The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1900-11-02
THE RAILROAD COMMISSION.

The Review had an article last eve
ming sent out by the Lind Rosing syn
dictate, which appeals for votes for
the fusion candidates for railroad
commissioners on the basis of what
they have done for the people. It
says that they have reduced the freight
rate on grain from large section of
the state to the markets, and saved
thereby to the farmers about $4O0, 600.
Now in short this is in keeping with
the practice Gov. Lind is assuming
this year deceiving the people. AS
matter of fact the railroad commission
as now constituted never made any
such reduction, When the reduction
was made, Judge Mills who is can
didate for member Of the commission
on the Republican ticket, was mem
Der and is entitled to as much credit
as any member of that body. Mr..
Knox who in the article claims credit
for was not a member of the commits
sion at that time.
Second Senator Miller, of Luverne,
doubtless had as much or more to do
in bringing about this reduction, than
did the commission so far as inaugur
ating the movement was concerned.
When the reduction was made, it was
claimed the saving would amount to
about $780, 600. Under fusion culture
it has grown, like the expenses of the
department, to $400, 600.
The article further asks for support
for the fusion ticket because they have
equalized freight rates so as to give
the smaller cities chance to compete
for business with The larger cities. It
is true that the commission has made
a great deal of noise about what it
was going to do, but when the rail
roads showed. fight, the sand in its
backbone oozed out and what it has
done is largely farce, in short it
seems to have let the railroads play
horse with it. The benefits are not in
keeping with the great things they
were telling they were going to do for
some of the smaller points, while their
much lauded distance tariff scheme
was dropped altogether.
Again it asks support on the ground
that under the partisan commissions
administration the farmers have re-
ceived better grades for their wheat.
For commission that has thoroughly
discredited the grades of the state and
added some $40. 900 to the cost of in
speeding less number of cars of wheat
and that has packed the inspection de-
partment with political heelers who
must be taken care of, and who at the
same time are squeezed every month
to help pay the expenses of the Lind
Rosing Tammany machine, this is in
deed a cool assertion. There was a
time when Minnesota inspected wheat
sold for the gradessgiven it in the mar
kets of the world but it does not do SO
under the present commission. All
Eastern buyers buy only by sample,
and SO far as the present inspection
is of any benefit to the farmer, it
might just as well not exist.
If the farmers of Minnesota want
the wheat inspection department made
an adjunct to a political machine to
support Tammany organization un-
der the leadership of the Lind-Rosing
syndicate they should vote the fusion
ticket, but if they want it restored to
it's former business basis, and Mime
sofa grades made to mean something
in the worlds markets while the de-
partment is put upon an economical
basis, they should see that an x is
placed after the names of Ira B. Mills,
J. G. Miller and G. F. Staples for
railroad commissioners.
The desperation of the Organizes
10 noted nv the action of Ross Croker