The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1902-07-11

their properties were subj ectedA to direct
snd n iafgP es q tss 6
presented, which Is. shall the S. railroad
companies of our state pay. "a lieu sdi-S
rect taxation, per cent of their gross
svided in the existing laws. 81. ssSsss
;sz5 The modern tendency is that reyenues&
should be raised for the state otherwiss
personal property. II these amendments
carry q long step in that direction might !.
be taken rem t would then h be possible
measures of vast benefit to the people.
The matter is of SO much Importance to
the 1ns beer fhaa mind
ton day the obligation of voting for the \
proposed amendments. @ais S
+ will not close without calling your att
tention to a questions of the very greatest
Importance to the people Of our state. % II
refer to the threatened cOnso lidattOn OK
Railway companies. TO this end the !
Northern Securities company oflNew Jer- &
sey was organized to acquire q control.
ling amount Of the stock Of said railroad
8 and 1T was through this company that \
the unity Of management was vas: to be s ef-ss
The matter was deemed Of such vital
Importance that immediate action was /
these companies: With that object sin
quested to bring suit in the name Of the
state to prevent the proposed consolida-
ton. That such consolidation lis against
t ths aW Is s shoWe by @ t.
best interests of our people not only re-
quireS but demand free, open and un-@S
restricted. competition for the transpor.a;-,s
tories, mills and mines. 1t was with this L
idea in view that our legislature years.
ago passed laws prohibiting g e any May
,peting lines of railway within our state.
These laws have not only been held to be 4
constitutional by, the supreme court OF
a wise public policy. The determinatio
to, bring this suit was not entered into.
with any spirit Of hostility toward rail-;
literally with them and has decided to. the
various railroad companies more than
1O,5OOO00 acres OF land, or more than = II
turalN population In view Of this and
demand that these companies should obey
and privileges Is secure the blessings 6
competition ). in! fact, the franchises OF
these parallel and competing lines were
obtained hta upon the implied sundsrstandinE
ly. The area Of the United States, -in-5
Guiding Alaska, is about 3, 100000 square
%fS area Of the ntass
ern railroads is about 100000 square :
miles, or one-fifth the area Of the UniteAG
States It lis only necessary to study
these figures to see the great imp ortancss,
of this question. Undoubtedly q very
large portion Of the commerce OF th0w
world will be transferred from the H.
the Orient is. in it, infancy. The posSibiii.s q
ties can scarcely be estimated. IS believe
that that section OF the globe will be sup.N
piled from the products Of the NorthWe6tt
in fact, we have begun to reap the ben-
Gifts OF, the Far Eastern trade az 4 mar
ket for our surplus wheat and nour. This I
question was deemed OF so much import
ance to the entire Northwest, and reali4>
Ing that the tight would be one Of gigantic
az. the help that could he, secured 8 cons !
ference OF SgovernoTsssand .attorneys 1eestss
eral was called to meet at Helena, Mont
The result cot that conferenceI was ,haf.
unanmoas passed Is