The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1886-10-22


passenger rate system, and henceforth
the people of this State can travel at
three cents per mile instead of foEr.
The net results of this work of the com.
MISSION, figured upon the number of
local passenger carried during the past
year, exceeds $780, Carried into
the future, the saving can only be mea-
sured by the continued growth of the
passenger business. These things do not
show an idle commission, as Mayor
Ames has falsely asserted. They exhi-
bit net saving to the producers of this
State of an aggregate exceeding 81, 525,-
600! He will find that the commission,
under these laws, are working as fast as
the Importance of the grave matters
with which they are charged will adj
nit. They are not to be railroad wreck
ers, but careful, prudent, judicial men,
dealing impartial justice To all parties i'm
interest.
Sixth-Station houses upon all lines i'm
the State have been visited with view
of ascertaining their conformity to the
act of March Z, 1885. These visits re-
suited in the erection of thirty new sta
ton houses upon the request of the com
mission for the better accommodation
and convenience of the people, while
MANY others have been enlarged.
Seventh-Onc of the most notable and
serviceable results of these laws TO the
producers of this State has been the OBJ
tanning and securing of free and open
markets. The commission has vigorous
ly insisted upon strict compliance with
those provisions of law which govern
this just policy. Open markets and the
fliberty of II free shipment of grain alone
afford that competition which is the
necessary accompaniment of unfettered
trade. The right of every person TO
erect II grain warehouse upon the right
of way of II railroad company, ora farm
or To have n ear in which To ship gram,
str,ctly enforced, by vigorous officers,
| secure these results. This has been
done 80 thoroughly that but one com
plant this season has reached the COM
| mission of an alleged neglect to furnish
ears to farmers, and it was found upon
examination that the road was doing To
the utmost of its ability Ia furnish ears,
being under the pressure of an extra
ordinary demand.
The right To erect grain warehouses
has been conceded by every road but
| one. Against this company the commits
sion has instituted II suit in the district
court of Steele county, and decision of
that court was rendered i'm favor of the
law. The company has appealed from
that decision 10 the supreme court, and
the commission confidently expects Il
| final ruling from that ultimate authority
sustaining the law, thus making il
binding upon every railroad corporation
| in this State.
Eigth-The hearing of complaints has
formed great feature of the work of
the commission. More than one hun
A Il l..E Il
nearly all adj usted. The board has new
ee neglected Ia hear Il single complaint,
however trivial, and the labor so i'm
posed has very great. About four hun
dred stations have been visited, com
plants heard, local interests consulted
and general facts permanently journal
| lied.
Ninth-The commission has also caused
nearly ali the country elevators and
gGlin houses To he visited by Il compc-
j tent expert, with u view of asccrtaining
If they conformed to State grades, the
extent of their dockage and the fidelity
of their weights.
Tenth-OtlIer work of IN important
character is yet in hand and under con-
sideration, such as merchandise rates,
| the system of classification, pooling, etc.
| Eleventh-Ihe commission is now
specially engaged in preparing, as re-
qnired by law, for the consideration of
the next legislature, such amendments
la these laws AZ experience may teach
To be desirable.
by this enumeration Of work and re-
suits, any intelligent and considerate
farmer can clearly see that the commits
sion is earnestly, faithfully, though,
quietly, endcavoring Ia do its duty. He
will see that the Republican party is
doing all that can be done, and az rapid,
ly us it can he considerably done, in the
direction the farmer desires, for the re-
dress of real wrongs. 1t demonstrates
that the welfare of the farmers of Min
nesota is safe i'm the hands of the Re-
publican party. 1t is of the highest i'm.
portance that this system of corporate
control, now i'm its formative period, and
of such essential importance tn the farm
ers of this State, may become permanent
in the laws and administration of the
State government. A change to new,
visionary and untried men, might jeo-
par,liZc these great interests. Mr.. Me-
Gill is pledged to the maintenance and
continuation of these reforms. He will
follow i'm the path of usefulness marked
out by his Republican predecessors. His
fidelity to these measures can not he
justly questioned. lie is but the eXpon'
ent ola party whose loyalty TO the
farmer has been fully demonsir rated. In
Il spirit of pride we point 10 the twenty
six years of Republican rule IN Mime
sofa, as the years in which our State has
been well night created. BY good con
duet, prGdent expenditures, compre
hensive and human measures. and &
+ determined purpose to resist corporal,
aggression, the Republican party has
commended itself to continued publ,
favor, and may again fearlessly ant
cordially challenge the people for re-
newed support.
Let the people, therefore, rally to the
support of Mr.. Spaulding, who will con
tinuo to represent Thorn in "a faithful an.
| Of