Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1906-08-24
)elled to do it without delay

ance with instructions given you by
the last legislature in a joint resolu-
:ion
There is no reason for presuming
that the Inquiry being conducted be-
fore you will result in any injustice
to the railway companies concerned.
If it should the courts are open to
them for the purpose of having the
same corrected and they should be
willing to abide by the decision of the
same tribunal which passes not only
upon every conceivable right of the
Individual citizen, but upon questions
of life and death. 1t is a startling
and audacious proposal that your
board should forbear continuing an in
quiry which you have commenced pur-
suant to legislative instructions and
suggestion made on behalf of the rail-
roads other than the three making
the proposal, that such a reduction
would disturb their rates, is equally
preposterous.
"The people Of one portion Of the
state should not continue to pay ex.
cessive rates in order that the sym.
metry Of the rates enforced upon some
other portion Of the state or in other
states should be maintained. re-
quest, therefore, that you take steps
that may be available and as the at.
torney general Of this state may ad.
wise you are sufficient for the purpose
OF securing to the people of this state
a reduction in rates upon coarse
grains by the three roads | have men.
toned.
pending the decision of the board
upon the question of merchandise
rates the reduction on grain rates
should not be delayed, nor should
such reduction be limited to shipments
originated from 100 miles from the
terminals, or if you should be. advised
that such action is not feasible, that
the scope of the present inquiry be so
enlarged as to include not only the
propriety of the present rates on mer-
chandise, but also commodity rates in
this state generally
In conclusion desire to assure
you of my hearty cooperation in any
effort you may make to secure more
equal and just railway rates to the
people Of this state Very respectfully,
(Signed) JOHN A. JOHNSON,
Governor
Upon receiving this letter the rail-
road and warehouse commission was
In the position of Davy Crockett's
coon. Whom they saw Governor john
sens gun leveled at them they de.
cided to come down." Then the rail-
roads found that they had been neatly
shared in trap Of their own set
ting and
Decided to Reduce the Rates
In accordance with the governors
suggestion without waiting for action
by the commission. The capitulation
Is shown in the following letter TO the
railroad and warehouse commission,
transmitted by the attorney for the
rai]wa! companies:
How They capituIatsd.
ITO the Railroad and Warehouse Com.
mission:
"The undersigned railway COM
panies lately presented to your body
a petition in which we endeavored to
show the great Importance to the
farmers of Minnesota of a reduction
In grain rates and the comparative
unimportance to the people of the
nf IN
rates; In that petition we therefore
suggested that reduction of approx
mately 10 per cent be made in the
grain rates and that the merchandise
rates be allowed to stand substan-
TALLY as at present. Your honorable
body declined to make the arrange
ment suggested, taking the view, as
we understand, that you could not
properly, without general acquiescence
of all the railways and of the public,
secure reduction in grain rates by.
agreeing that the merchandise rates
may remain in the future as at pres
ent.
''We acquiesce in the propriety of
your conclusion. Whilst the taking of
testimony has been nearly completed
In the Investigation of merchandise
rates which has been progressing for
several months before your honorable
body it seems impossible that the
hearing can be closed and the case
decided before the movement of the
present crop of grain. And such is
our confidence that the testimony in
that proceeding will convince you that
the present merchandise rates in this
state are reasonable that If author
lied by you we have determined not
to await the decision of the merchan-
disc case but to make uncondition-
ally reduction of approximately 10
per cent in Minnesota grain rates and
make the reduction effective upon the
crop soon to be marketed.
Therefore the undersigned respect.
fully ask permission to make approx
mateIy 10 per cent reduction, effec.
tive Sept. I next, in the grain rates
at present In force on our lines be-
tween points more than fifty miles
distant from the terminals"