Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1879-02-18
THE LEGISLATURE.
BUSINESS GROWING MORE IMPORT
Ant rs SESSION PROGRESSES.

Report of the Standing Committee on In
| sane Asylum-AM Lovely at st. Peter, but
Building at Rochester u Poor Affatr-Let-
tor from the Railroad Commi ,sioner-He
Thinks the Railroads are Doing the Fair
Thing With Their Tariffs-Tackling the
100000 Acres-A Bombshell In the House
! Proposition to Submit the Railroad
Bond Question to the Courts.
THE SENATE.
Senate met at 10 O'clock.
| PETITION.
! Senator Bonniwell presented petition from
citizens of Mcleod county asking for an
extension Of time in which to pay for seed
| wheat.
| RAILROAD RATES.
BY Senator Page
WHEREAs, difference of opinion exists as to
| the sutticlency of the laws now in force regu-
latlng the transportation of freight and pas
| sengers on the railroads and other common
carriers in this State, therefore,
! KeS0lve0, That committee Of FIVE be ap-
pointed from this Senate to inquire into the
expectancy OF further legislation upon this
| subject and report by bill or otherwise.
Senator Castle gave notice of debate.
| Senator Thacher moved that the reform
school bill be taken from the table and referred
to Senators ReaneygsD I'D. Buck and @. F. Buck.
Carried.
Senator Doran moved the reconsideration of
the vote by which the temperance reform bill
was lost and that the bill lie on the table.
Carried.
BILLS PASSED UNDER SUSPENDED RULES.
10 prohibit the catching of fish in Thomp-
SON lake. Waseca county.
10 legalize certain acts of the supervisors of
the town of Osakis. in Douglas county.
Amending the charter of the village of Farm
ington.
To change the name of the town of Dariap.
IN Stevens county to Darnin.
| BILL INTRODUCED.
by Senator Castle-To amend the general
statutes relating to appeals from the county
commissioners.
FIRST READING OF HOUSE BILLS.
Authorizes the board Of education of the city
OF st. Paul to issue bonds for the erection of q
high school building.
| 10 authorize the town of Bird Island to issue
bonds Tor county purposes.
REPORTS OF COMMITTEES.
! Senator McCrea, from the standing commit
tee on insane asylum. reported subs titute for
the bill recognizing said asylum.
Senator Brown, from the committee on re-
| trenchment and reform, reported adversely
upon the proposition to establish arbitrarily q
uniform system of accounts relative to the ex-
penditure of public funds.
Senator McCrea made the usual report of
standing committees relative to the insane asy-
| lum hospital The committee found nothing
| to crltlclse IN the hospital proper at st. Peter
VI the Rochester asylum the committee say:
Inc building, which was originally built for an in
epate asylum, s poorly adapted for its present pur-
pose, and, together with the addition built last
summer is not sufficiently protected from the dan
gers of fire.
We are Of the opinion that the wing built last year
not OF the kind Of architecture and workmanship
which should be displayed in erecting buildings for
our State institutions of which our citizens are lust
ly PROUD, and in our opinion the work should not
have been accepted.
The trustees in their late annual report asked for
an of $4,000 with which to construct
west wing the present year. Should the proposed
| transfer OF imbecles be made they inform us that
! the amount will not be needed at present. In lieu
thereof an appropriation of S20UOO payable in 1880
should be made. Your committee, while recommends
ing the appropriation of the building deficiency of
$soo dlspproyes of trustees assuming the right to
contract Tor work largely in excess of the apprOpra
| lions made by the legislature.
RAILROAD TARIFFS.
communication was received from the Gov
ernor announcing his approval of certain acts,
ana enclosing the following communication
from the railroad commissioner in answer to
Senator Mealeys resolution relating to tariff
rates on railroads:
ST.. PAUL. Feb. IA, 1879.
Hon. J. B. Wakefield, President of the Senate.
SIR: 10 answer to the resolution of the Senate
calling nue. for the tariff rates. regular and specal
now in force on the railroads in this State for the
transportation OF freghts, and my opinion on the
sustain the railroads In doing business are Just and
equal in all communities and if the charge for short
Mstance transportation is not too high, and for long
distance too low; and If the time has not arrived
when the increase OF passenger tariff and decrease in
cost in building and operating railroads calls for
reduction in rates of travel without prejudice to the
into of fboC
the accompanying tar fl of the trunk lines of this
State, and letters of the general managers of the
roads, ITO whom submitted copies of the Senate res
olutons) with such information and explanations as
they deemed pertinent to your inquiry.
| 1t Will be seen that reductions have been made In
freight and passenger rates, both, all the
roads, Within year Or two local passenger rates
on most of the principal roads have beeu reduced
from five to four cents per mile, while the average
rate is now considerably below four cents. I think
this reduction affects fully tvesixths of all the pas
senger travel of the State. The two important roads
that maintain the five cent rate have been in
me hands OF receivers or trustees in of
organization. I believe the companies have sought
to meet the reasonable demands of the change in
tunes and improved prospects in business, and to
aud conflicting considerations and interests affecting
rates, would permit. If every road was
projected psoje o.d into the interior, away from
every other competing road aud from
water competition, it could make uniform and equal
rates. In regard to the question of lower rates for
longer distance, believe it involves a principal
settlement Of the remoter parts of the State posi-
bic and tends to equalize the advantages of location
Minnesota remote as it is from the great seaboard
markets. could least of all afford to establish the pro
rata rule for if it is just for 100 miles it for 1000
miles; If the producers Of wheat and other bulky
articles in this State had to pay rate proportional 10
distance equal that paid by the farmer and two
hundred miles from New York, it would render all
his produce valuless for export.
specially commend to the attention Of the Senate
the letters Of General Manager Bishop and the other
representatives OF the roads. The facts which they
present. bearing upon your inquiry, do not think,
admit OF question.
It is difficult to say what reductions can or should
be made in rates, when the capital invested III the
roads, after making due allowance for necessary
cost, is OF receiving in most cases any return and
in no case what would be deemed in ordinary bust
ness pursuits an adequate return. It would seem
under these circumstances that further reductions
might properly be left to the companies themselves
in view Of the fact that they have already shown by
their action disposition to reduce in accommodation
to changes in times and business.
regret the delay in this to your resolution
but it was only this moping that received the
st. Peter road. The companies at the beginning of
the year have been readjusting and publishing new
tariffs which have caused delay. It has not seemed
practicable to make abstract of the several tariffs
that would adequately show their terms, with num-
berless classes and varieties, hence submit the
original published sheets Yours respectfully,
| VIZ. R. MARSHALL,
State Railroad Commissioner.
SENATE BILLS PASSED.
Amending the statutes relating to the adj
journment of examinations.
Relating to school district No. l, in Sherburn e
county.
Authorizing the issue of certificates to own-
ers of certain school lands.
Relating to the commissioners of Washington
county.
county to issue bonds.
Relating Tn certain lands prantad IN the