The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-03-30
RECOGNIZE THE STATE RAIL
ROAD COMMISSION.
FOLLOWING THE ADAMS CO.,
ERN PACIFIC AND WESTERN
CILE THEIR TARIFFS.
SUBMIT DOCUMENTS YESTERDAY.
American and United States Elk
pected to Follow Suit Today
Schedules Not Changed.

The express companies doing bust
ness in the state have apparently yield
ed to the inevitable and will henceforth
recognize the state railroad and ware
house commission as the governing
body. Heretofore the companies doing
business in the state practically held
that their business was none Of the
commissions, the decisions of the
supreme court Notwithstanding. From
now on matters will run more smoothly
for the commission as well as for the
express companies, as the latter yester-
day filed with the commission, with
one or two exceptions, their schedules
of tariffs and rates.
The companies who filed their rate
sheets yesterday were the Great North
ern, the Northern Pacific, and the
Western. 1t is expected that the Ameri-
can and the United States will file their
tariffs today, their representatives hav-
ing notified the commission to this eff
feet. The rate sheet of the Adams
company was filed with the commits
sion about three weeks ago upon a writ
Of mandamus from Judge Brill, men
ton of which was made in the o b e
d
test case, and the outcome of the legal
contest has been seen.
The fact that the express companies
had given up the fight against the COM
mission was generally credited two
weeks ago, but until yesterday the
commission was not sure Of it's position.
1t is apparent that the express COM
panleS will cause no further trouble
as the supreme court of the state has
passed upon the law, which was con-
strued as giving the commission juris-
diction over the express companies
doing business in Minnesota The
victory by the state is looked upon as
being one of no little Importance to the
people. The fact that the express COM
panies have filed their tariff sheets with
the commission does not necessarily
imply that the latter body will inter
fere with the schedules. In fact, it is
more than likely that there will be no
interference at all, unless the citizens
file complaints citing specific charges of
discrimination, etc. The express COM
panieS have carried on their fight for
some time, using all the legal argu-
ments they could find to help their case
The commission repeatedly notified the
companies to file their sheduleS, but no
attention was paid to the demands, the
express companies holding that they
did not come within the scope of the
law. Finally the commission took legal
action against the Adams company as
test case. The other companies back
ed up the Adams company and contrib
uted their share Of the expense to-
ward prosecuting the defense, The case
was called before Judge Egan in the
district court on a demurrer The case
was finally decided in favor of the state
The express company appealed the de-
GiSion to the supreme court claiming
that there had not been legal service or
the complaint, and that they were a
joint stock company and not corpora
ton as claimed. However, the supreme
court upheld the decision of Judge
Egan. The case was brought into court
again for trial on its merits, and Judge
Brill issued writ of mandamus, COM
polling the Adams company to file it's
schedule of rates, covering all lines and
branches operated within the state The
company obeyed, and this practically
settled the matter, although it was not
until yesterday that the companies re-
sponded to the constant demands Of the
commission.