthe
above members are foreigners. IL born In the
Middle States aud Is emigreted FROM New-Eusand'
THE TRANSPORTATION AND WAREHOUSE QUESTIONS
The important matters of interest on which thcro
will probably be legislation the transportation and
railroad question: the elevator system and the State
Normal school. On the transportation question: IA In
the sister ST ate OF Wisconsin the greatest diversity OF
opinion exists and "a many Is bills have already
been introduced and referred TO the Railroad Committee
These bills include such variety OF provisions many OF
them of impracticabie nature, that II would DO
tedious to attempt describe them. Ii s probable
that the Railroad Committee will act independently OF
all the bills and make recommendations The idea
of new constitutional amendment relating to freight
tariffs. such as has been incorporated IN tbe new
Constitution OF Pennsylvania seems to be
SUite popular with those who have studied
transportation question VITA particular references
10 Minnesota situated as she at the head OF Lake
superior and the Mississippi River There are those
who favor bill fixing maximum tarln rates ana eav-
ing IL To toe railroads TO fix pro table Minnesota
has an erod some injustice the railroads particu
larry from the wnona and 1T. Peter Railway as was
shown by exhaustive series OF articles published IN
TuE TRIBUNE months since; but her grievances
have never equal TO those or some other western
states During the Summer months she has been aOa
to ship her freight by OF the lakes or the Msssnpp
River by rail- If sue chose Hence there has been
strong competition in her favor. Her only grievances
have been during Winter, and then merely for few
months. There is feeling however that Minnesota ::
largely indebted TO railroads Tor her ueVelOpment ana
thscouped with the knowledge that those who have pas
money railroads have not realized very much there
has served to temper the people with charity ana
accordingly there 10 but little OF tn strong peudles
| Great complaint has been made OF the inadequate
storage accommodations for wheat the line of tho
arehones Operating at the different stations on thus
road have been those owned by Messrs Davidson De-
anO Valentine, the privilege OF erecting Warehouses;
contiguous TO the track from which shipments could be
made having been vigorously denied 10 Ioca operators
BY reason OF this exclusion and the heavy crop OF last
Fall, nearly all the storage capacity furnished by Da-
wilson 60 mas Deeh a ny n,rcnsr tme
deliveries OF wheat or Other grain untli
shipped out Farmers have therefore, been frequently
compelled TO wait for several days at the stations Deioe
to expense OF storing In sheds and barns unt cars
were supplied by the railroad 10 take away enough
grain 70 for their loads The system under
which the grain business OF the road transacted mas
therefore, and not unnatursly come to be considered
abated The matter having been brought 10 the atten
ton OF she Senate an investigating committee was up,
pointed. Its report shows that the rGht % Duld aud
operate elevators on the 3d. faul ana c1n,r "a
to the persons above named, and that
the Company has agreed to receive N, no grain
from elevators or warehouses other than those owned
by Davidson Co. and assigns For handling tho
gram such warehouses the railroad company pays To
shall DO built at their own cost-two cents bushei
every bushe transported, whether goes through
shipped In sacks and II lt remain in
ona for every Is DAYS thereafter Should this grain be
again handled In the warehouses OF the Company at st.
Paul Mnneapolis--and every bushe Is rehandieds &c
one the other Of these polnts-douole rates arc
T1na aims nns aft he Tee
first that the contract is dangerous monopoly and
should arrest the attention OF the Legisanre second
that railroad company Is Obliged ~ afford equal faoh
tiles all who may Wish TO erect warehouses
and handle grain on It's line OF road third that rai
road is strictly common carrier IL Is therefore pro
posed TO tax the elevators OF DAVIDSON q 20. as per
sonal property. and pass suitable law allowing all per
sons under certain conditions. to erect elevators At
such places they may please and IN case the 81
Paul and Pacific Railway Company does not agree
thereto TO direct the Attorney General Immediately
commence judicial proceedings IN the proper court tof
the purpose OF vacatng their charter
THE NORMAL SCHOOLS.
There are IN this State Normal Schools each
at winons Mankato, and st. Cloud Each OF course
stands equal footing and receives equal support
from the State. The expended by the Estate
TO the present time has been about onethird OF million
dollars and the schoolsask for appropriations regularly
each year. Az consequence while there are many
strong and earnest friends of the Schools there ara
those who 20 regard them beggarly nsti-
tntions and as being bensft TO the towns in which
they are situated rather than " the state al large
Senator Ignatus Donnely has introduced bill proyd-
ing for their abolition which been up for discussion
twice formal action has yet been taken, but the
sense of and the House maifestly agsinss
the bi and when It up for its third reading Is
will probably be killed by o vote OF three 70 one
The Legislature will be called on TO consider the maj
Ter OF planting the praires-a topic wnlcn We
80 strenuousiy urged by the late Mr. Greeley IN Aa
address several years at our state FAIR Al tnAs
tin,e there those who paid little heed 10 M
reeleys advice but the experience VI the past lev
Years has taught people the necessity Of planting tho
prairies with trees II they would break the severe
Winds of Winter or their fuel The Peat ques
op is another very important one. has been known
for years that large quantity Of peat under
tha vat M