The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1906-08-31

WRONGS Dtcli peTpetluIeu uhueS "hae 'an
perhaps properly be characterized. "the
private car nuisance" by which unjust re-
bates have been secured. The right of emf
nent domain is given to railroads on ac-
count of their bein. quasi-public corpora
tions. The use of private cars along those
highways is not contemplated and is
harmful to the public welfare, and it
seems to me their further use should be
prohibited by law. Relating to favored
shippers is one of the most harmful
practices in which the railroads have
ever engaged. That practice tends to
stife competition and breed monopoly.
The legislature has already aimed to
reach these abuses by law, but | am in
favor of strengthening our statutes on
that subject so that this odious and de-
moralizing practice will be crushed out,
or those who attempt it be sent to jail
During recent years great abuses have
been practiced by the railroads under
what is known as ''demurrage charges"
and, for many years, shippers of our
state have been compelled to suffer long,
damaging and apparently needless de-
! lays i'll getting cars to be loaded. These
abuses can only be corrected by the
strong and vigorous arm of the state.
In my opinion, law should speedily be
enacting correcting these evils.
In all ways that are practicable and
beneficial to the shipper should the
statutes of our state on the question of
railroad supervision be made to con-
form to the regulation rate law recently
enacted by our federal government. In
| tl,n Of oil I onl
recommend to the legislature the pas
sage of such laws as | have suggested,
but will use all honorable means in my
power as governor, to secure their en-
actment.
AS our platform declares:
"There should be such readiustment of
| freight rates and charges as will .afford
to every producer, shipper and consumer,
the impartial service of these public
highways"
Speaks of Taxation.
On the tax question L have decided
views. The state has developed to a
point where the expenditure for govern
mental purposes has reached an enor-
nous figure. In 1905 more than TWEEN
lty-two million dollars was taken by di-
lpeople and spent to run various depart
ments OF our state and municipal add
ministration. When we realize that this
sum does not include special, local I'M
lprOvement assessments, licenses of all
kinds, nor the gross earnings taxes of
railroads, insurance companies, telegraph
and telephone companies, and the like
nor the states income from its own in
vestments. we must be convinced that
this is one of the very important sub
jects which is now before our citizens
for consideration.
large part of our public eXpendi-
lures is for objects as to which it Is
the states policy to exercise liberality
More than forty per cent of the total
spent goes i'll one shape or another fol
the cause of popular education. Gun
people believe in good schools and APP.
prove of their maintenance and improve
ment. | think in other directions there
is room for economy, and | pledge my
self. if elected, to investigate thoroughly
every avenue of possible waste and eX-
travagance, and to use my influence to
reduce and limit OUTLAWS wherever this
can be done without prejudice to eff
cient service. But the burden will be
heavy, notwithstanding all that can be
done in this way, unless we improve oul
methods of taxation. We have now in
operation system which came into ex
istence when business conditions were
much different from what they are at
present. New forms of wealth have
been created and accumulations are held
in shapes which were then unknown
and which our laws contain no adequate
provisions for reaching The result is
that property of enc sort is overtaxed
and property of another sort escapes
entirely. For these reasons / am in ia
vor of the proposed tax amendment tc
the state constitution, which is to be
voted on at the coming election. II
adopted, it will enlarge the powers OF
the legislature very materially. and
make it possible to enact revenue law
in harmony with modern scientific
thought OH the subject, and which will
more equitably meet the social and eco
nomic conditions existing at the present
day. If we got no further the first
year after its adoption than to rid our.
selves of direct taxes for the support
of the state government, leaving this
source free for the use of our subordi
nate political subdivisions, we should
have made substantial progress over
what we are able to do under our pres
ent constitutional provisions.
Insurance Reform Discussed.
i Until a couple of years ago most peo
pie believed that life insurance policy
was good form of investment. There
was also general national pride in the
size and strength of our great American
life insurance companies. The recent
disclosures as to the scandalOus business
methods of some of the eastern life in
surance companies has changed all this
Many policy holders have allowed their
policies to lapse, comparatively little
new business has been written, and the
big companies have become subject OF
criticism, gibes and sarcasm instead of
praise and pride.
!! 1t would be serious misfortune for
the country if this were carried too far
A life insurance policy i'll properly
managed companies is, for most families
a valuable species of saving. If the at
tack upon life insurance companies gen
orally becomes so fierce that the people
acquire permanent distrust of all life
insurance and cease to insure their lives
one of the most valuable Instrumental
tiles for thrift will have been eliminated
! from our national life If the attack is