The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1906-11-02
Word From. the State Rail-
road Commission.
ID vssTa RE Q ss2 -
CREDIT IS ALL GOING WRONG
Governor Johnson Did Not Have All
To Do With the Reduction
Of Freight Schedule.

st. Paul, Oct. Ex-Governor johnson
is being brought to book on some of
the extraragant statements he is max
ing in his campaign speeches.
Railroad Commissioners Staples and
W. f. Young and Attorney General E..
T. Young joined today in statement
to the press, refuting the governors ac-
count of his meeting with the commls-
sion to discuss the rate reductions. In
his public speeches the governor tells
how he 'sent for the commission" and
had a long conference with them, in
which ''some things were said that it
would not do to repeat" and at Moor
head he went farther and said that me
threatened the commission with re-
moval from office. if they didn't make
an immediate reduction in grain rates.
This does not correspond with the
governors interviewers in the daily
press Immediately after the incident,
when he complimented the commission,
said the meeting was "free from any
unpleasantness,"' and was 'effusive'' in
his. complimentary remarks.
There were just four people present,
Governor Johnson, Attorney General
Young and Commissioners Staples and
Young. The last three unite "A the fol-
lowing statements.
1t has been reported repeatedly that
on the, stump in this state certain
statements not in accordance with the
facts are being made as to what trans
PRED at certain meeting held in the
office of the governor with the rail-
road and warehouse commission on Aug.
Il, 1906
In the interest of truth an din Justice
to the commission, it seems proper Tor
the information of the public that a
statement be made giving the exact
facts.
First-There has been but one meet
ing, consequently but one can be refer
was the receipt by the commission of
letter from the governor on Aug. Il,
1906 This letter was not an invitation
to meet the governor, but from its read
inc it was clear that the governor la
bored under a mistaken impression as
to the powers of the commission. At
the time the letter was received all the
testimonial in the merchandise rate case
was in, and Attorney General Young
was in the office of the commission con-
sidering the same. 1t was suggested on
the coming in of the letter referred to
that it would be the proper thing to go
over to the office of the governor and
talk the matter over.
The parties going over were Com
missioners Young and Staples ard At
torney General Young. They, with the
governor, were the only parties present.
The meeting did not last over twenty
minutes.
The first thing said was by the gov
ernor, and was to the effect that he
hoped the commission would not feel
he was trying to ''butt in. IN a mat
ter of which he knew practically moth
ing, but it occurred to him that posi-
bly, there might be way of getting
an immediate reduction on grain rates
without accepting the conditions con-
tanned in the compromise offered by the
railway companies, and he compliment
ed the commission on the results of
their work. All parties were agreed
that grain and coal rates were high and
ought to be reduced and that steps
would be taken to that end, and that
without interfering with the merchan-
disc investigation.
There was not a word said during
the meeting otherwise than of most
friendly nature, and all the discussion
was entirely harmonious.
The claim being made in public
speeches that the commission objected
to doing certain things suggested by
the governor or that it was urged on
the commission to do certain things,
or that in the event the commission
refused or failed to do certain things
that there was power in the governor
to remove them from office, or that
such action would in any event be tax
Ell, is absolutely without foundation.
Neither at that meeting nor at any
other time has there been any disagree
ment between the governor and the
commission as to what ought to be, or