The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-01-08
WORK OF THE COMMISSION.
Mr.. Kingsley Tells of the Benefits
1t Has Secured.


Senator RingdahPs bill to abolish
the state railroad and warehouse COM
mission and put the affairs Of that de-
partment in the hands Of the attorney
general is the regular biennial attack
on the department. Senator Ringdahl's
bill is based on the poular belief. among
the POpulists of the state, and particu-
larly in the Sixth and Seventh districts.
that the commission is a worthless
body, that costs the state $4,000 an
nually, and that the commissioners are
Well-meaning but useless gentlemen.
whose salaries are of no benefit to the
state.
Much Of this public misrepresentation
is based on the conservatism with
which the affairs of the department
are conducted. It has been the policy
OF the commissioners, ever since it was
created and the first commissioners
appointed, to keep the affairs of the de-
partment out of the newspapers. The
commissioners seem to have been con-
tent to bear the abuse and misappre-
hension concerning their work, have
plodded along industriously and have
modeStly forborne to paint with pride
to or make loud flourish of triumph
over their achievements
Ihe state railroad and warehouse
commission has done much for the
farmers and shippers of the state
said Commissioner Kingsley yesterday.
The affairs of the department. have
been conducted quietly, so that the
general public has never had anv
knowledge of what the commission was
doing or what it was ACCOMPLISHING
The legislature has never been friendly
to the commission for the reason that
the lawmakers have never taken the
pains to learn the duties and the work
accomplished by the commissioners
The animal io+
maintenance of the department is STA
600, and out of this sum we have to
pay salaries. You can readily see that
there is little left for the prosecution
OF cases against the railroads or other
violators Of the law. Commissioners,
Mills worked diligently for four years
before he could secure the approDria
ton of $4,000 allowed for the prosecu-
ton of the Stevenson case That case
you know has direct reference to the
excessive grain rates charged by the
Great Northern road from Crookston
and other points in the Red river val
ley to Duluth and MINNEAPOLIS. The
expense of securing evidence in this
case has been enormous compared with
the fund that was alleged for the
work. The commission was Obliged to
learn the cost of construction Of the
Manitoba road evidence concerning
the cost Of maintenance of the line
Had TO De procured from other railroad
men, and 1t was given by them with
great reluctance, you may believe
There was an immense amount az
printed matter in connection with the
case and the assistance of another
lawyer to help the attorney general
was necessary. There were so MANY
points involved in the case that If
would be impossible to give them in
detail in newspaper interview. Suf-
flee 1t to say, that the case was an
pealed from the district to the supreme
court, and Will be argued before that
tribunal Feb. %. If won by the corr
mission, it will prove of the greatest
benefit to the shippers of a great ter
ritory that is given over to the raising
of grain.
AS matter Of fact, there are few
persons who know anything about this
important case. Then, there are scores
of similar matters that are constant
~ coming before the commission for