The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1893-05-10

sage of the act in question. The
several acts of the legislature. passed
at the late session, which are to be
construed in pori m0terid, clearly in
dicate that the supervision of the
commission was sought to be extern
ed rather than restricted. The mani
fest purpose of said chapter is to pro-
vide for an elevator exclusively
owned and controlled by the state. to
which grain may be shipped and
| wherein it can be graded, Inspected
and otherwise appropriately handled.
without interfering by competing
private interests. The expense of
constructing said elevator and hand
ling grain therein is to be largely met
from fees authorized by the section
inquestiOn. 1t is not to be overlooked
in constituting the action in relation to
the fees thereby authorized, that the
law cOntemplates additional and
valuable advantages to the patrons
Of the elevator, and it was no doubt,
in view OF such advantages, that so
high rate OF fees was adopted. The
fact that the rate so provided may
tend to defeat the object sought to
be accomplished by the provisions of
UAAO dCO CduAOCs III VlCW VI 1dll>
guage therein employed. affect the
question. Whether or not this be
the necessary effect of the adoption
of SO high a rate, it remains with the
commission to partially, if not who'll
ly, counteract such i'll effect by fixing
the rate of charges and the like in
said elevator correspondingly low.
Such charges are, as you are aware.
left to the discretion of the commits
sion. Indeed, this course would seem
imperative, if the policy of this state.
as above suggested, is to receive Il
fair and proper test. Very truly
yours, III. w. CHILDs,
Attorney General.
1t will be seen that the Attorney
General says that the question sub
mitted to him is. whether the fees
for inspecting or Weighing are to be
charged against all grain or only
against that received at the eleva-
tor to be erected" etc. And he de-
cides that the ''provisions of the said
law apply only to the regulation of
the handling of grain ,rittin said eler0-
tor" He goes on to argue that the
bill only applies to the state elevaf
tor; and that the patrons of the ele-
vatOr are to be recOmpenSed for the
higher rates Of charges on wheat
that goes into the state elevator, (as
| compared with the charges on wheat
that goes into the Ring elevators),
by the advantages such elevator will
be to them! OF course there would
be a great inducement to send wheat
to the state elevator and pay Is cents
per car rather than send it to the
other elevators belonging to the
Ring, and pay 30 cents per car! OF
course there would !! And he kindly
suggests that if these charges are too
high the commissioners can reduce
them, although the law plainly says
those are the minimum charges" In
other words, the state elevator cannot be
built until $4,000 fees are collected on
grain that cannot go into 1t until 1t Is
built; and if these charges are not
sufficient to build the elevator they
can be cut down and the elevator
built, of the same capacity, tor a less
sum-! Was a greater travesty on
reason and law ever written?
And thus the demands of the
farmers of the whole state are
brought to nought by the Elevator
Ring, assisted by the Attorney Cen
eral of the state!
The daily papers say that the R. r.
Commissioners are to go at once to
Duluth to select a site for the state
elevator. Good God! What is the use
of a site when the fund is cut off with
which to build it?
What can be done? Is the robbery
to continue for two years more? Ttco
years, be it observed, for the people
are denied annual sessions; and this
illustrates the beauties of the bi-en-
nial system. Is the effort of the
farmers, after fighting the bill
through both Houses, and securing
the governors signature, to be
brought to nOught by an attorney,
employed by the people of the state,
paid by the people of the state, to
protect the interests of the people of
the state, called an Attorney Gen
eral. Words Of wrath and bitterness
spring to our tongue but we suppress
them, SO careful are we not to do in
justice.
i WE CALL UPON GOVERNOR MEL
SON TO RIGHT THE GREAT WRONG.
We cannot belieye he has consented
to this action of his subordinate.
We call upon the alliances to meet
/ levnrvWhare and mass rpSOlnfinnS do