St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-06-25
Minneapolis Witnesses Before the Inter-
state Commerce Committee Satisfied
With Rail Rates.
Charley Pillsbury Thinks Lake Superior
Sufficient to Protect Minnesota
from Extortion.
Secretary Sturtevant and Others of
the Same Opinion--Wheat Pro-
ducers Not Heard.
The Committee in st. Paul To-day
The Railroad Commission
VIII Testify.
INTERSTATE COMMERCE..
Nobody Found i'm minneapolis That
Wants Railroad Legislation.

Nobody Found i'm minneapolis That
Wants Railroad Legislation.
The II o'clock train on the Omaha road
yesterday morning brought the United States
subcommittee on interstate commerce. 1t
is composed of Gov. S. M. Cullom, senator
from Illinois, Gov. Isham G. Harris, sena-
tor from Tennessee, and Hon. D. III. Platt,
senator from Connecticut, with G. P. Young,
Illinois, and G. r. Paul, New York, as
secretaries. The subcommittee has not been
accompanied by Senators A. P. German,
Maryland, and Warner Miller, New York,
since the Western tour began. 1t held a
session at Omaha Tuesday, sat at Minneap-
oils yesterday and will conclude its labers
in the Northwestern field at st. Paul to-day.
In leaving Omaha slight misfortune was
met. The track was blocked by a freight
wreck and the government officials were
compelled to walk two miles, valises in
hand, leaving their weightier baggage for
the next train. Upon arrival at the union
depot they were met by Secretary Sturte-
want, of the chamber of commerce, and es-
corted to the West hotel, where they were
assigned large suites of apartments on the
parlOr floor.
This committee was appointed under a
senate resolution proposed by Senator Gull
lom. 1t has not, as has been mentioned,
any connection with the Reagan interstate
commerce bill or its substitute, now pend
ing in congress, but was constituted to as
certain and lay before the senate the wishes
of the people of the United States, for the
guidance of that body in future legislation.
The committee has visited or will visit all
of the large shipping points in person, and
will gather reliable data. Circulars, with
questions appended, have been sent to
other points, and the committee expects to
gather vast amount Of information and to
know just exactly what each section OF the
country desires in the matter of legislation.
1t held sessions in New York, Boston and
Philadelphia, and then came to Chicago,
St. Louis, Kansas City, Des Moines and
Omaha, and thence to Minneapolis After
finishing up st. Paul to-day, it will adj
journ for month and recOnvene at Louis
vile for complete Southern tour.
SENATOR HARRIS VIEWS.
A representative of the GLOBE found
Senator Harris in his room, shortly before
noon, busily engaged with quantity of
mail matter which was laid aside with
Southern courtesy, when the object OF the
visit was explained.
''Our committee has not formulated it's
labors thus far" he said, ''but we certainly
have gathereda great quantity of infOrma-
ton that will be of service to the senate.
We are now nearing the end, as far as the
Northwest is concerned"
'sFrom the data you have gathered, what
do you conceive to be the sentiment Of the
country concerning congressional legislation
in railroad matterS?"
'It is almost unanimous in favor of such
legislation. should say that seven, almost
nine, of every ten men who come before us
want the government to protect them from
railroad injustice. This is especially so
when the farmer element comes to the
front. have not particularly taxed my
memory, but the general impression left on
my mind is that the country at large wants
something, though differing at different
points as to the details"
''What particular wrongs seem to be the
most PROMINENT"
ssWell, | should Judge the matter of re-
bates, discrimination between different
shippers, private concessions to others and
the differences between long and short
hauls in the same direction, figure most
prominently in the complaints we have
heard"
congress on this subiect?"
Hardly, yet 1t seems that if rs per
cent Of the country want something, con-
gress will quite probably give it to them.
This is all l may say, at this time"
''Perhaps you might give the GLOBE.
something of interest on Southern politics
How are the appointments of the admins
tration regarded"
''Our people in Tennessee are disposed
to be very philosophical. They realize, l
think, the wisdom as well as the necessity
in going slowly in that matter. There are
disturbing elements there as elsewhere, but
nothing that will endanger the party well
fare. Tennessee would tomorrow increase
her Democratic majority, and that tells
what we think of the administration.
There is really nothing to tell you in the
political line"
THE OTHER SENATORS
confirmed what Gov. Harris said of the
labors of the commission. Senator Platt,
coming from an old and thickly-settled
country, where various railroad laws are in
force. Is largely inclined to favor national
legislation on the subject, and thinks the
country is back of him in the matter LAS
for the Eastern people" he said, ''they not
only want law similar to that in force in
Massachusetts, but think that very law is
the acme and essence of all that is
good"
. In the hour before dinner the commission
was visited by many callers, until they had
not time, as one of them expressed it, ''to
feel himself and see if he was all there"
THE COMMITTEE IN SESSION.
The committee held it's session beginning
at Q o'clock in the club room of the West
hotel. The senators sat at one end of a
long table with stenographer, while
some four or five gentlemen of Minneapolis,
waiting to be questioned sat about the
room. The number of these latter was
much smaller than had been anticipated
and the labors of the committee ended at
5 o'clock. The result may be briefly summed
up as follows: The gentlemen before the
committee were all railroad officials,
millionaires or heavy shareholders, between
whom and the roads perfect understand
ing exists-the consequence was, they were
unit in the belief that any legislation
must be productive of harm and not good.
During the session Gen. W. D. Washburn
came in and, enthusiastically greeting the
senators, invited them to accompany him
over the city, an invitation that will doubt
less be accepted tomorrow.
THE HEAVIEST SHIPPER.
G. A. Pillsbury, the head of the milling
firm of Charles A. Pillsbury & Co., one of
the heaviest shippers of Minneapolis and
the Northwest, was the first gentleman to
appear before the committee. He was
really the spokesman of the chamber of
commerce delegation, is thoroughly familiar
with the matter at hand and entirely quail
fed to place those views properly before
the committee. In answer to questions he
stated his business and facilities for &C
quaintance with the shipping interests.
Senator Gullom asked:
''Have you any grievances to state in the
line of railroad ratesp"
The answer, in brief, to this was: sNo,
not &c far &C the milling business was con-