St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-01-05

Ihs large surplus of nearly $50, 600
should be utilized by being covered
| into the revenue fund, for which appro
pirate legislation is needed at your
hands. A further reduction in the i'll
| Spectl0n fees will prevent the recur-
renee OF so large surplus.
That portion of the law OF 1885 which
| aims to regulate and control grain ele-
vators and warehouses has, through the
! action of their prOprietOrs, fallen into
we'll nigh utter dlSuse, as appears from
| the last report OF the railroad and ware
! house commission, to which l call your
! special attention. These elevators and
warehouses that thus decline to sub
init to state supervision all avail them
selves of the weighing, grading and in
Spection provisions of the law, as all
grain consigned to them from interior
points is weighed, graded and inspected
by state officers, and thus, while enjoy
ing the benefits, they decline to share
the burdens of the law.
This is condition which, to my mind,
calls for immediate and effective legiS-
lative remedy. That you have ample
and plenary jurisdiction in the premises
is made plain by the supreme court of
the United States, in the case of Mum
VS.. Illinois, to which l call your atten-
ton.
Under existing law the ordinary
farmer, he who is unable to ship in car
load lots, and is Obliged to sell his grain
by the wagon load TO the local dealers =
and most farmers belong to this class
has no state umpire, either as to weight,
grade or dockage. No state Weigher or
state inspector is at hand, or can he be
invoked to right his wrong, if any, but
he is RENTED to the vague and dilatOry
remedy Of the common law. This dis
elimination iii legislative protection and
legislative relief has always struck me
as anomalous and unjust. And, there
fore, | have always favored, and still
favor. some plan placing all grain ele-
vators and warehouses, doing a public
business under state inspection and
state supervision. to the end that the
state may effectively and benehcially
mediate between the warehousemen
and the farmer.
But i'll addition to this, the farmer
needs prompt and unrestricted facili-
ties for the erection and maintenance
of grain elevators and warehouses at all
stations ana Sidings, with necessary
side-track and switching accommodate
lions for the same. 1t is not for rail-
road companies to say who ought, or
ought not, to have warehouse and side
track facilities. All should be put on u
footing of equality. All discrimination
should be eliminated to the end that
untrammeed competition, one Of the
best regulators, may be secured and
maintained. To entail the duty OF
Maintaining grain elevators upon the
railroad companies. as has been con-
tended for in some quarters, would tend
to give them a monopoly of the bust
ness, and thus stiile competition. which
is far from desirable. In view OF all
these facts. to which have called your
attention. | cannot forbear 10 earnestly
recommend that you devise and enact
legislation that will promptly and effect
lively furnish the necessary relief and
redress in all cases of this nature.
While minnesota is rapidly develop
ing her vast mineral resources, and 10