Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1906-10-24

$ats N 3s; Ss. M 3 $s:
. O. - 800 ,-:-'' ---'---
ton, must have the riEh ton regulate
and control that corporation in its OPP
h a.s;.s . IL, great course OF the
country today;#isEE In the fictitious valu:-
fact that#the Amerioan people must 81
their energy and economy pay tribute
70 this kind Of genius by paying#a rate
OF interest and profit OH property which
has no existence. y....:,. y 81 ~
: Illustrators have been numerous
where a. man or syndicate OF men have
taken a million dollars worth. Of prop
erty and; by writing new certificates,
have converted IT. into five millions Of
dollars worth of property; where one
hundred million dollars worth of in
dustrials -hav,a been combined. rs ##vne
enterprise, end by the issuanceasof#cer-
t1hcates have been enhanced an value
400 per cent. And The American pep
pie pay a reasonable rate OF interest
and profit on the stocks and bonds Cf
the Watered stock OF the corporation.
What has been true In the indus
trial world has been equally true IN
the world Of Transports ton. Combina-
lions have been made and new shares
OF stock have been issued far in OK
cess of the actual value Of: the prop
erty. believe in corporations. I he
Heve the American people ought to pay
a reasonable. rate Of interest and a fair
profit on all legitimate classes of prop
erty. believe, however, that: the
American people ought TO pay only
upon the actual value Of the property
and not upon the imitation.
During the: past decade we have
been shown ky illustration after illus
tration' that, the. American people, alb
solutelyi within the power: OF a few in
dlv1duais, have been compelled to pay
both In the matter Of transportation
and upon Industrial products, a rate
OF profit altogether out of harmony
with natura! and just conditions. And
ated and the financial autocrat has
exercised his tyranny to such an. ex-
tent~that those in authority have been
forced to undertake the cause: Of his
people, Today the President of the
United States, disregarding all. other
issues, is concentrating his energies ic
secure the power for the people tc
fix and establish just rates Of trans.
portation upon all common carriers
TN village i1si in IN southern Minnesota sofa
advised tie farmer a to elect elect men sgn't tt
legislative positions who would be true
to the agricultural interests. rs :lot
the advice given on that occasion per-
tinent to this? The remedy for many
evils Is the ballot, properly and EFF
fect1vely used-not with blindness OF
party spirit or to promote the Interests
Of individuals, but used with -.the
broader idea of promoting the general
welfare and securing a. more perfect
civilization, based, as it must be, on
the principles of Justice. equality and
fairness"
Again in a special speech before the
United Commercial Travellers convea-
ton at Albert Lea, on June 8, 1906
the Governor voiced his, convictions as
to railway legislation and a two cent
fare saying in part:
THE representative Of the railroads
here today has said that the prosperity
of the railroads means the prosperity
OF the West but say that the pros
pertty of the West means the prosper
ity Of the railways and within mother
year want t. say that when he comes
back here two years from now we will
all be riding on a fiat two-cent rate,
whether the railroads want it or not.
The railroads will not be able to help
it, because this condition is the in
herent right of the American peo-
pie, and the established principle of
this country is that no concern can
long get more than q legitimate profit
from its business. When the railroad
corporations of the Northwest compel
you to pay three times the amount yo,,
ought to pay In order to, as they say,
sustain their business things have
gone beyond the limit of endurance,
and something must be done to obviate
the grievance.
"The railroads say that they are
afraid to put cut a fiat rate because of
the danger of the tickets falling into
the hands Of scalpers. Well, if they
don't know how to do this and keep the
tickets out Of the hands of the scalp
ers we will tell them. Sell a strip tick
ct good for 5, many miles, Sell a. ten
mile strip foe twenty cents, and so on
up to any desired. distance That will
keep the scalper out" !" g..
During all this time Gov. Johnson
had been closely following the prog
ress of the railway and warehouse
commission in its Investigation of rates
under the resolution ct the legislature,
as recommended in his inaugural meg
sage. So long as the commission APP
peared to be pushing the work with
honest purpose, he gave them credit
for sincerity, but when in August last .
compromise proposition from three
railway companies doing business in
the state was considered, and coun-
ter proposition, directly at variance
with instructions: Of the legislature,
was made, by which II agreed to ali
work. done by the commission would
come to naught, he wrote under date
of August 10th a letter stating his
position and telling the commission
what, in his cr.inion should be done, as
follows: .''...
To the Board OF Railway and Ware
house Commissioners. g. =
Gentlemen : =
If the statements concerning the re-
cent transactions before your honor
able body, in the matter OF the rate
hearing, are correctly reported, I think
an opportunity is afforded you of Sc
curing Immediate and ;, considerable
benefit to a. large portion of the peo-
pie of; this state. Y Z
It appears that on the 18th inst. ac-
credited representatives Of threa rail-
way companies appeared before you
and proposed to reduce the rates on
wheat. and coarse grains shipped from
all points I'M the state of Minnesota,
in excess of one hundred miles from