The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1889-03-08

THE RAILROAD MATTER.
The Board of Trade Re-Affirms Its
Previous Action.

trade Monday morning WAS very largely
attended by business men and railroad
employees to hear the representatives of
the latter state their side of the case in
reference to the laws they want the leg
islature to enact for their protection.
Gen. Pope could not be present, being
Obliged to attend an important commit
tee meeting at st. Paul. Mr.. Harry P.
Robinson, of Minneapolis, editor of the
Northwesta RaitrOader, and Mr.. l.. G.
Body, of Minneapolis, president of the
railroad employees association, were
present, and made explanations In re-
gard To the matter. The meeting lasted
about two hours and half, and at times
the board at first seemed to think that
Mr.. Robinson was attempting to avoid
the main point at issue, which was a
clause i'm the bill forbidding the commits
sioneis To regulate rates when the rail-
roads show that they are not earning a
lair recompense on the capital invest
ed. 1t MAS stated u number of times
that all the members wanted the rail-
road employ es to receive just compen-
sation, anu that the only objection was
to the method they took to get it.
Mr.. l.. u Body was the first gentle
man to speak. He stated that his atten-
ton had been called TO statements of
Hon. E. Nj. Pope at the last meeting of
the board as gwen in the papers of this
city, which statements were untrue and
misleading. lie, in the first place, de-
MED that the association was u tool of
the corporations or composed of others
than bona fide employees. In support
of this statement he gave u history of
the organization since It's formation, and
the causes which brought about the for
nation of the association, which now in
.udes two-tllirds of the employees IN
the State, no higher officer than FORE
man of a shop being permitted to join.
He explained the proposed amendments
to the present law, and in a very able ar
gument presented the position of the
employees. He neld that the roads
should have the right OF appeal from the
decisions of the railroad commissioners.
If the commission imposes unjust rates
the employees are the ones who suffer,
for the roads save expenses by cutting
down their employees and salaries,
there being 5000 idle ones how. In the
State are $1,000 employees, upon whom
families are depending, in all about co.
tIt0p neople. These should not be handi-
capped b. -9g;ns. legislation He did
not want the railroad commissions wiped
out, but rather thought its true duties
were 10 arbitrate between the railroads
and the people, but the present law
gives 1t extreme judicial power. He
characterized the present law as "dam-
nable, outrageous and ubiquitous law,
such as would do credit to an anarch.
ist."
In reply to q question, Mr.. Body
stated that during the past two years I'M
der the present law the wages of en-
ployes have been gradually reduced
from 10 to 20 per cent; the working
forces reduced, and the working hours
reduced to eight to nine hours, and in
some cases 10 five days in the week and
less. The point was brought up that
crops were not 30 great as usual, and he
explained that the roads did large in
crease of passenger and freight business,
with a decrease in the number of men
and still decrease in the earnings of the
roads. This did not include snow shov-
elers.
Various questions were put by MEM
bers of the road to ascertain whether
the reductions of men and wages was
due to the railroad laws or to the state
of trade or other causes, Mr.. Body
thought that it was owing to the law,
while some of the members of the board
thought that 1t was not.
Mr.. Harry P. Robinson was introduce
ed by Mr.. Body.
Mr.. Barney called attention to the
statement of Gen. Pope that the smaller
towns would lose whatever they have
gained, by taking away from the COM
missioners the right to regulate charges.
Mr.. Robinson denied that the law would
have such an effect.
A mechanic stated that the employees
were working In their own interests
onlv, and only with the railroads when
laws were passed which made it impos-
sible Tor the roads to pay far wages.
It was stated by q member of the
board that the business men wanted to
be fair, but did not care to pay seven
per cent. interest on watered stock to
Englishmen and Scotchmen, who only
expect from two to four per cent. 9th
ers thought that the employees should
let the railroads look out for themselves
on most of the points raised.
Mr., Robinson was asked number of
questions on the matter, mostly relating
to the section of the proposed law for
bidding the commissioners to finally fix
rates on State business under certain
conditions. Messrs. J. A. Willard, S. F.
Barney, M. G. Willard, John Klein and
Geo. A. Clarke took grounds against this
portion of the bill, AID Mr.. Robinson
defending the section.
Mr.. Farr reached the point when he
said that the position Of the board was
that the power of the commissioners to
equalize rates should not be impaired.
There was some difficulty in getting the
exact point stated, several ideas being
held on the subject. The point was
made that the law would prohibit any |
regulation of rates when the companies |
do not earn seven per cent, which would
tie tie hands of the commissioners, as |
the railroads would be able to show that
they did not earn seven per cent. as the |
most of them have never made that re-
turn on the money.
The question being finally fixed upon,
Mr.. Robinson attempted TO answer it,
by saying that the commissioners should
have sense enough to know when the
roads are earning q fair return and
then equalize the rates. He also stated
hat the rates of the commissioners
would hold during an appeal to court
Ind until such appeal had been decided.
II was held by members of the Board
hat the railroads would reduce rates to
ome points, reducing the amount of the
ncome and forbidding the commits
toners to make change, 1t was also
tated that if one party was to be unfair
would be better to trust the commits ,
toner's than the railroads.
Mr.. Robinson cited the switching