The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1886-12-30

of such lands. They lie largely in the more
sparsely settled portions OF tho state. where the
people are struggling against great odds to
make homes for themselves and their posterlty.
Court houses and other county buildings are to
be erected and paid for; school houses built ana
schools ma ntained; roads opened ana WORKED
in short all the necessary adjuncts to thriving
community are to be called into being bv the
efforts and money Of the hardy pioneer. Every
other sectionor more. perhaps, OF the land IN the
county OF district in which he has settled be-
longs to some one OF these giant corporations,
and Is held by 1t freed from any liability TO con-
tribute farthing to the Improvement which is
its holdings. The question OF the taXah1l1ty OF
these lands has been In a number OF cases and
in different forms before our supreme court In
almost every such instance the state has been
met with the provisions contained IN the CHAR
tors OF these companies, which grant immunity
from tavation until o sale or conveyance or such
lands It Is for you to thoroughly investigate
the status OF such lands, and see II there Is any
way By which you can obtain relief to the people
in this matter.
GRAIN STORAGE BY RAILROAD COMPANIES.
In competition with the legislation proposed by
the railroad and warehouse commission. would
suggest for your consideration whether 1t Is not
both right and practicable that the railway
companies. which handle nearly all OF the grain
raised for market in the state. should not be re-
qrred, when not receiving the same into cars
directly upon delivery TO them: to furnish
storage for Ii in elevators or grain houses at the
stations where the grain is received for ship
m.nt free of expense to the shipper Is there
any sound reason for making grain an exception
to the general rule that common carriers shall
receive freight, and, il not shipped at once, Shall
furnish storage from the time 1t is offered for
shipment until ready to be delivered to the con-
signee? That such a requirement would involve
the companies in much expense ana no little
Inconvenience at first must be admitted: and IL
the system should be inaugurated reasonable
time should certainly be given the companies
to furnish suitable storage structures The
proposed plan might, to a limited extent. dis
place elevators and grain houses now employed
hNvn thar nnny N y
its effect in this direction would be material The
greater part of the grain now received by such
| houses is not delivered for transportation, but
is either sold for cash or receipts are taken by
| the producer with intent to sell at future
| day and without shipping from the receiving
| station. Were the plan suggested to be put in
operation it is not perceived that 1t would inter-
| fere with the facilities for buying, receiving or
storing of grain wherever such traffic is or could
| be carried on, but it would certainly stimulate
| railroad companies to provide, as far as posi-
| BILE, the necessary cars for the immediate ship
| ment of grain as offered No grain, Of course,
would be delivered to the companies but SUCH
| as the owners desired to have Immediately
| shipped. The most OBVIOUS reason for Masking
grain an exception to TIE rule in sections where
raised in great abundancs 1s that the bulk OF the
! crop intended for sale is thrown upon the mar
| ket within few months after harvest, ana
| hence 1t would be unreasonable to require the
| companies to provide the necessary transpOrta-
| ton to move it in 30 limited time, or to store
| it for want OF cars to haul 1t away. But as the
wheat farmer becomes more forehanded, ana Is
|
lately. he will largely provide for his own stor-
| age, and this objection would soon be greatly
| diminished. In this connection 1t would be well
| to consider whether the objections to the pro-
posed plan are not to some extent founded on a
| participation in the elevator profits by some OF
the officers managers Of the roads, rather than
on the plan itself.
! Whether or not these suggestions should be
| considered by you worthy to be formulated into
| legal enactment, have no hesitation in rec
| ommending such legislation as will make It a
| anal
| or managing railroad In the state to part1cI-
| pate in any profits derived from an elevator,
| grain house. wood or coal yard located on the
| line OF his road.
WHEAT GRADING.
One Of the most frequent and serious com.
| plants among wheat producers and dealers in
grain is the difficulty Of procuring anything like
| uniform grades at different times and places
too often, indeed, at the same time and place
--on wheat of the same kind and quality. The
| railroad and warehouse commissioners have
| done much to lessen the evil but there is still
! wide room for Improvements. II possible, the
| inspection should be made by persons not only
| disinterested in the result. but without knowl-
edge of the ownership of the grain or Of the prob
able purchaser-or, indeed. of the person or per-
| sons interested in commissions on it, Under
| conditions Of this kind am satisfied that the
surprising and incxpicable differences in Official
| grades of wheat Of the same variety and quality
| would rarely occur. Every avenue to dishonest
practices should be closed by the law where pos
| sibe. With the door to favoritism LETT open
| dissatisfaction will prevail even in the absence
| of actual fraud
| WATERING STOCKS.
| commend to your special consideration the
| legislation proposed by the commissioners tG
| prevent the issuing Of false. fraudulent and un
| paid stock by railroad companies, and to resu.
| late proceedings in the matter of increasing
| their capital stock. It appears to me that the
| proposed bill is well calculated to suppress the
| evil of watering stocks by railroad corporations
trick by which fictitious capital is created. ant
| upon which the people are required to pay divi-
| dends. This method of diluting and expanding
| capital, already dangerous to the public from
its very vastness and its absolute control by
few persons,-sometimes practically by on
man.-costs the producing. classes of the
list no moral claim to dividends on wateret
stock, and there should exist no legal right tt
such dividends.
| CHEAP PASSENGER FARES.
Cheap passenger fares on our railroads. though
with us of secondary Importance as compared
with freight charges. are nevertheless Of publ
moment. The territorial limits of the state ar
so great-the masses Of the people so remot
from our large cities and chief public institu
tions-that travel is oftentimes burdensome t.
them, and that free intercourse between tn
| people. so much to be desired for many reasons
is greatly retarded. Still, it must be remem
bered that the very existence of these magnificen
| distances and the comparatively limited popu
lation scattered over them render it impractica
| BILE that the passenger rates here should be n
low as in the thickly settled communities Of tn
East. where the average number Of PASSENGER
Per mile Is many times greater. Commendabl
| progress has been made during the past yea
toward a standard Of cheap passenger fares, bu
greater reductions. II practicable are very mucl
to be desired. There is. I apprehend. one obsta
Gle in the way which it Is within your power t.
remove. ailude to the practice. obtatnini
among railroad companies, Of issuing free passes
This custom, besides being Of questionable pol
icy, has become burdensome to the companies
| 1t favors the few at the expense Of the many
, The travelling pablo who pay fares have reason
to suppose that the amount charged them
governed more or less by the number who rid
free It is custom which smacks Of favoritisr
on the one side and injustice on the other, ane
like many other, would be more honored in tn
BE- safely assumed that the innsnce
| free passes on public men is much less than
) ! generally supposed. ii, indeed. the cases wher
nos bas
so firmly established that men holding publ
positions are apt to regard themselves as en-
titled to free passes 6y virtue ne OF the sess the
! ject to retaliation in 80 many ways that It
) doubtful II the practice can be suppressed with
out legislative Interference. Unless forbidde
| oeptions those to whom they are issued will az
cept them. The inf uence Of the few who refus
will be slight in restraining the evil that the1
| will be but little encouragement to individu,
/ action. In my Judgment the free pass systel
| in its present magnitude amounts to q publ
evil, and recommend the enactment Of suitabl
: | legislation to destroy 1t.
THE TAX LAWS.
There is no more important subject concernir
! Of the amendment Of the general tax laws of tt
: state. Under these laws, as interpreted by OF
|, | supreme court In its decision Of the now Gel,
! the adjournment of tho last legislature an
| lately teaffrmed, though by divided cOur
any freeholder is liable to be Invested Of the tit
t | tax laws or the action Of those who administ,
Y them, although he may have paid his tax In fu