The Saint Paul globe., 1905-01-23
MEMBERS FEARFUL
OF CODES CONTENTS
Globes Discovery of Change in
the Railroad Tariff Law
Arouses Legislature

ihat the statute revision code had in
eiuued radical departure from the exist
lis law regulating freight tariffs in this.
S'ete was nrst made known to the pubic
ana the members of the legislature YES
tefaay through the medium of ,rb a
Globe. u
The publication of the fact that the code
20 eoiisiiiission had promulgated the doctrine
OF distance tariff law for Minnesota
caused a genuine sensation in le.rislati,.s
circles. and served to accent the feeling
mat has been gaining ground for several
Gays that it viii be the part OF wisdom to
postpone consideration of the code to an
other session
comparatively few members of the leg
lsiature We're in St Paul having gone
TO their homes for the Sunday recess, but
NOT man could be found yesterday among
those IN the city who would defend the
commissions action.
succession of surprises in the new
T code illuminated in the information that
the commission had introduced in the code
new law which requires that the charge
Tor a shorter distance shall always be less
tflan for the longer.
This provision might have been enacted
INTO law had it not been discovered" said
senator George r. Laybo,un of Duluth.
ana 1t simply emphasizes the necessity
Tor carefully scrutiniZing the new code I
am not sure that the legislature would not
pc DONG better for the people of the state
II It would refuse to consider and pass the
code at this session. I believe that n bet-
ter plan would be for us to 7legislate Just
as though the code had not been presented
and to adjourn. leaving the code to later
session of the legislature. after it had
been carefully examined by experts and
Its provisions made known to the public
Inc provision relating to railroad rates
IS certainly radical departure from
tablished law, and am not sure that our
people at the head of the lakes will ever
favor it."
Not Wanted in crookston
Senator A. D. stephens. of Crookston,
was one OF the members who spent Sun
day i'm the city. He had seen the pro-
vision of the code relating to freight tar
IFS and said that he was certain that
CrookStou business men and the farmers
of the Red river valley would not favor
commission.
1T looks to me as though such law
would work to the disadvantage of
Crookston, Senator Stephens said. Il
examination, but the fact that such a
provision was in the code unknown to a
great many people who had been furnish
ed copies of the new code, is evidence that
the code must not be passed hurriedly
and before our people have had opportunity
TO analyze its contents. 1t might have
slipped through the legislature had it not
been that T h G O called attention
to its existence. The railroad law is
radical departure from established custom.
| believe its provisions would be- iniInicaI
ley''
"If we are to have minimum rate for
a minimum distance. we of Northern Min
nesota are vitally interested" said Repre-
sentative B. S. Bennett, of Fosston 1--WE
are so far from the primary markets for
our products and have to bring the neces-
SarieS of life such distances that freight
tariffs mean much to US. With my town
325 miles from the Twin Cities distance
tariff would be the worst thing that we
could have to deal with. The building OF
the Fosston branch of the Great Northern
to Duluth gave us reduction on our
grain rates to the Duluth market and the
other roads made the same rates to st.
Paul, in spite of the fact that the dis
tance is nearly hundred miles farther.
AS l understand the provision proposed
by the commission this policy; would be q
Illegal. l believe that the tendency of the
legislature is to give the whole frame
work of the code commissions report
the most careful scrutiny before it is en-
acted into law
Representative Marcus Iauritson, got
Lincoln county, said that he was much
surprised at the Introduction of the radi-
cal provision relating to railroad rates in
the code reported to the legislature by
the commission.
Attempted Legislatures Work
while there are doubtless discrimina-
tons in railroad rates that need legisIa-
tive or departmental attention" Mr.;
14durlISOn SAID. III Is To De expected tnaC
the big shipping points will always be
given a slight advantage in rates. 1t is
on the same theory that a man buying
carload of shirts will always be able to
buy cheaper than the man who purchases
one shirt. A trainload OF staple articles
will always be handled cheaper than a
single car, and the towns that furnish the
bulk of shipments for a railroad will nat
urally be favored over the village with
small freights. The code commission has
done well in boiling down the laws of
the state to reasonable volume. Lawyers
tell me that the code is splendidly written,
but the commission should not have at
tempted to 1egisiate for the legislature. 1t
may be that another commission is needed
to pass upon the work of this commission.
and that the code viii have to go over TO
another session"