New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1874-08-05

owing TO the sparse settlements along it's line and
the msfortunes of the road and the people who con-
,rbue to its business it has not earned enough to
nav expenses and the interest ON these bonds TO
mako nm the deficiencies of the last two years, the
leading stockholders In this city, who are also the
managers of the road, have PAID from their own
rockets nearly S25O0OO II it can hold ON Ior iew
wears until the southwestern part OF tne elae Ut
comes little more densely settled ~ win oecoine
one Of the most profitable roads IN tne state ana
will he able to give TO the people VINO pa'ronze IL
far more reasonable rates than any OF tine roaus rom
the bnildinp of which fortunes "ere ihaue' p"' "a
49, ;oou,o ,yore now very much reduced. 1t wonld
ondonper the sovency of road the failure Vi WHICH
wonld be misfortune to Minnesota.
PROVISIONS OF THE STATE RAILROAD LAW
said earlier in this letter that the Minnesota
railroad law is the most moderate and equitable OF
all those recently passed in the West his state IL
NAV he remembered. had law previously under
which a single Railroad Commissioner fixed the
MAXIMUM rates that should be charged, and while it
,ras found utterly impossible for the railroads to
operate under it, the Courts of the State sustained
II as constitutional great majority of the Legis-
iatnre of last Winter were in favor OF enacting a
law that could be lived up to and then enforcing IT,
and the result was the act that is now just going
into effect As have seen very little reference to
this law in Eastern journals venture to give sum
mary of its provisions:
The opening sections create board OF three kiroao
Commissioners to be appointed by the Governor, ana
give them power to employ railroad experts examine
the property books records accounts papers ana pro-
ceedngs OF all railroad companies to enforce the at
tendance of Witnesses and the production OF evidence
and to prosecute any railroad company which they shall
have reason 10 believe has violated any law Of the State
The board also directed on or before the first OF Au
gust 1874 to make each OF the railroad corporations
doing business in the State schedule OF reasonable
maximum rates OF charges for any and all distances,
for the transportation of freight of all kinds and guam
Tries and passengers and on each OF SAID railroads.
as well as reasonable maximum rates for receiving
handling and delivering reghts and received from
them for transportation These schedules are 10 be
held by the courts as prtnia fdcte evidence that the
rates fixed in them reasonable. Succeeding sections
forbid unjust discrimination in rates for loading or I'M
LOADING handling or transporting passengers or freight
against any person. town. village or station; they Tor
hid the railroads from charging the or greater
sum for the transportation of freight passengers over
any mart of railroad than charged for the same ser
vice in direction over greater distance OF the
same road they forbid higher rates Tor receiving
handling &c. freight at one point than at another on
the same road they forbid greater charges Tor trans
poratOn part of any road than over ahother
mart OF the same road of equal distance IN the same d.
TO another for receiving handling &c. freight OF the
same class and quantity the same point on the same
road for the transportation Of like quantity OF frelght
Of the same class. from the same point III 'he same III
reeton over equal distances OF the same road anu io
the like use of cars for furnishing Ike factes lor
loading unloading. &c. All such DISCRIMINATING acVs
named above whether made directly by means of any
rebate or other shift or evasion are To De Ia
ken as pma acie evidence that the railroad company
entity of them OF any OF them, Is gully OF UNJUST
and is not TO be received as an excuse
that the discrimination is made at competing point
This law does forbid communication, excursion, or
one thousand-me tickets; nor the shipping OF gram
-four coal any agricultural products from states south
or west of Minnesota into the State at less IMAM tue local
rates nor shipment of lumber to any point not less
than 25 miles beyond the State at less than the local
rates The remaining require the railroad COM
panes to furnish facilities for transportation when re-
| ouested: regulate the establishment OF functions,
switches platforms, the transfer of freight the trans
portatiop and the transfer Of cars the OF
warehouses; lumber.yaris &c, define the terms car
load" "railroad corporation" &C.. and provide the
machinery for the enforcement of the law.
TIE RAILROADS ACCEPT THE SITUATION.
am told that the railroad companies viii attempt
to conform their practices and rates to the pro-
visions of this law and the schedules prepared under
it. If they find 1t impractcable, they will appeal to
| the Commissioners who have the power to alter or
amend the schedules at any time and should they
refuse to act to the courts of the State which have
the power to decide whether any given rate Is
reasonable or not if they decide that it is not then
! it will be the duty of the Railroad Commissioners
to amend it, The people of this State have no de-
sire to have the railroads operated ut loss; they do
not expect to reduce rates below what is right and
fair but they do hold that is nothing so sacred
about railroad corporation that 1t cannot be
reached by law and that there ought to be some
limit TO the debts which railroads shall he allowed
to contract and upon which the people are expected
to pay the interest