The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1876-01-06

S1and- titles. In view OF the various and conflicting
land grants In this State, without the exercise III
great care, titles in many portions OF the state VIII
Become interminably confused. To prevent TINS
the land office should have a complete set OF plat
books, and all the grants should De platteo ny
township and range, as this will enable the exam
liner to detect an error, invariably, and will greatly
assist the Register In the correct discharge OF ms
duty. 1t would be well If the General Assembly
would authorize the procurement OF sucn oooAs'
The Fifteenth General Assembly passed an act
to establish reasonable maximum rates OF charges
for the transportation Of freight and passengers on
the different railroads OF the state. rms Jaw nus
been in operation since July, 1874; and while II Is
probable that it has not been in force a sufhcleht
length Of time to determine fully It's enect on lne
material interests of the State, its practical OPERA
ton has doubtless developed many defects which
will require consideration and modincatlon. II
either Of its provisions has proved to be Oppressive
upon any class or pursuit, or II 1t anects any local.
ity in the State unequally or unjustly, or II any OF
its requirements are shown to be very embarrass-
ing or damaging to honest railroad management,
there should be no objection or hesltancy, wher-
ever such defects are found to exist, In applying
the remedy. And happily, as most of the railways
have conformed their schedules TO- the require
merits of the law, there need be no objection .oahy
just modification on the ground that y would Pc a
surrender Of the principles involved in It's passage.
When.this law went into operation tho roads, win
tw4' or three exceptions, conformed TO us
PROVISIONS without resistance. In Inc cases
of lose which refused compliance, ana
when7 complaints were made and suits
commenced, attorneys were authorized to
prosecute. After a few suits had been com
roadj< pperated by the Chicago, Burlington d
Quincy Railroad Company, procured an lnjunc-
ton Etraining the Acknowledgement from pros
ecutinS the railroad company, ana the s1 ,ti
Treasurer from paying out money to aid such iitl-
cation .:and also some of the private persons VINO
had commenced suits from their further prosecu-
ton. The question upon making tn Eon lnIu ns tba
United States before Judge Dillon. by the attor-
pey-General, assisted by Judge Sewers 19r lhe
State, and by Hon. o. H.. Browning ana JUDGE
Rorer for the company, and was decided for the
State. Upon the announcement of this decision
the company conforned its schedules OF charges
to the provisions of the law. The case, however,
has bedn appealed to the Supreme Court OF the
United States. whittier the Attorney General will
follow it, and l trust at an early day will obtain u
favorable decision. 1t is proper to say here that
the zeal and ability with which that oflcer has
conducted these cases has commanded my entire
approval, and, believing that the cause OF the state
would be as thoroughly and ably represented oy
him as it would be If expense should be created
by the employment OF other counsel, l nave lell
the case to his management.
What may he the effect Of legislative control
upon the general interests of the people is lmpos-
sible at the present time to prophesy. L have no
doubt, however. that its general effect will prove
benehcent. 1t will settle the principle of lesisia-
tive control. and reform some OF the evils OF rail-
way management. The law should therefore in its
main features be retained, and perfected as expe-
rience may unfold its weaknesses, or as may be
necessary to adjust it to the future demands OF
1t has, however, always seemed CUES.
tionable to me whether the most glaring evils or
railway management could be reached and abol-
ished by statute. / uniformly argued, before such
public assemblies as | was invited to address and
when my views were sought upon this issue, even
when the railway controversy was at \ white heat,
that / had less faith in legislative restrictions than
| had in seeking and encouraging a wider diversln-
cation of our industries, in inaugurattng a cheaper
system Of railways, and in fostering the improve
ment and construction of u system OF water ways
for the transportation Of our heavy and bulky
products. The public mind has recently seemed to
be moving in this direction. Narrow gauge rail-
roads are being projected and constructed, and
they should receive all proper legislative enconr-
agement. The Wisconsin and Fox Rivers i'm
provement is progressing. The project of the
Hennepin Canal is being revived. And the prog
ress IN deepening the outlet OF the Mississippi
River by the lefty experiment is gratifying to the
projectors. with every prospect or hnIl success.
These. with the completion of improvements to
perfect the navigation of the Mississippi River
upon our own borders. will in my judgment open
the way for q competition in the shipment Of many
bulky commodities of Western production which
will more effectually cheaper transportation than
any law the wit of man can devise.
There is. however. one mode OF securing salts
factory results by railroad legislation which has rs
vet received but little attention in Iowa. Mr..
Charles Francis Adams. Jr, Railroad Commits
siOner for Massachusetts. says, in substance. that
after eight years study Of the railway problem he
is satisfied more can be accomplished by the Rght
and pU5iicity which a commission may afford in
regard to railroad business. and the partia! super
vision of railroads bv such commission. than by
any general law for controlling the details Of their
management. In all the late discussions of the
railroad problem but little was said in regard to
the protection Of stockholders, and this of itself is
the very gist of the problem. II would be wise for
the General Assembly TO consider this. l wOnid
not recommend an increase OF State officers, but
all the good results of a commission might be
reached through some of our present officials.
The Executive Council by the employment OF an
intelligent statistical clerk would make an effect
i've railroad commission. Or il the Register of the
State Land Office were charged with the duty. in
addition to his present duties. OF exercising a lin
tied supervision of the railroads OF the state. and
reporting such measures rs his experience would
suggest. 1 think it would exercise II good influence
upon the roads and upon their patrons.
TIE Mc Greq0r d Missouri Rlrer R1iIro..-
This road had been completed to Algona prior
to my message of two years ago. The act OF the
Twelfth General Assembly comforting the grant of
May Il, 1864, upon the Mcifre-or & Sioux City
Railway Company contained in substance the fol
lowing conditions, viz: That II ShOnld be built
upon or near the forty-third parallel, north latitude.
and within one mile of New Hampton. Charles
City. Mason City and Al-Ona, interseCting the
proposed railroad running from Sioux City TO the
Minnesota State line in OBriGn County. 1t also
provided that the road should be completed TO its
terminus in . Bricn County by the first day OF De
cembcr. 1875, and that III case Of failure to comply
with these conditions the State could RESUME all
the rights conferred by the act. and all the lands
granted. which might remain undisposed OF. to
said company on account OF road actually built.
As the law provided that an aggregate of 450 sec
tons of land should be certified to the com
pany upon the completion of the road TO
Algona. and all the balance when it should reach
the Little Sioux River, the fact that the road
has not been completed west of Algona will
require this Legislature to determine whether the
lands forfeited shall be resumed, and what dispu-
sition shall be made of them to insure the early
completion Of the road. 1t may be argued by the
company, in extenuatiou Of its failure TO finish.
that the road would not pay if completed. The
very theory Of land grants, however, is to induce
the building of roads in advance of a dense pOpu-
lation, where it is presumed they will not imnedi-
ately pay, and where the business of railways is
insufficient Of itself to induce capitalists to under
take their construction. 1t may be said that the
state OF the public mind Of late in respect to the
rights conferred by railroad franchises has rem
dcred it difficult TO procure money for building
railways. This doubtless is in part true. and vet,
as money has been obtained to build a few short
lines Of road without land grants. it seems to me
that this road might have been completed if proper
effort had been made. l call attention to this mat
ter, as il is unjust that the people residing in the
counties through which the uncompleted portion
OF this road is located should suffer all the disad.
vantages of having their territory shingled with a
Immigrant and yet receive none Of the Compensat-
ing advantages Of u railway.
Railroads Constructed.-The Des Moines &
Minnesota Railroad Company has built and put in
successful operation thirty five miles of road, Of
three feet gauge. from Des Moines to Ames; and a
short railway Of the same gauge has been con-
structed from Keosauqua to Summit Station, on
the X. & D. N. r. r. A road of the ordinary
gauge has also been built from Abba to Knoxville,
and another from Grinnen to Montezuma. There
are now about $3.50 miles of railway in operation
In Iowa. Another piece of narrow gauge road is
under construction from Liscomb. Marshall Coun-
ty, eastward, In which wooden rails are to be used
at the first.
THE SCHOOLS.
The Superintendent of Public Instruction pre-
sents with his biennial report an unusually inter
esting review Of the history and condition of the
educational work and the school systems OF Iowa
from the time OF the organization Of tho Terr;fnr-T
This report, intended as 1t is as well for thaveduca-
tl0nal depactment OF the Centennial Exhibition a.