The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1895-01-23
BUILDING
WAREHOUSES;.
ON RIGHT OF WAY OF RAIL.
ROADS.
What Rights Have the People?
We have received the following let

MAGNOLIA, Minn., Jan. >, 1895.
EDITOR REPRESENTATIVE:
DEAR SIR:-Farmers all over the
Northwest complain OF railroad COM
panies discriminating against them,
and in nearly every case where a
farmer, or company of farmers ap-
plies for a site to build warehouse
or elevator, they are refused lease Of
ground to build on. What l wish to
know is can railway company prevent
the building of warehouses or eleva-
tors on the right of way of any Rail-
way Company in Minnesota.
Can you tell me where / can get the
information?
1t seems to me this would be good
subject for some one to write an arti
Gle on, and would be of much benefit
to farmers or farmer companies who
contemplate building warehouses or
elevators. Yours very respectfully,
i. L. LINDSAY.
This is an important subject and we
take pleasure in replying to the in
quiries of our correspondent.
There has been great battle be-
tween the producers and the railroad
companies on this question. The
course pursued by the corporations
passes all comprehension. 1t would
seem, to any sensible man, that the
railway companies would be glad to
give any man. who desired to build a
warehouse, every opportunity to do SO.
The more warehouses the more buyers
OF grain; the more buyers of grain the
more competition; the more competi-
tion the better prices for the farmers
produce: the better prices the more
they will raise; the more they raise the
more the roads will have to carry, and
therefore the greater their earnings
and general prosperity. Why corpora
tions should want to commit suicide,
by destroying their customers, is one
OF those things that, as Lord Dun
dreary says, mo fellow can find out"
1t must be that there are inside rings,
which are working to make money at
the cost of ruin to the farmers and
bankruptcy for the roads. Certainly
the people who have put actual capi-
tai into the roads cannot approve Of
any such murderous policy.
The most recent act upon the SUBJ
ject is Chapter GA, of the General
Laws of Minnesota, for 1893, page IT.
1t is entitled ''An Act providing for
the erection of public grain and ware
houses and grain elevators, on or near
the right Of way Of railways, and pro-
viding for condemnation proceedings
The first section provides that 'any
person, firm or corporation, desirous
of erecting and operating at or contig-
uous to any railway station or siding.
a warehouse or elevator for the pur-
chase, shipment or storage of grain.
for the public for hire, may make an
plication in writing containing a de-
scription of that portion G. the right
Of way of said railroad" with state.
ment of size and capacity of ware
house and the time for which they
desire to maintain it; and on paying
the price therein set forth for the
privilege "shaU absolutely and uncondi-
tion0llg be entitled TO the same
wv =, pAONAuOo oAdO CIlc dpplICduU y
shall state the amount which he
thinks would be reasonable compensa-
ton for the right to erect the ware
house, and shall tender and pay the
same to said corporation. If the rail-
way company refuses the tender, and
the parties cannot agree upon price,
then the amount may be assessed and
determined in the district court of
the county in which the station is
situated.
The other sections of the act pro-
vide as to how the proceedings in the
district court shalt be conducted by
the court or jury. An appeal is
given either party to the Supreme
Court. The construction Of the ware
house or elevator must commence
within sixty days after final decree.
Our readers will see, therefore, that
the railroad companies cannot de-
prive any individual or company of
the privilege of erecting a warehouse
on their right of way. And it is i'm
portant that this be clearly under
stood, if the farmers propose to build
local warehouses and ship through the
Grain Growers Association. 1t will
also be observed that there is no 30, 900
bushel limitation, nor any other limi-
tation. as to the size Of the building.
The only hostile feature we know of
is the requirement of the warehouse
law Of last session, (which was called
the Governors bill,"O requiring the
farmers warehouses to keep open all
the year, while their usefulness is
generally confined to few months in
fall and spring. But this may be
avoided, possibly, by getting some
store-keeper, at the station, to take
charge of it and keep it nominally
open when there is really nothing for
it to do.
If any company is formed to build
such warehouse it would be neces-
.sary to employ one of those necessary
evils,-a lawyer,-to attend to the de.
tails;-especially if it goes into court.
I. D.
The Thing Explained.
'"rhe people print money, give it to
bankers for l per cent interest, and