St. Paul daily globe., 1885-02-04
THE RAILROAD QUESTION.

the senate chamber at 3 o'clock Yesterday,
which was addressed by l.. s. Coffin, one of
the railroad commissioners of the state of
Iowa, and several other gentlemen. The
meeting was attended by large number of
senators aud members of the house, besides
considerable number of citizens interested
in railroad management. Senator G. d.
Gilfillan, chairman of the committee on rail-
roads, introduced Mr.. Coffin, who is middle
aged gentleman who knows how to express
his views in clear and forcible manner
BY WAY OF INTRODUCTORY
Mr.. Coffin said his visit to Minnesota was
for the purpose of attending meeting of
the State Agricultural society, and that moth
ing was further from his intention when he
came to the city than to address legislative
committee upon the subject Of railroads. He
said he was first, last and all the time
farmer, and that his remarks should
have for their object the aid of progressive
agriculture. He then proceeded to give a
brief history of granger legislation, and said
that the result Of legislative experiments
upon this topic had crystalized into the pres
| eut railroad law OF Iowa. He believed It WAS
the right kind of a law, and had resulted in
MAGNIFICENT SYSTEM
| OF transportation in his state. He said the
future of the state of Minnesota was assured
if untrammelled by uufriendly legislation,
and urged that legislation should not be to
the injury Of the present and future resources
and interests Of the state. He considered IL
better to have u board of railroad commits
sioners, with advisory rather than mandatory
power; and that it would be best not to ar
bitrarily fix rates not justified By the expert
ence Of railroad operators. Such commits
sion would be the poor mans protection.
Aggrieved persons could send their com
plants to the board by letter or on a postal
card. with the full assurance that they
would receive prompt attention, no
matter how small the injury
II was the small complaints which were the
most irritating AS an indication of the
moral influence possessed by an advisory
commission he said there had been 600 com
plants made 10 their board, and In only one
Instance had the railroads failed to comply
that was where there was
| A MIsCONCEPrioS OF THE LAW.
The speaker stated that the railroads did
not want to be held up as being so unjust as
not to be willing to do justice In small mat
| ters, and narrated some circum stances illus
trstlng this point. He thought the commits
sion should De appointed by the governor,
and removed as far rs possible from politics,
aud should be con- posed Of q civil engineer,
business man or lawyer, and producer.
| lie spoke Of Peter A. Dye, Of the Iowa
board, whom he considered the ablest man
! for such position ia the United States, but
who could not have been elected TO his pies
ent position by ordinary political methods.
! Upon the subject OF discrimin alton he said
| that the great danger was that In endeavor-
! ing to avoid the rocks upon one side you
should go too far and strike them upon the
other side. He advised against the adoption
OF rigid tariff rates upon the ground that II
left flexible railroad companies could and
would foster struggling industries much 10
the prosperity Of the state. He said success
| ful railroad management, the building up OF
! jobblug and manufacturing industries and
successful farming will always depend upon
a wise discrimination Of freight rates. The
! speaker very ably and eloquenty argued this
| proposition and showed by numerous Illus
| tratons its soundness.
LONG AND SHORT HAUL RATES.
Mr. Coffin then urged the legislature 10
| shape their laws with reference to the fut-
ure growt and development Of the state;
and in the course of his remarks he justified
the policy Of giving same rates for long
haul as for short one. Said he was plead
] ing for the hardy pioneer who goes out upon
the frontier and hews himself out a home aud
that for his sake railroads should be allowed
TO transport bis produce at cheap rates.
Some one asked him, What do you think
of maximum ratesi" He answered, mo
hurt" Query: ANY good" ~ can't see
any real good in them" Senator Gihllan
said question has been sent up 10 him as
| follows: Our farmers are suffering and con-
! planning Of low prices for wheat. Have you
/ a remedy 10 suggests
Mr. Cofiin-Yes, and a very good one too,
but it will take few years to bring II about.
Change to diversified farming. He also said
that the most important thing 10 be accom-
plished BY the con mission was n study this
question Of tran spOrtatiou and recommend
to the legislature what would be suitable leg
islation upon the subject.
THE GREAT EVIL
of railroad legislation had been the lack Of
| Inform alton on the part Of law makers 10 en-
able them TO put upon the statute book what
would be just and equitable 10 all concerned.
| He said that years ago the railroads bad given
dairymen special rates, which had enabled
them % send their product 10 eastern mar
keis aud II had the effect TO so foster and
encourage that industry a. 20 enable farmers
| 70 pay of the mortgages upon their farms,
and they are now prosperous people. Con-
| a. ba he
| farmer who mad a load Of hogs or anything
/ else 10 ship could do so to the same adyan-
/ tage as the warehouse man, and he thought
I il was the proper thing 10 do. The passage
| Of the Reagan bill, he thought, would be a
very great blow 10 the agricultural interests
/ OF the whole west
| Gen. Baker was asked Il there we're any
/ complaints made 70 him, and where the rail-
/ roads had refused to comply with his request
/ 70 right the wrongs complained Of
he said the minor complaints have been
generally promptly adjusted. The larger
I questions, especially those relating to the
| shipment Of grain have not yet been settled.
/ He bad appealed 20 them upon these matters.
/ but 90 far in vain. Tie reason assigned for
/ not furnishing cars rss that they could not
do so for elevators Of less than 30. 900 bushels
capacity.
President Hill, Of the Manitoba road, eI-
/ planned 10 the CON nittee the policy OF bis
road relative to elevators. His road fur
nishes cars for the shipment Of wheat % any
elevator, but does not permit irresponsible
/ persons TO construct snail elevators upon
their road or right Of Eay. He also gave
some very interesting statistics Of cars fur
nished shippers during the busy shipping
season. His very practicable illustration Of
the in nprsctieability OF Iaading wheat from
I teams vas verF convincing.
Upon motion Of Sen A;or Do-zn the railroad
committee rendered Commissioner CofHn .
/ vote OF thanks for his able ard instructive
] sss.. sh--