St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-02-11

was read and adopted without discussion, as
was also section 3.
Section read, Mr.. Leland offered an
amendment to make the salary of the secre-
tary 81 300 instead of s. 800. Mr.. Drake op-
posed the amendment as penny wise and
proud foolish, aud the amendment was lost.
Mr.. Leland also offered an amendment MAX
ing the salaries of the commissioners SO, 500
Instead of SO, 500. Lost. Mr.. Gibbs moved to
amend By making the salaries SO, 900. Messrs.
Drake and Burlingame opposed the amend
ment. It was the purpose of the bill, they
said, to have the commission composed Of
men of first-class ability. Amendment
lost.
Section 5, requiring the railroads to give
the commissioners and their assistants free
transportation, was adopted without discus
sion.
Section 6, designating the repairs to be
made by railroad companies, being read, Mr..
Durant offered an amendment to make it
apply solely to the railroad corporations of
this state. Lost. The section was then
adopted
Mr.. Pattee proposed an amendment to
section &, to have interrogations by the COM
msSioners To the railroad com panies. other
than those given in section 6, be made solely
| as to condition, operation, ETC., of their re-
spectve roads. The amendment was adopted,
as also thessection as amended.
Sections s, g., 10, II, II, 13 and IA were
adopted without discussion.
See ion Is read, relating to receiving
and shipping grain without distinction or
discrimination, and granting equal rights In
building and operating warehouses and side
tracks. Mr. Pattee offered an amendment
to strike out the provisions requiring rail-
roads to load the cars, and inserting '.permit
the same to be loaded Mr. Hendrickson Of
fered as substitute, ''or permit the same to be
loaded" which was accepted BY Mr.. Pattee.
The amendment was adopted and then the
| section.
Section 16 contains the provision re-
| latng to long and short hauls, which has
been so streuuously opposed by railroad men
who have appeared before the railroad COM
mttee. The section read, Mr.. Durant Of
fered an amendment striking out the lines
especially prohibiting roads from charging
more for short than long haul. Mr..
Durant said the provision would prevent
roads in the state competing with roads from
Chicago and other points having terminal
points in Iowa, Nebraska and states to the
west, but whose lines traversed the state.
Mr.. Leland opposed the amendment, and
cited a case where a railroad company
charged $50 for car Of freight delivered
forty miles nearer the shipping point than
Mankato than it did to Nankato. The pro-
vision was intended to put stop to that
kind OF injustice, and it vas
DEMANDED BY THE PEOPLE.
Mr.. Myers also spoke in opposition. He
said it would take the heart out of the entire
bill ifthe amendment was adopted. The legis-
lature was trying to pass law to prevent
discrimination. He thought there were other
interests than those gathered at Saltwater to
be considered. The raising and marketing
of 40, 900, 900 bushels of wheat ought to be
considered. The bill, he said, simply pro-
posed TO place all citizens and localities on
the same footing. That was all the section
did and he hoped the amendment would be
voted down.
Mr. Pattee confessed he did not under
stand the full scope of the section. He sup
posed, however, it was to prohibit discrimin-
alton. He understood 1t cost more to bring
freight from Northfeld to st. Paul
than from Owatonua. He thought such
discrimination wrong Bu while preventing
such wrong be did not think the provisions
of the bill should he
MADE so STRINGENT
as to make it impossible for state roads to
successfully compete with roads radiAdng
from large terminal points outside the
state. He thought the commissioners should
be given Il discriminating power in such
cases.
Mr.. Hendrlckson agreed with 1lr. Potter.
He would like to hear from the railroad COM
mittee on the point
Mr.. Drake, Of the committee, said the pro-
vision was substantially that of the Illinois
law. When it was considered, he said, he
had read the committee letter
from the chairman OF the rail-
! isaff Of OF cfata in
which he made the statement that the state
had lost heavily through its operation. To
prevent like evil effect here the com mittee
had endeavored to make the section more
fiexibleeby the addition Of the proyiso giving
the commission discretionary powers. He
did not know the provso would accom-
plsh the object but such was It's purpose.
He was satisfied If the provision not
made flexible it would do Il great injury to
the state as we'll as the railroads
Nr. Burlingame corrected Mr.. Drake By
saying the provision was copy Of the Massa.
chusetts law.
Mr.. Myers took issue with Mr. Drake as TO
the Illinois law having had any bad effect In
that state. The law had been in operation
eleven years, and the first complaint
against 1t noted by the railroad COM
missioners was within the past year.
The provision might work disadvantageously
In exceptional cases, but It's general effect he
believed would be beneficial, and that was
what the people wanted. It would take an
ironclad law to keep the railroads in check,
and be should oppose
ANY PROCESS OF WEAKENING.
Mr.. Brown said the section In question
was the very life Of the bill and he hoped 1t
would not be interfered With
Mr.. Hcnc rickson thought be saw a DISPOSE
ton to bliudly vote down any amendment
and put the bill through as reported. Never
tneess he would call attention To the fact
that many of the western and northwestern
| trunk lines from Chicago, we're interested in
settling up the country 70 the southwest Of
Minnesota. and that By a combination with
eastern trunk lines they bad heen able
to largely turn the tide OF immigration away
IRON Minnesota aod northern Dakota. This
check of immigration and the low price OF
wheat had already operated 70 reduce the
price Of land in north;r Minnesota. One Of
the paramount necessities Of to-day was i'm
migration, and yet 1t was proposed to ncor-
porsts a provision by law which would abso-
lutely shut of our roads from entering into
competition With roads working TO build up
outside localities. He warned members, es-
peclaly farmer members, from going too
far.
Dr. Murphy advised moderation. he rid
iculed the idea Of clothing commission,
which By the very terms Of the law were TO
be men of no practical railroad knowledge,
with such powers as it was proposed TO do.
On adiyision the amendment was rejected,
It receiving but eighteen votes.
Mr. Meyers moved that when the commit
tee rise II recommend the bill be made the
special order f,r Il a. m. to-day. Adopted.