Bismarck weekly tribune., 1889-03-08
THE RAILROAD coM,1,ss,ox

No veto message sent to the legisla-
ture during the present session
has demanded more careful
consideration than that transmitted to
the council Monday, veroing the bill
for the abolishment of the railroad COM
mission.
That, as the governor says, the rail
road commissioners are the only officers
who stand between the people and the
corporation to see that the complaint of
the humblest citizen is given respectful
consideration is apparent to all. They
are the only officers who during the past
four years have adjusted misunderstand-
lngs or dieagreements between "a citizen
and the corporation without putting the
complainant to the expense of litigation.
They are not only railroad commission.
but under the present grain warehouse
law they have supervision of the grain
dealing of the territory.
They have placed the elevator and
warehouse men under bond and thus
protect the farmers against the danger
of being defrauded by ahe defaulting or
absconding of irresponsible buyers,
which has been the case too often in the
past.
BY preventing unjust discrimination III
the furnishing of cars they have already
established an open wheat market which
III itself is OF more Importance to the
farmers tL:a. any other legislation with
IN the po"'cr OF the lawmaking body.
The action oI the commissioners in this
respect has at many points in the wheat
growing sections, during the past two
years, raised the price of wheat from five
to ten cents per bushel, and Nlr. Strong
OF Park River, now In the city, is IA wit
ness to tho fact that by compelling the
furnishing of cars to small buyers in his
town the commission raised the price Of
wheat twenty cents per bushel.
During the wheat blockade OF 1887,
tho board by its action brought about re-
lief in the way of cars, winch one act was
worth more to the territory than the cost
OF the commission for Il decade. In this
case over five thousand cars were
brought TO the wheat belt within four
days and the wheat which was
stored in the dwellings uf the farmers
OF lying upon the streets of the towns
along the line Of the Manitoba and
Northern Pacific railroads (the elevators
being filed WAS saved from ruin and
given ready market
When one stops to figure ON the
amount of money saved to farmers by
such action he is bewildeYed. It goes
into the hundreds of thousands and is
immeasurable.
In many other ways can the commits
sion be of incalculable value to the peo-
pie.
Through it's laborsn transfer tracks
have been and can be established,
stations reopened Gas was the case
at Taylor on the Northern Pacific
where the people were suffering
from the closing of their station by
superintendent branches have been
opened, depot buildings constructed and
in hundred ways have the people Sc
cured relief and permanent benefit under
the railroad and grain Warehouse laws.
: The abolishment is step backwards; :.
it wipes out the only officers that have,
power in any way to protect the interest Of
the farmer and instead of it's abolishment
the commissioner hands should be
strengthened.
True, in some cases the commission
has failed to secure the relief desired but
this is not sufficient cause for ignoring
the good that has been accomplished.
Amend, if necessary, but do
not abolish the law which takes with it
the open wheat market and the many
other benefits already secured.