The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1906-12-14
Manahan Gets After Rail-
road commissioners.
PARTIAL TO JAMES ]. HILL
Attorney for The Minnesota Shippers
Association Lays Charges Before
Governor Johnson. 8 :


Governor Johnson his promised charges
against the members of the railway and
warehouse commission.
They are as follows:
To His EXcellency, John \. Johnson.
Governor of Minnesota: We accuse Ira
b. Mills, Charles f. Staples and William
T.. Young, who are, without warrant OF
law, assuming to act as the railroad ana
warehouse commission of Minnesota, OF
neglect of duty, inefriciency, and NAL
feasance in office. .r
We charge the said Ira b. Mills,
Charles +. Staples and William +.
Young, as board. and each OF them
separately as commissioner, of being
partial to James j. Hill, a representa-
tive of railroad interests, and unfair to
the people of Minnesota to degree that
renders them inefficient.
We charge each of said commission
ers with neglect of duty.
They have utterly failed to exercise
general supervision of railroads doing
business as common carriers in Anime
sofa. They have failed to intelligently
inquire and keep themselves informed as
to the manner in which the railroads
subject to their supervision conduct
their business.
They have neglected to obtain from
such carriers information necessary for
the performance of their duties as com
missioners.
They have failed to secure from the
railroads under their supervision fair
distribution of cars for the people of
Minnesota.
IL; Oh al l,o
railroads in regard to rebates, discrim
nations and excessive charges. :.
They deliberately neglected for years
to advise themselves of the terms of the
contract between the Northern Pacific
Railway company and the Chicago, Mil
waukee and st. Paul Railway company
for the handling of traffic in this state,
and knowingly permitted the last named
company to eXtort vast sums of money
from the people of Hastings and other
points in the southern Minnesota, by
means of unreasonable and extOrtionate
freight rates.
They permitted the last named COM
pany to charge and collect Sl.75 per ton
for handling coal from Duluth to Has
tings, although under said contract said
coal was hauled within twenty miles of
the entire distance by the Northern Pa
cific Railway company for less than 45
cents per ton. W a1.s- ,, ,.....
For years they have permitted the
railroads to charge for hauling coal in
this state a rate they knew to be gross
ly excessive, unjust and extOrtiOnate.
They have co-operated with the rail
roads in Withholding from the people
the advantage of proximity to a port on
the great lakes, and permitted the en-
forcement of a tariff of rates and
charges so excessive and unfair as to
drain the producers, handicap the ship
pers, and increase the burden of all who
toll in Minnesota.
They have been recreant i'm their du-
ties generally, and only jealous in their
efforts to avoid offending the railroad
interests.
They have displayed great industry in
the prosecution of trivial matters, while
utterly neglecting questions of grave
concern to the public.
They have tried at the hearing now
pending to chield and protect the Chi
cago, st. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha
halfway company from the proof and
odlum OF spending money for political
purposes, and charging the same to the
operating expenses of the road
we have been Informed and believe.
and on such information charge the fact
TO be, that money was contributed nv
railroad corporations and officials to Sc
cure the nomination and election of cam
dIdates for public positions, and charged
up to the operating expenses of.the road.
ana that from time to time a fund was
raised by said railroads for the purpose
of directing and influencing legislation
In the state of Minnesota. and that a
thorough examination of railway Off
Gals and an inspection of their books
VIII disclose the amount of such fund.
and the purpose for which it was raised.
We accuse each of said commissioners
with malfeasanse and misconduct in
office
Under resolution of the last lepis-
lature the board was directed to take I'm
the investigation of freight rates and re-
duce them to a fair basis. Under this
resolution the commission instituted
proceedings. They caused to be prepared
proposed schedule of merchandise
rates.
This schedule furnished a small meas.
ure of relief, but did not effect the prip.
~'PNi SoiiihouItIcS vi l1e state. The
main question was held i'm the back
ground by the commission. The rail
roads were invited to submit their side
OF the controversy. They appeared be-
lore the board and offered great mass
OF testimony and statistics. Their wit
heSses were not crOss-eXamined and
Ineir statistics were i'm no way verified.
Inc railroads had no opposition. The at
torney general was not needed or called
IN the case. Subsequently day was
set for the hearing from the shippers.
They attended from various pOints i'm
the state. They attempted to mt in
their own testimony. The commission
permitted them to be cross -examined
and Insulted to an extent that thew in.
dignantly withdrew. Thereafter the
commission set day for further hearino
and suggested to the shippers to engage
the advice of an attorney to represent
them in the investigation. The shin
pers retained the undersigned, James
Manahan, who appeared before the com
mission for them, and for large num-
Der of farmers in southern Minnesota.
The hearing proceeded from day to
day until they became very embarrass-
ing to railroad interests. An attempted
compromise was. made, which would ia
vor the Northern roads but prove of lit
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