The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1906-08-31
are equitable to both carrier and ship.

pOs cS upon the Stlte cAccutlNe, WHICH
affect the people generally, are numerous
and wcighty, and his discretionary pow
crs in that direction are very great.
There was no law which, in express
terms, declared that President Roosevelt
should insist upon action being brought
against trusts, but he exercised what
had been treated as discretionary pow
En-, and the result is the great trust
question is being brought before the
courts for adjustment, to the very great
benefit of the general public. Through
the exercise of his discretionary powers,
the Sherman antitrust law, which had
laid for many years as dead letter
upon our national statutes, had the
breath of life breathed into it. That
which was an inert and worthless
statute is now Il living force, before
which all men have learned to bow in
respect and obedience.
For many years the republican party
has been enacting laws giving our rail
road and warehouse commission au-
thority to properly adjust railroad
rates. The result is we have as
good. if not the best laws of
any state in the union upon that sub
ject. Minnesota was a pioneer and lead
er in this class of legislation. Two OF
more men living in the same place, en-
gagged in the same business are quite
likely each to first seek to know that
neither one had the advantage in rates
over the other. This question settled
satisfactorily, the next is, has any COM
petiIYs point rate advantage! When
this question is satisfactorily adjusted
it makes but little difference to either
dealer whether, the rate of freight is
two dollars or four dollars per ton
Whatever freight he pays helps to make
up the cost of the goods. The freight
and the profits to be made are both add
ed to the wholesale price of the goods
and the sum total falls as burden up
OH the consumer The consumer-the
man who eats and wears-is. in the last
analysis, the man who pays the freight
The most numerous class of such con
sumers is the farmers. They are, neces'
sarily, the ones directly interested i'll the
cost of transportation, because they not
only pay the freight on the merchan
disc shipped in from abroad which it is
necessary for them to buy, but they
also pay the cost of transportation tC
the market, on every product of THEN
farms. The market value of wheat OF
any other grain at any station i'll Mime
sofa, is the market price in Minneapolis
or Duluth, less the freight. The market
price of the farmers cattle at nearly
every station i'll this state, is the South
st. Paul market, less the freight. Ever
if he sells his animals to the loca
butcher, and it is not the subject Of
transportation at all, the price he re
ceives is the st. Paul market, les,
freight.
No one consumer is so much interested
in the rate question that he can affOrt
to spend the time and money necessary
to secure the benefits which would come
to him from general reduction o.
freight rates. What is everybody's bus
mess is nobody's business" except thu
officers who have the matter in charge
The result is the consumer is the last
man whose interests are liable to BIZ
considered
While we have laws giving to The
commission large powers to make rate,
and modify those that are excessive
while the commission has done much tt
relieve the people from excessive bur
dens, believe we have not had the en-
forcement of those laws, which insur,
to the people their full and complet,
benefit. The courts of no other state
have taken more advanced position
than those of Minnesota in holding thai
the commission, in fixing rates, shall
take into account only the cost of re
producing the road and equipment I'm
der this decision, it would seem that the
cost of the railroads of the state must
be known in order that the commission
may intelligently fix what are reason
able rates. | am informed that, fol-
some time the commission has been ell
gagged i'll determining such values, will
the intention of reducing rates to al
equitable basis. Owing to the INSULT
cheney of the law upon certain point
the work has been somewhat difficult tt
perform, and the result of their labors
may not, i'll all respects, be correct. II
is, therefore, my belief that the com
mission should be specifically authorized
by law to determine the value of the
railroads in the state and, that it may
secure all necessary data. should have
the power to subpoena railway officials
and employees and compel them to give
their testimony and to produce books
and other evidence required.
The laws of our state not only give
the right to, but impose the duty upor
the chief executive to remove the com
mission in the event of its failure tt
perform its duty, and, in order to know
when to exercise that function in ques
ton like this that affects all people
the governor should at least from time
to time keep himself informed as tC
what is being done by that body, ano
l am convinced that suggestions from
the governor to the commission. wher
questions of the disobedience of law -ol
the collection of excessive freight rate.
are known to him, are not only peril
nent but demanded. and, if elected gov
ernor, l will unhesitatingly make sug
gestlons to the commission when the
public welfare seems to demand it, and
If necessary, file formal complaint.
The vigorous enforcement of our laws
cannot be emphasized too strongly. Not
only should there be a vigorous en-
forcement of our state laws. but
we should at all times endeavor to Gre
ate public sentiment which may insure
the enforcement of our federal rate
statutes.
The practice of giving free passes to
public officials and favored individuals