Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1906-09-26


existence glganuc trusts ana monopo-f
lies which levied upon American In
dustries and produced volume Of
tolls sufficient to- yield from, twenty
to. forty per cent dividends upon a
colossal and fictitious capitalization
and that these monopolies of natural
resources had been permitted, under
the cloak Of law, until the public con-
science was in revolt.
am a believer in governmental reg
ulation and control, because that prin-
ciple has been upheld by the SUI
prenae court Of our land and because
Of the right Of the American people
to control the highways of the country
and protect their own interests. Be-
fore the Municipal League meeting in
the city Of st. Paul, on January 10.
1906, presented a table of statistics
carefully complied, showing that the
rates Of transportation in our own
state were altogether out Of harmony
In proportion to those of surrounding
states and declared that in my judg-
ment the positive power of the rail-
road and warehouse commission
should be exercised to fix and deter
| mine rates Of transportation and place
the burden of proof i'm showing UNI
| fairness Of such rates upon the power
| which now controls and establishes
| these rates.
Before the State Editorial society
and before the Convention Of United
Commercial Travellers at Albert Lea,
positively declared for fiat two
cent passenger fare and for the aboli-
0f
| agitation which followed these two
! public declarations, the Republican
party of this state, for the first time
in it's history, has Incorporated a plank
| In its platform declaring for these
propositions.
For months I employed at the ex-
| pense of the state an expert statisti-
| clan to compile and tabulate schedules
! Of the rates Of transportation on all
| of the lines OF the railroad from the
| principal terminals to all of the sta
| tons within the state of Minnesota,
| and caused him to compare these rates
| with the established schedule rates
| Of transportation obtaining in the
neighboring state of Iowa. This table
shows that the rates of transportation
in our state are from twenty to forty
per cent higher than in a state across
| the border, which is our natural COM
! petitor
! 1t needs no long academic discussion
to state any public mans position on
this important question. The railroads
OF the state are entitled to a fair and
| reasonable rate Of interest on their
| investment, and not a single dollar
| beyond that. The producer of the
| state is just as essential, aye, more
essential to the building up, growth
and development of Minnesota, than is
the common carrier of the state.
Both are essential to the public well
fare> and there can be no true devel-
opment of Northern Minnesota or
Southern Minnesota so long as there
| is a discrimination in favor of one To-
cal1ty at the expense of another. and
there can be no true development Of
the whole state with discrimination
in favor of territory north or south
OF us and so long as the common car
! rlers Of the state exact a rate of
transportation out of harmony with
the conditions which justly should
prevail.
During my entire administration I
have upon every possible occasion
done that which could consistently
and righteously do to bring about "a
reduction of the rates Of Transporter
ton, because I believed they should
be reduced, and If reelected to the
high office Of governor I shall
devote every possible energy to the
establishment Of a true and just condi-
ton between the people and the COM
mon carries of the state.
The history of railroad regulation
and rate reform is a part OF the his
tory Of this administration and can
not be denied. The progress which,
has been made has been the direct re-
suit of the suggestions and co-opera-
ton of the chief executive Of this state
and 1t is singular thing that the only
two great general reductions which
have come to the people Of Minnesota
during the past half century came
under the administrations of Governor
John Lind and myself. In discussion
of this question my opponent, if cor
rectly reported, has proposed as a
solution of the railway rate question
the adoption Of new laws. This is the
familiar plan proposed to postpone and
| evade action. With the adoption of
the reciprocal. demurrage BILL killed
| ~ NAAN Aeeot ASSAo1okuAC, t11e laws Oh
Minnesota are both efficient and sufi-
cient. An investigation has convinced
ME that they are undoubtedly the most
advanced laws upon the subject of the
regulation of railroad rates to be found
4 upon the statute books of any state in
the Union, and that the remedy lies
in aggressive administration of the
law by public officials charged with
this responsibility.
Insurance.
1 One of the great questions that has
forced itself upon the public mind dur
ing the past two years is that Of in
surance and the proper regulation and
supervision of insurance companies in
the control Of the vast amounts OF
money committed to their care for the
/ protection and the benefit of the peo-
pie. Human mind is scarcely capable
of grasping the mathematics or the
total figures involved in insurance
finance. A glimpse of the situation is
gathered from the fact, that in the
single state Of Minnesota 1852 poll
cies are carried upon the lives Of men
and women who have some one de-
pendent upon them for support; that
with the lowest possible estimate, at
. least three persons are represented and
interested in every policy carried; and
1 <14o+ - 80.