Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1882-12-12

privileges upon them, that not only their
interests but the interests of the people
of the state, and particularly of
the farming classes must be con-
suited in the common object in which both
are engaged; and it is an undoubted fact
there exists in this state and in the bust
ness of the railroad companies engaged
therein deliberate and far-reaching sys-
tenn of over charging and discrimination
between certain persons, corporations and
localities, the result of which is to deprive
the farming classes of a large portion of
the purchase price of their wheat and
other commodities.
We suggest to your honorable bodies
that such steps be taken by you for a
thorough investigation of the evils COM
planned of, and that effectual remedies be
applied. Upon this matter we do not ap-
pend any statistics. The particular in
formation upon the subject referred to
will be itself received by you. we presume,
from the railroad commissioner of this
state, who is specially charged with the
duty of informing you upon the entire
matter in all its details. We have no ne
cessity to intrench upon his province, even
if we were of the opinion that
we could add anything to the information
which you will undoubtedly obtain from his
report;but we do ask that our suggestions
in this matter be read in the view of the
statistics contained in his report, and that
from both of these sources the necessary
e., - ~l~k L. IL
you to act in the matter. It is enough to
say that the truth of the statements can
not be gainsaid, and all of the railroad
companies in this state whose bust
ness brings them into contact with such
persons, deliberately overcharge the
farmer, the small dealer and the producer
for freight upon his wheat and products,
and also discriminate between him and Ger
tain large corporations concerned and en-
gagged in the purchase of wheat as well as
discriminating between certain favored
points and localities.
The evils of such a system are not ap-
parent in their statement that we will not
pursue them further.
TREE PLANTING.
We desire again to cali the at
tention of your honorable bodies
to the question of timber
culture in this state, and upon that point
we take the liberty to reproduce, in this
report, the language of the former one.
st has seemed to this board proper to
call the attention Of the legislature to
subject which is, in our opinion, of vital
Importance to the entire population of this
state, affecting as it does, not the present
but the future, and being intimately con-
nected with the settlement and develop
ment of the entire state. It is we'll, how
ever, that large proportion of
arabic acreage of Minnesota is contained
in the treeless prairies which lie in the
northern, western and southern portions of
the state. You are we'll aware that during
the few years last past the emigration is,
and development to this region has been
enormous and almost without parallel in
the history of any country. The enact
ments by congress of homestead laws, tree
culture acts, location of land warrants and
exemptions have been exceedinly favora-
BILE; and almost the only obstacles that the
settler has to contend with are the physical
and climatic Influences in the regions re-
ferred to. The capacity of the soil has
been tested and has equaled and surpass-
ed the highest expectations. The facility
with which it can be cultivated is IN
questionable and the re suits of ordinary
cultivation have. been and will::b un
doubleday the most profitable.
There is not only included in this region
almost the entire wheat producing portion
of the state, but the facilities which it offers
to all forms of agriculture and stock rails
ing are unsurpassed in the United States.
There is, however, one obstacle with which
the settler has to contend, which until re-
Gently has been believed to be almost in
surmountable and which to-day presents
the gravest problem with which our state
has to contend with in the future.
It is not necessary at this time, or in
this report, to proceed in detail to point
out the disadvantages to all classes and to
all occupations arising from the absence
of timber and fuel in the districts to
which we have referred, The want is too
apparent, too evident, and its Importance
too great to require any detailed state
ment of it. That it has to a certain ex-
tent been overcome is also evident; that il
can be overcome successfully and COM
pletely has been distinctly and clearly
proven. And if such result can be
fastened by any legislative
enactment or any public method devised.
which would be benefit to parties now
living in 1hose districts, it seems to us of
the last Importance that it should be at
once andiimmediately inaugurated. The
enactments on the part of the United
States touching timber culture have been of
unquestionable benefit, as far as they 60,
but it is undoubtedly the case, that, cou-
pied as they are with the acquisitions Of
title to these valuable lands, the absence
of proper supervision for ascertaining as
to whether or not the law has been
complied with, the inability of the from
tier settler to provide himself with nec-
essary amount Of proper trees, their gen.
eral ignorance upon the subject of the
most beneficial methods of cultivation, the
looseness with which the statutes of the
United States upon the subject are enforc-
ed, have all served to cripple tbs effect of
such legislation, so that it has not resulted
as benefcially as it might have done in
the actual planting and cultivation
of timber. We have therefore The
honor to recommend to your body an in
quiry by you as to the advisability of es-
tablishing in each of the treeless counties
of this state a county forestry, and the de-
voting therein of at least one section of