The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1906-05-11
care to take further part in this exami-

nation.
With that Mr.. LOTUS moved out of
the room and was followed by the mem
bers of the Mankato delegation.
! Chairman Mills-Does any one else
| from AIankatO desire to be heard?
| Mr.. Webber-Not under the circum-
stances.
Once in the adjoining room there was
an animated scene.
The hearing had practically ceased.
Commissioner Young, who is a Man
kato man, went out to meet his irate
constituents and argued with them long
and loud. He said the commission had
no desire to favor the railroads at the
expense of the shippers. The proceedings
were like those III court, and cross
examination was permissible.
Mr.. Lotus took the position that the
railroads were permitted to put in their
evidence in an orderly way and without
interruption. The shippers had not even
been invited to that hearing and only
knew that it was going on from seeing
a mention of it in the papers.
Eve object to the railroads making
up second case at the expense of the
shippers said he.
Mr.. Weber did not think it fair for
J. 4.
''We shippers have no attorney" said
he, "and the attorney general is not
here to look after our side of the ease"
Mr.. Young said he would see to it that
the attorney general was present at the
next hearing. This seemed to please the
shippers who finally came back before
the commission and agreed to have the
hearing continued to some date to be set
| by the chairman. AT that time he
asked that the attorney general be pres
| ent.
+. NJ. Currer of MankatO was the
| first witness of the afternoon session. He
against in favor of Winona which had a
terminal rate. The existing rates cut
the Mankato jobbers off from the terri
tory eighty miles east of tnGt city. He
| thought all the distributing points
should have like tariffs in the districts
in which their business mutually lay. He
took the position that the tariffs in
Iowa had resulted in the building up of
iobbing centers. In Minnesota the tariff
schedules had resulted in small growth
for the small towns while the big cities
forged ahead The rates make or break
town. The Iowa rate were maximum
rates.
Mr.. Staples-If we were to put maxi.
mum rates in force in Minnesota, towns
like MankatO would have but one road
and the others would be barred out, for
the long lines could not meet the short
line rates. | never knew a man yet
who understood the working of the Iowa
rates We intend that you shall have
the same maximum rates at MankatO as
ut st. Paul. o"
Mr.. Currier-That would be satisfac-
tory.
Z. L. Patterson of Mankato contended
that Mankato was getting the worst OF
| it. The jobbers of ST. Paul, Minneapolis
and Winona had a marked advantage
over the Mankato jobbers. He thought
the same rates should be made for all
these cities. Winona should not be Civ
en- preference over Mankato.
Mr. Severance by some adroit ques-
tioning endeavored to show that Manka-
to was pretty well taken care of in the
way of rates, and if anything, was fav
ored rather than Disseminated against.
1t was during this examination that
the trouble was precipitated.
A. r. Charest, of Moorhead, said he
represented the farming interest. Il am
willing to 90 on the stand and stand
your racket" he said glaring at Mr..
Severance. He called attention to what
he believed was an inequality of rates
by which Moorhead suffered. He said
the commercial club of that city would
approve of the proposed reduction.