Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1902-09-12

ton, then we would now be helpless.
because all that the Northern Pacific
would have had to do to escape juris.
dictiOn would have been to move its
terminals to West Superior, thus de-
priving the state of the right to fix
reasonable joint rates and the city of
Duluth of the business connected with
the docks and terminals of this great
system.
What has the present state railroad
commission done to make this deci
sion Of the supreme court of the Unit.
ed States effective on the coal rates in
the state?
RAILROADS RIGHTS ARE AS
SACRED AS THE INDIVIDUALS.
The right of the state to compel the
establishment of Joint rates is not only
important in itself. but it is important
because it shows how much can be &C.
co1nplished in the way of regulating
common carriers when an honest and
intelligent effort in that direction is
made joint rate may be over two or
more roads and means a fixed and sin
gle charge for the entire distance over
which the commodity is carried. Ey
this means lower rate is not only oh.
tanned, but expensive transfer charges
can be avoided and each carrier is
kept from practicing extortion. III adj
dition to afl"this, the doctrine is be-
coming more and more firmly recog-
nized that railroads, as common CARR
ers, are conducting great public high
ways, thus performing governmental
function, and are subject to the fullest
regulation by the state which is neces.
sary for the public good, subject. of
course. to the constitutional protection
which all enjoy, that their property
shall not be confscated or used fol
public purposes without just compen.
saticn. y.
Nov. 9, 1900. the railroad and ware.
house commission, on its own motion
passed resolution to investigate the
reasonab]eness of the rates then ir
force for carrying iron ore on the so
called iron ore roads, being the Duluth
and Iron Range, the Duluth. Missahe
and Nor thern, and the Eastern Min
nesota. The first hearing was set for
Nov. Fl, 1900, and was adjourned from
. time to time, at the request of the
roads interested, until the 21st of De-
cember, 1900, when the proceeding was
dismissed as to the Eastern Minnesota
railroad, for the reason that it's termi.
nails were at West Superior, Wis,
and the commission had no jurisdic-
ton.
AS to the other two roads, an order
was made on the same day, reducing
the rates for carrying ore about Is per
cent. Prior to the fling of this order,
and soon after the proceedings were
begun, these companies had withdrawn
their schedules of rates. heretofore on
file with the commission. and upon the
argument took the position that the
commission had no jurisdiction to fix
the rates, on the ground. first. that all
ore was being carried under special
contracts; and second, that the traffic
was Interstate
FIRST REPUBLICAN ACT
UNDID DEMOCRATS WORK.
OF course by the order reducing rates
the commission decided both questions
against the companies. The filing of
this order was the final act of the
Democratic commission in the matter,
The new commission took Office on
Jan. 8, 1901, and on the same day these
roads applied for rehearing, upon the
ground that the commission had no
jurisdiction over the matter. because
the traffic in iron ore was interstate.
A rehearing was granted and the pro-
ceedings thereafter adjourned from
time to time until Nov. II, 1901, nearly
year having elapsed, when an order
was made by majority of the com.
mission directing the road to file tar.
i'll schedules for transporting iron ore
from their several stations on the iron
ranges to the docks at Two HarbOrs
and Duluth, destined to points within
the state. That order fixed no rates
and said nothing in regard to what
they should be-. About Dec. 1, 1901
the companies filed new rate sched.
ules, being the same as those in force
at the time the investigation was be.
gun, except, as understand. they are
expressly made applicable only to
shipments of ore from the range to
points within the stete of Minnesota.
The particular point in this order
and the schedules filed hereunder is
that the rates are made to points in
Minnesota beyond the docks. when. as
matter Of fact. there is not an ounce
of ore shipped to any point in Mime.
sofa beyond the docks The order, and
the schedules filed Hereunder, are
fakes pure and simple. If any one de-
sires to investigate these cases more
fully, they can be fcrrd IN The renort of
the. railroad and warehouse commits
sion for 1900, PIP. 1883, and for 1901,
3. PIP. 1859.
Railroads "condition," business of
all kinds. Discrimination may build
up or destroy individuals or communi-
. ties. To prevent such discrimination
have advocated state control Many
of our citizens believe. however that
the onlv ultimate solution lies in "gov-
eminent ownership" If that is to be-
come 4 practical question. it seems to
me that we must approach it as have
Indicated, by constantly increasing
co-trol, to such an extent that it will
net be a revolutionary advance, but