The Saint Paul globe., 1901-03-20
PROBLEM HARD 70 Solve
REPORT OF LATE RAILROAD COM
MISSION ON DIFFICULTIES 1T
ENCOUNTERED
FAvORs NATIONAL OWNERSHIP
Difficulties at Present Existing Can
Only Be Removed by NATIONAL
izing Railroads of the
Country.

Advance sheets of the sixteenth annual
report of the railroad and warehouse
commissioners have been presented to the
legislature, and though most of the ta-
bles contained in it have appeared in
print, the report of the late commission
as to the principle of government owner
ship of railroads has not yet been made
public. The report is signed by Commits
siOners Knox and Ringdal, Gen. Becker
placing himself on record as being OPP
posed to the opinion of his colleag CUES.
In part the commissioners express them
selves as follows:
This commission is not sure that its
whole duty under the statute has been
exercised with regard to reports when 1t
has pointed out the defects which render
imperfect the enforcement of the present
system of railroad regulation.
This is the situation that confronts
this commission. Their every effort to
gain for the people of the state the right
OF equal participation in the benefits to
he derived from those public or quasi
pubic enterprises which come under their
jurisdiction have brought them to full
Ter realization of the futility of attempt
ing to harmonize private property rights
In public utilities with the rights OF the
pubic to adequate, equal and reasonable
use OF those utilities. If personal rights
are TO lie the dominant force behind them,
the public interests must suffer If on
the other hand. it be conceded that their
hrst duties are to the public, private
property interests must be subordinated
The commission sees no escape from this
conclusion. They are convinced there
lore that the only remedy for those dis
cr1minations, from which the various
business interests suffer that will prove
adequate and sufficient, at the same time
that 1t will not prove burdenSome to pri-
Nate property interests is public owner
snip and operation of railroads. Wheth-
er this end should be sought within the
units and jurisdiction of the state is a
question Tor future consideration resting
largely upon the action taken by our fed
eral authorities.
If the way opens to federal control
lheT the state might escape the dutv of
Undertaking the enterprise for itself On
the other hand if, as seems obvious
Iederal control is remedy too remote
to enter the immediate calculations, the
question arises as to- not only the pow
eTS, legal and practical, of the state to
engage in this public business on it's own
account. but, also, of it's duty to the va
ried interests of it's citizens
1t may not be out Cf place herein
deed, we believe it entirely appropriate
10 call attention to the exceptionally
favorable situation of this state to meet
the necessities of the case. On our east
ern boundary we touch a great natural
highWay-the great laSeS-Which now is
only one step removed from a world
highway, that 1t will assume the latter
character In the comparatively near fu-
ture there is ample cause to expect
When that day comes Gf not at the pres
ent momenD the state of Minnesota will
be In position, if its interests are en-