The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1905-01-12
LEAGUE DISCUSSES
AILVAY RATES
Delegates From Municipal and
Commercial Organizations
Gather in Minneapolis

gathered yesterday morning at the Com
mercial club, the occasion being the an
nuai meeting of the Municipal and Com
mercial League of Minnesota. There were
ABOUT seventy-ive delegates present, and
after the usual addresses of welcome and
responses they adjourned to the city hall,
where the business sessions of the league
will be held in the mayors reception
room.
Railroad rates and transportation was
the theme of yesterday afternoon. Presi-
dent L. A. Rosing, of Cannon Falls,
brought this subject to the fore in his
annual address to the club, He dwelt
upon the question of the regulation of
railroad rates at great length. He called
attention to the fact that a year ago the
league adopted resolutions declaring, first,
that the interstate commerce commission
should be granted power: to establish a
just rate when it finds upon investigation,
ond, that the rate so established should
be made effective pending litigation; third,
that the interstate commerce commission
and not the railroads shall be the judges,
shall determine whether the crcum-
stances warrant the roads in charging
more for a short haul than for a long
| one.
Legislation Under Way
The first two provisions had been in
Guided In the Cooper bill now pending in
congress. He held this law would not rec
tify all the complaints of the shippers,
and said that all evils could not be recti-
fled in one act. The Iowa distance tariff,
he thought, would prove impracticable in
Minnesota, and in this he was supported
railroad commission, who had been invit-
ed to address the delegates.
The president believed that the tele-
phone and telegraph companies, being
the jurisdiction of the railroad commits
sion. He assailed the bucket shops which
flourish in the small towns in the state,
and thought some repressive legislation
would be advisable.
He was insistent that the league was
not organized for political purposes and
1t had not been used as. political organf-
cation by its president.
Mr.. Rosing asked for a serious consid-
Grafton of the matters which would be
laid before the league and insisted that
only by cultivating public sentiment could
legislation be secured which would in
nure to the benefit of the municipalities
state. Then he appointed the following
committees:
Acceptance of Courtesies-Mayor w. H.
Austin sfh S q t olson Of Ada oooA q
ProgSamme-Louis Betz, of ST. Paul;
Mayor w B. Cullom, of Duluth; Secretary
w. c.. Weber, of Rochester.
vile; DR., J.. R; Conway, of Marshall H.
Van SAINT Was There
Although he had sent letter of regret,
ex-Gov. Van SAINT was present In the flesh,
and he vas assigned d., the el subject Tne
confined himself to statement that the
people of the state knew his position and
had supported him. He declared against
the government ownership of railroads,
for he believed that government control
of rates of transportation did not mean
that it was necessary for the nation to
own the means of transportation. He
complimented the league on the work 1T
had accomplished in it's brief existence
and expressed belief that it had a mis-
sion to fulfill
c. w. Gress, of Cannon Falls, had
charge of the discussion of railroad rates.
and he called upon G. F. Staples, of the
Minnesota railroad commission, for
short talk.
Mr.. Staples asserted that the Minnesota
railroad laws were ten years ahead of the
sentiment of the people of the state The
laws were drafted with good intent, but
the people took little interest IN them
and their enforcement was about as eff
fective as the attempt of man to chop
down a forest with q case knife. With
public sentiment crystallized the members
| Of the legislature would be brought to see
| what was necessary in the line of legisla-
ton and nothing influenced legislator so
much as the opinion of the men he de-
ponds upon for the votes to send him to
| the new capitol.
He TOOK no sides In the discussion OF
| the distance tariff system of Iowa, where
| he pointed out that less than Is per cent
| of the earnings of the railroads of the
| state were affected, whereas at least so
| per cent of the rates in Minnesota, should
| that law be applied to Minnesota, would
| be put under the provisions of the law. 1t
| was a subject for calm consideration and
| not one that should be disposed of by
| some hastily concocted resolutions.
Complains of Rebates
| George S. Lotus, of ST. Paul, had a
paper in which he dealt with what he
called Transportation Abuses in Gener-
al" He believed in reciprocal demurrage-
a shipper could collect if he does not Sc
can charge demurrage If the car is not
| loaded promptly. He also asserted the
| Iowa distance tariffs. were from %
| to ,55 per cent greater than those of Min
nesota, ard he said this was because the
Iowa railroad commission was more
! friendly to the people than the Minnesota
organization.
Last night about seventy-five of the
| delegates were entertained at dinner by
! the Commercial club.
This morning there viii be an election
ton will adjourn late in the afternoon.
At the meeting last night the following
committees were appointed:
Resolutions-C. n. Andrews, Mankato;
R. D. Haren, Duluth; J.. C. Armson, Still
water; O.. J. johnson, WaSeca; Carlos
Avery, Hutchinson.
| observation-disclosures Mueller, ST. Peter;
| G.. F. Cook, Austin: c.. w. Gress, Can
non Falls: G. s. Lotus, st. Paul: E. G..
Potter. Minneapolis.
| WATERS, LITTLE GAME
C-oDDHD nH