The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-02-17
WORKING FOR
MUTUAL GOOD.
STATE MUNICIPAL AND CONNER
CIAL LEAGUE IN SESSION.
Welcomed by the Governor After a
Telling Introduction by President
Rosing-Objects and Work Of the
League Reviewed in Presidents
Annual Address.

The Municipal and Commercial
League of Minnesota is in session to-
day at the state capitol. About fifty
delegates from the smaller, cities and
towns Of the state We're present at the
morning session and many others
came in this afternoon.
Governor Van SAINT delivered a neat.
address of welcome this morning. He
was introduced by L. "A. Rosing, pres
ident of the league and the governors
rival at the polls in 1902. Mr.. Rosing!
told a campaign story. At one Of his
meetings the chairman introduced him
to a -shrewd old Irish section boss as
'the next governor of Minnesota The
old gentleman's eyes twinkled. and he
said, How. are We, Mr.. Van SAINT
Mr.. Rosing said he was happy to be
able. to introduce to the league the
real governor.
"It's wonderful how intelligent some
OF these; section bosses are,D was the,
governors comment on the story. He
went on to say that there was COM
pensation in defeat. If Mr.. Rosing
had been elected governor he could
not have been head Of the league, and
he might! be doing more good in his
present capacity than he could as gov
ernor. The governor commended the
purposes and work of the league, par
ticularly along the line of public
parks, and cited Winona's levee park
as an example Of what could be done.
He urged the: league to agitate reform
| in the tax laws, better methods, of
sanitation for the smaller cities and
| more just transportation rates.
you areI~here now to look after
the interests Of your communities" he
said. 'In this day nothing comes to
a man unless he; is a fighter. You
must get ON your fighting clothes and
go after your rights, and you will get
Them
| Major J. A. Eckstein of New Uln
replied toTthe welcome. He said:y
! "Any state that has a live governor
such as we have, who attempts to pro-
! tect the rights of the people against
/ encroachments, can properly sustain
/ such an organization as ours. We
] mustn't let matters drift along. In
j this organization we can exchange
ideas and apply them, and work not
only for the good of our communi-
ties, but for the interests Of all the
citizens Of our state
This afternoon President Rosing de-
livered5 his annual address,. He crit
cized the present custom of discrtm:
mating in freight rates in favor OF
terminal points, thus causing a conges'
ton Of population in certain points
and a loss Of money and opportunity
for good living. to the wage Garner
EIe argued in favor of greater author.
ity for the Interstate commerce com
mission which, in =, that particular
should certainly be placed on the same
/ ground thates the state. railroad AND
warehouse commission held. At pres
ent the interstate commerce commits
sion was unable to enforce the laws
/ Competition can no longer be de-
Ipended Upon .stos regulate rates, ant
was:net being depended on and coul(
not be made to regulate rates until thu
state and Interstate railroad commits
sions -were operating together. BE
cause of the 3cOnffict of authority 'anC
decision between these two bodies thu
regulation of rates was 2in many IN
stances an impossibility.s 74s 2.z%.
+ The speaker would have the two
commissions unite in ,forbiddlng& the
building oK parallel and competing
: lines, but the public was thus bur
dened with twice the expense of bond
ing which the necessities Of the traffic
II demanded. 80.
i Mr.. Rosing also advocated the es'
adjustment Of a."distance tariff ~sys
and having as it's result the more gen.
eral distribution of population anc
less Of the harmful concentration eO1
/ population. 49,;
= Committees reported: this Afternoon
on the subjects of railroad rates anc
transportation, municipal. charters
public service corporations and muni'
cipal ownership. At a public meet
ing this evening there will be ad.
dresses by DR.. w. w. Folwell and c
M. Loring Of Minneapolis, and j.. e
Porter of Owatonna. There will be
sessions all day tomorrow.