The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1904-03-04
Railroad Commissioner.

The position of railroad and ware
house commissioner is second to no office
in the state in Importance to the people.
The railroads, in their tariff and opera
ton, touch all classes of people and
WELD a wonderful influence for good or
bad upon every municipality through
which they pass. They can make or
ruin the commercial interests of any
city hence the great necessity for just
and equitable freight rates.
Mankato and southwestern Minnesota
have been greatly retarded in growth
and development because of freight dis
elimination in favor of the twin cities.
Here we have the richest agricultural
section in the northwest with scores of
bright, active cities and villages that
have been stunted in their growth be-
cause the railroads have failed to give
us freight rates that would permit of
the building up of manufactures and
jobbing houses. Our own people are
partially, at least, blamable for the con-
dition in which we find ourselves. Sta
tistics show that the northern part of
Minnesota has increased in population
far in excess of the southern part, and
this growth is in no small degree cred
liable to railroads. They have made
special passenger rates to induce people
to go into that country and have made
many and important concessions in
freight rates. Not only has the country
filled up rapidly, but the towns and
cities have greatly increased in popula-
ton and commercial Importance.
There may be found very potent
reason for this. For years northern
Minnesota has been favored with one
and two members of the railroad and
warehouse commission, and these mem
bers have naturally had an interest in
getting as low freight rates as possible
for their people. 1t is quite natural to
look after ones own first and unless the
people of this section of the state be-
stir themselves, get together and demand
member of the commission, present
conditions may be expected to continue
indefinitely. The second district has no
representation in the present state adj
minstration and will not have in the
next unless it gets busy. A railroad
commissioner would be of greater value
to us than any other office that exists.
Then why not go after it? 1t can be
had if the people will only make the de-
mand and select good business man
upon whom all can unite.
Mankato, with it's railroads and geo,
graphical location ought to be to south
western Minnesota what the twin cities
are to the northern part of the state,
and could be made so if we could get
equitable freight rates. 1t could be
made not only an important distribut-
ing center for number of jobbing
houses, but it could likewise be made a
great manufacturing center. We have
all the natural advantages for a city of
great commercial Importance but it can
never become such until we are put on
an equal footing with st. Paul and Min
neapolis in the matter of freight rates.
The Free Press submits to the Repub
icans of the second district whether or
not they will longer maintain silence on
this question of doing something to help
ourselves. If they will throw off the
thought of going after some unimport-
ant office that bears no greater relation
to the public welfare than does a bank
clerk to the management of hotel,
and "get together on a good man for
railroad commissioner they can land him.
The prize is certainly worth the effort.