The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-03-10
HOUSE 0VERTURNS
ITS COMMITTEE
RECIPROCAL DEMURRAGE BILL
WINS A VICTORY.
Adverse Report of Railroad Committee
Is Buried. Deep, Along with Its Sub
stitute Bill-Air Is Full of Oratory
and Explanations-Code Taken Up
Again, =,

Profting by an experience two years
ago when Ward Stone g railroad rate
bill was taken almost dead from the
hands of the railroad committee of
which Mr.. Nolan was chairman, and put
on general orders in the house, w. A.
Nolan of Mower today overturned the
railroad committee Of the house. His
tory. slightly distorted, had repeated
The adverse report Of the railroad
committee on the Nolan reciprocal de-
murrage bill was overwhelmingly de-
feated on the floor Of the house and
with it substitute prepared by N. F.
Hugo Of Duluth giving the question
Of demurrage to the control of the
state railway commission. The vote
was 81 to 26.
railroad committee, recommending the
Nolan bill for passage, was adopted,
and the Nolan bill will go on general
orders for final consideration in the
house. An effort by means Of recon
sideration to divide the original mo-
ton and have the effect Of putting
both the Nolan and the Hugo bills on
general ord Crs was later killed, but
by a less decisive vote.
Reports that the railroad committee
had performed the preliminaries for
the funeral of the Nolan bill brought
the members to the session with firm
determination to reverse the commit
tee. immediately after rollcall, Mr..
Nolan moved call Of the house and
he declared that he meant q genuine
call, too. A moment later the report
of the committee, recommending the
postponement Of the original Nolan
bill and the adoption Of the Hugo SUBJ
stitute was made by Chairman Putnam.
It was followed by minority report,
signed by A. K. Ware, G. H. Klein, P.
A. Gandrud, B. $: Bennett, William
Wichman, R. L. Mork, J. W. Nelson
and John J. Pehler., The conclusions
Of the minority report were:
Arguments of Minority.
We hold itself evident that the railroads
should be subject to light demurrage for
the neglect or refusal to furnish cars neo-
essary to carry the freight of shippers
and to transact to business which the
public has right to demand Of such rail-
| roads, as the roads exact Of such ship
| pers for delays in either loading or I'M
| loading cars, and that justice demands
that these rights are and should be made
| equally reciprocal on both parties.
| Further that after cars have been
loaded, they should be sent forward with
out delay, at a rate of not less than fifty
miles per day, without any failure or dis
elimination as between shippers, all OF
which is provided for in House File 81,
saving as to the railroads the right to
have the rule above, provided for in said
| bill, suspended by the railroad and ware
house commission for not exceeding sixty
days in each year, In case of emergen-
cies.
| We further believe that it Is necessary
within the liberal provisions Of said bill
that this rule should be uniformly iI
force without requiring the shipper to ap-
ply to the railroad and warehouse com.
mission for relief, and that such relief is
a right inherent the shipper in the frs
instance, and that shippers in variou:
parts of the state, in many cases hun
dreds of miles distant from the railroad
and warehouse commission, should not be
subject to the inconvenience, loss Of time
and expense Of applying to the commits
sioners for these rights, which would ii
many, If. not most cases, render the re-
lief sought more expensive to obtain thar
the value Of the same.
We further show to the house and t,
J the state, that ~the provisions Of Hous
File 50 are Endorsed and demanded b,
, the shippers, commercial clubs, boards o
trade and other commercial association
Of the state, and that the action of tn
majority Of the railroad committee II
recommending that said BULL be indef
nltely postponed Is great surprise an
disappointment to the business interest
Of the state, and to the public generally
whose rights are. by said bill, propose
7 to be protected and conserved.
We therefore deem it our solemn dut
as representatives Of the people of tn
Q state, guarding their sacred rights, tina
D we recommend the passage Of House FIJI
i 81, and that the substitute offered by tn
}, majority of the committee be indefnitel
j postponed. ..sa a.-.--55sesr 49, 4 -.
i Debate on the Report