St. Paul daily globe., 1892-01-09
Taught a Few Elementary
Questions by Gen.
Becker,
Who Incidentally Shows Up
Much Of the Alliances
BuncOmbe.
An Ex-County Assessor Is
Charged With False Pre-
lenses.

ance convention to wait upon the rail-
road and warehouse commission per-
formed their duty yesterday afternoon.
After having telephoned to the capitol
to learn ii the commission was in the
office, and upon receiving an affirmative
reply, the committee marched to the
capitol, where they were met by Darius
+. Reese, assistant secretary of the
commission, and by him ushered into
the presence of the commission. Gen.
Becker and Col. Liggett were there to
receive them. Judge Williams was alb
sent on business. The committee.
headed by Pat Rahilly and composed of
+. Nj. Currier, &. I. Bohan, ID. p. Lister
and Senator LOmmen, filed in
to the commissioners Office and
''rounoed to" in front of Gen.
Becker. Mr.. Rahilly opened fire with
"Gentlemen, this is committee from
We are crowd of farmers. This is
nice weather we are having"
Gen. Becker blushingly admitted that
the state of the weather was something
calculated to arouse the admiration of
almost any one, and cast an interrOga-
tive. glance at the crowd of farmers.
Mr.. Rahilly answered the silent Ques-
tiOn by producing from the receSses of
his inner coat document, stating that
it was aresolutiOn passed by the recent
Alliance convention and would explain
itself. He handed the paper to Gen.
Becker, who perused it and silently
passed it to Col. Liggett. Then he
waited for more. The document was
worded as follows:
Whereas, 1t is alleged that the rates of
freight, as established and enforced by COM
mon carriers, subject TO interstate commerce
law, upon grain and grain products from ali
stations i'll Minnesota to the ports on Lake
Superior and Lake Michigan are dispro-
portionately exercised and unreasonable, and
Whereas, These articles, having in view
the interests of the producers and carriers
alike, should bear only the lowest reasonable
rates and charges
Be 1t resolved that a committee be ap-
pointed who shall apply To the state railway
and warehouse commission. asking them to
prosecute an investigation OF these alleged
unreasonable rates before the interstate com
merce commission, said committee to have
authority 20 prepare and present com mpleints
for action by the railroad and warehouse
commission, or to take such other steps as
may be needed to further the purpose of this
resolution.
Mr.. Rahilly proceeded to give the
commission a few points and cite few
instances of discrimination by the rail-
road companies. the principal one being
the fact that it cost s cents to ship
wheat from Lake City to st. Paul,
whereas it only cost 121I cents to ship
from the same point to Chicago seven
times as far. Another thing, he said.
the agents decline to give the shipper
track weights, and in the case of coal,
ETC., shipped in, the agent would give
them no weights, although the coal
dealer was rObbing the people. 1t
sometimes happens that a farmer ships
his wheat and loses it entirely, and i'm
addition to that has to pay the shipping
charges on the. grain that was lost. MIR.
Rahllly proceeded in an .apOlogetic tone
to say that there was pretty general
talk of the failure of the railroad COM
mission to do its duty. OF course he
knew the commission was doing its best,
but the farmers, you know, didn't know
this. He Impressed upon the commits
sion that he was speaking in behalf of
the Alliance in all he SAID.
Gen. Becker, at this point remarked,
with great dignity and precision,
Ihere are certain points upon which, by
reason OF certain experience of mine cover
ing a period of some six years. / am in q
position TO educate The Alliance This com
mission. you Will understand is limited in
It's powers There are some things it cannot
co. For instance, it cannot go ahead and
prosecute a railroad company for an ordi-
nary offense, but which would affect the
revenues of the road, without certain prelim-
lnary processes prescribed by the law which
created the commission"
w nat Is the reason we can get our wheat
graded No. hard uD i'll Renville county!''
asked member of the committee.
We'll. now, really don't know returned
the general. 1T is just possible that it is be-
cause it is not No. / hard wheat: and then
again it may be that you don't get the grade
your grain deserves. You see, the buyers of
grain have fashion of grading the grain
without consulting this board. and there is
nothing by which we are able to reach such
a case"
The general read certain portions of
the forthcoming report of the commits
sion in reply to the general charges
which had been made against the COM
mission, and explained to the commit
tee that before the commission has
power to proceed against any railroad
company for discrimination, charges
must be preferred by the injured parties.
when such charges are properly made
commission will, in all instances, prose-
cute the matter to the fullest extent of
It's powers and endeavOr to secure
justice for all parties. Gen. Becker also
read to the committee liberal extracts
from the state laws covering the points
touched upon in the resolution and
showing just where the powers
of the railroad commission began
and ended. Gen. Becker said the COM
mission would issue no order to stop a
comet. The commission vas inclined
to take no action that would be reversed
by the courts, and there was no use in
undertaking things that could not be
accomplished.
MIR. Rahilly expressed his thorough
satisfaction with the result of the inter-
view, and said he was now entirely sat
iSfied that whatever there was of fault
to be found existed in the law itself.
and not with the commission.