Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1882-12-08
RAILROADS and FARMERS.

lkAlLkUADS ANDFARMEkS.
The Farmers Board of Trade Concludes
Its Standardization Adopted Call
ing for State Regulation !of Railroad
| Rates-An Error Corrected.
After the meeting of the Farmers Board
| of Trade yesterday morning short inter-
| change of views as to the recommendations
to be incorporated in their report
| to the legislature, was INDUCED in, evolv-
| ing no new ideas from those already out
! lined in the GLOBE. Outside of this the
feature of the morning session was the ap-
pearance before it of Prof Porter, who is
| in charge of the agricultural department.
of the state university. While excusing
himself from going into details, (on the
ground that Gen. Baker and other state
officials were more directly interested and
had much greater facilities for arriving at
sound conclusions), Prof. Porter said one
of the gravest questions of the age is as to
the relation railroad corporations
bear to the people. That
these corporations are arrogating
power to themselves not contemplated by
the people, and not authorized by their
charters, is undoubted. But the class that
holds the bread, butter and meat of the
country in their hands, can correct this if
they will only work intelli-
gently and unitedly. Every move,
however, in this direction, should be made
20 mi 10 nd {ba vic
building up public sentiment in favor of
the changes desired. This, as under
stand it@ the real work of this board, and
I judge from the remarks of Gen. Baker
yesterday your work in this di-
rection is already beginning to
bear fruit, and it only needs union of
the producing classes to secure its com
pleie success.
Prof. Porter then briefly detailed the
work of the agricultural department of the
State university, the substance of which
has already been given in the GLOBE, and
it is not necessary to repeat it at this time,
at the conclusion Of which an adjournment
was had for dinner.
AFTERNOON SESSION.
Upon assembling in the afternoon, Mr..
Page offered the following, which was re-
ferred to the legislative committee to be
incorporated in substance in the report of
the board to the legislature:
WHEREAS, In view of past experience in
our own state, and the experience of other
states, so far as this board has been able
to gather the facts, with their limited
time and means; and
WHEREAS, All the interests of this state
would be promoted and improved by wise
and judicious legislation, restricting and
limiting the railroads of this state in their
charges for passengers and freight; and
WHEREAS, we believe that this may be
best attained by establishing maximum
and minimum rates; therefors,
RESOLVED, That this board would recon-
mend such legislation as shall best estab-
lish and maintain this principle.
RESOLVED further, That in the opinion of
this board, the powers of the railroad COM
missioner should be enlarged so as to make
the same more explicit, and at the same
time able to cope with and keep in check
one of the greatest promoters of the vital
interests of the whole people of the state.
but at the same time one of the most IN
slduOus ana dangerous monOpOiies created
and recognized by the law of the land.
Following these was an interchange of
opinion as to the ACCESSIBILITY of giving the
recommendations of the board to
the press in advance of
their submission to the legislature, re-
sulting in decision to place the report in
the hands of the governor, to exercise his
| own discretion in the matter.
The bill creating state inspectors of
| wheat, referred to the legislative commit
tee yesterday, was recalled, and section
eleven amended SO as to prohibit the
appointment of any person not farmer
| Oh the board.
Mr.. McBroom, of Blue Earth county.
| offered the following resolution which was
| adopted:
ReSoyced, That the farmers board of
trade ask the earnest cooperation
of all farmers organizations in the
state in sympathy with this movement in
| presenting and pushing such legislation
as this board may decide to bring before
| the legislature in their forthcoming report
! After resolution of thanks to the press
for their very full report of proceedings,
the board adjourned sine die.
A CORRECTION.
In yesterdays report the unfortunate
change of word in the copy by the
printer, sadly misrepresented Gen. Bakers
reply to question. On being asked if
the powers of the railroad commissioner
should not be enlarged, he replied that they
should, and that he thought the railroad
| companies themselves would welcome such
increase of state supervision. The copy
was SO written, but it appeared IN print
that the railroad commissioner would well
come such increase. Gen. Baker did not
indulge in any such display of egotism. as
his reply referred to the railroads and not
| to himself.
DESERTED TEMPLE