The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1906-10-31
RAILROAD ISSUES
PLAINLY Defined
HON. A. L. COLE DlSAGREES WITH
JOHNSON THAT RAILROAD
LAWS ARE EFFICIENT
AND SUFFICIENT.

My attention has been called to that
part of Governor Johnson's speech in
which he criticises me for proposing
as a solution of the railway rate ques-
ton the adoption CT new laws. If the
governor will read L4y speech again
he will find that his Charge is not
quite fair.
zee.
1t is true | advised The enact !:
ment of new laws 70 strengthen !:
our present statutes. But before ::
doing so | insisted that the first !:
thing to DO was to vigorously en- ::
3 force the laws we now have. /:
Among other things l said in my
speech at Kenyon and have since re,
peatedly insisted that There are al
ready on our statute books laws
which, when vigorously enforced, will
afford very substantial relief" and
added that 'the vigorous enforcement
of our laws cannot be insisted upon
too strongly. Not only should there
be vigorous enforcement Of our state
laws, but We should ct all times en-
deavor 10 create public sentiment
which may insure the enforcement CT
our federal rate statutes"
This was il Lac with the senti.
ments I expressed IN speech deliy-
cred last spring at Zumbrota, wherein
I said, among ether things: Now,
have a receipt for existing railroad
evils, and l viii giye it to everybody
from Governor Johnson down to the
humblest citizen. 1t is this: Stop
ecoIding and set to work enforcing
the railroad laws we have unless you
can work s1d scold at tie same
time"
Bat while I hold this view and have
emphasized it wherever l have had
Gn opportunity to talk on the subject
OF railroad regulation to the people,
................
ncu7t eMpkat caliy dissent from !:
tie position taken by Governor !:
johnson that the laws of Mime !:
sofa affecting railroads and rail- !:
ROAD rates are both deficient and !:
sufficient" {:
If that were the case ard Governor
Johnson were as jealous for their en-
forcement as he processes to be, surely
in the twenty months that the duty
has devolved upon him to take care
hot oil 1ou he Ion
have done something to secure relief
for the people from the heavy burdens
the railroads have put upon them.
But although he regards the laws
as efficient and sufficient" to afford
the people all necessary relief there
is no evidence that he ever sought to
apply them TO secure that relief We
have the authority of the railroad and
warehouse commission for stating
that up to the middle of last August
Governor Johnson has never at any
time in the office of the commission
or at any other place conferred with
or consulted the commission or any
ing to the rate question, or to the rail
ways Of this state, nor has any COM
plant, either oral or written or other
wise, come to the Office of the commits
sion from the governor regarding the
matter of railroad rates or matters in
volving the supervision of the railways
of this state" Surely this should not
be the case if our laws were efficient
and sufficient"
e... ..........
: Perhaps in this connection it is :
worth while to point out that up !:
8 to the present hour the people !:
have had to pay as high rates as !:
the day the governor was nau- ::
gurated; that the determinations !:
made then are made now, and i:
that every injustice which then !:
existed and which he has on sew /:
eral occasions referred to at con- !:
siderable length, exists now. !:
..........
To use his own language, railroad
conditions in Minnesota are as zap
palling" today as they were Jan. /
1905, and the only relief we can Ger
tainly depend upon is that voluntarily
offered us by the railroads themselves
acting under the pressure brought to
bear upon them by the board of rail
road and warehouse commissioners.
In saying this l do not forget that
the commissioners have ordered a re-
adjustment of freight rates on mer-
chandise, which will include a reduc-
ton of some 20 per cent in those rates.
But while this reduction has been or
dered we are not warranted in con-
GLIDING that all railroads will comply
with the order, although they may do
80, and just here is where think one
new law is needed to strengthen our
system.
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