The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1891-02-13
From Thursdays Daily.
PUBLIC MEETING.
Mankato not Antagonistic toi Rail-
road Interests.

/
The public meeting last night to
! discuss proposed railroad legislation
was largely attended by our shippers
and others interested in the matter,
and large amount of interest was
displayed. The feeling of the meet
ing was clearly opposed TO any radi-
cal legislation, and the fear was fire.
quently expressed that the alleged
hostility of Mankato toward railroads
has in the past been a great injury to
the city.
| J. G. Wise was elected chairman,
and III. c. Akers secretary.
/ Gen. E. NJ. Pope was the first TO adj
dress the meeting. He spoke upon
the great amount of business and in
come of railroads. Their annual rev.
enue is s., 000 10000 while that of
the government is 800, 100000. A
great many unjust stories of his feel
ing toward railroads have been circu-
lated. but the sentiments that he has
for several years really held were ex-
pressed in the following resolution
which he presented:
! That our Repres entatiyes in the
state Legislature be advised that
! it is the sense of this meeting of citi-
Zens of Mankato. that in their legls-
| latiye capacity they should form the
enactment oflaWs looking to the con-
troll and revision, bythe state, through
its Railway Com'rS of the rates. fares
and charges established by the COM
mon carriers of the state 1.-THE railroad,
telegraph. telephone and express COM
panies) for the transaction OF their
state business. to the end that all such
rates. fares and charges be made equal
and reasonable andthat every dlscrimi-
nation as to persons Orplaces be proven
ted. We claim that there shall be no
longer allowed any special fares or
rates to terminal points. and that
every station upon any line of road
shall paw the same rate for a similar
service and relative rate for COM
Daratiye services, believing that
thus our agricultural interests, our
mines. quarries and forests, and our
manufacturing and jobbing interests
NAV have a fair chance for full deyel-
opement We would secure to every
section Of the state its proper adyan-
tage due to its proximity to the rivers
and great lakes of the country, and
relieve them of the intolerable bur-
den of paying tribute to the great cit
les which stand in the way and assume
to appropriate these advantages to
themselves alone.
He stated that while in the Legisla
ture he opposed many bills against
railroads. which the railroad officials
had asked him TO oppose, but he did
this not because they had asked him,
but because he did not believe in
those measures. He was opposed to
the Currier bill. yet if that bill passes,
as good rates can be secured as at pres
ent. or as are had in Iowa. He read
Capt. Beatty's letter in last evenings
FREE PRESS. and stated that Mr.. 3. IS
sentiments were his own the speak
ers). He read an extract from a
speech of Senator Washburn's S, in Con-
gress, wherein he says that the peO-
pie want the lowest possible rates,
and that the railroads can take care
of themselves. The speaker did not
believe that either statement was
true. The people do not want the
lowest possible rates, and they do want
to take care of the interests of those
who have their money invested in
railroads. The trouble with the rail-
roads is that they ruin each other by
competition. A very small portion of
the business Of the roads would be eff
fected by the proposed legislation.
Lorin Cray next took the floor, stat
ing that he had been engaged in rail-
road work for fifteen years. He want
ed to raise his voice against the con-
slant railing against railroad rates
which has occurred in this city until
it now has the reputation of being
the center of the railroad kickers of
four states. This has done more to
hurt the city than any good that has
been accomplished. He stated sever
al instances to prove this. He was
confident that the Northwestern cut
off proposed several years ago would
have been built across from Lake
CRYSTAL. because of the innumerable
resolutions and petitions against rail-
road interests that have been passed
by some Mankato people. He knew
this to be a fact. Then, while no such
kick was made at Lake Crystal, lum-
Der rates to that village were made
considerably lower than to Mankato.
Since the passage of the Iowa railroad
law there has been great deal of in
Jury done to the interests of that
state. Much train service was drop
ped, throwing many employees out of
work. He thought the resolution was
good, but shonld be made to read,
Resolved. that we are in favor of the
railroads doing right, and in favor of
ourselves doing right" We should at
once drop our hostility to the rail-
roads, for the rights of the New York
bondhOlderS should be observed as