Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1906-10-26

dividuals, have been compelled "a nav
both In the matter Of transportation
and upon Industrial products, q rate
Of profit altogether out Of HARMONY
with natural and just conditions. And
this condition has become SO exagRer-
ated and the financial autocrat ffas
exercised his tyranny to such aniex
tent that those in authority have been
forced to undertake the cause OF M
people: Today the President Of the
United States, disregarding all other
issues, dss concentrating his energies 10
secure the power for the people to
fix and establish just. rates Of trans
portatioE upon all common carriers.
In a village In southern Minnesota
last autumn, a great railway genius
advised the farmer to elect men to
legislative positions who would be tr11e
to the agricultural interests. r. not
the advice given on that occasion per-
tinent to this? The remedy for many
evils is the ballot, properly and ef-
fectfvely used-not with blindness of
party spirit or to promote the interests
of individuals, but used with the
broader idea OF promoting the general
welfare and securing a more perfect
civilization, based, as it must be-. on
the principles Of Justice, equality and
fairness"
Again in a special speech before the
United Commercial Travellers convea-
ton at Albert Lea, on June 8. 1906,
the Governor voiced his convictions as
to railway legislation and two cent
fare. saying in part:
The representative of the railroa is
here today has said that the prosperity
Of the railroads means the prosperity
of the West but say that the pros
perity Of the West means the prosper
1ty of the railways and within another
year want t. say that when he comes
back here two years from now we will
all be riding on a fiat two-cent rate,
whether the railroads want it or not
The railroads will not be able to help
it, because this condition is the in
herent right of the American peo-
this country is that no concern can
long get more than q legitimate profit
from its business. When the railroad
corporations OF the Northwest compel
you to pay three times the amount you
ought to pay IN order to, as they say,
sustain their business things have
gone beyond the limit Of endurance,
and something must be done to obviate
20 sT H railroads say that they are
afraid to put cut a fiat rate because Of
the danger of the tickets falling into
the hands IF scalpers. Well, If they
don't know how to do this and keep the
tickets out Of the hands of the scalp
ers we will tell them. Sell strip tick
ct good for S many miles. Sell ten
mile strip for twenty cents and so on
up to any desired distance. That will
keep the scalper OUT &
During all this time Gov. Johnson
had been closely following the prog
ress Of the railway and warehouse
commission in it's Investigation of rates
under the resolution OF the legislature,
as recommended in his inaugural mes
sage. So long as the commission ap-
peared TO belpushing the work with
honest purpose, he gave them credit
for sincerity, but when in August last 3
compromise proposition from three
railway companies doing business il,
the state was considered, and a coun-
with instructions Of the legislature,
was made, by which ii agreed to ali
work done by the commission would
come to naught, he wrote under date
of August 1eth letter stating his
position and telling the commission
what, in his Cr.inion, should be done, as
fOllows:i So &
To the Board Of Railway and ware
house Commissioners. Ez5
Gentlemen {: IS
& If the statements concerning the re-
cent transactions before your honor
able body, in the. matter Of the rate
hearing, are correctly reported, I think
an opportunity is afforded you of|se-
curing immediate and considera ble
benefit to a large portion Of the peo-
pie of this state.
It appears that on the 18th inst. ac-
credited representatives OF three rail-
way companies appeared before YOU
and proposed to reduce the rates on
wheat and coarse grains shipped from
all points ia the state Of Minnesota.
in excess Of one hundred miles from
the terminals Of their respective sys-
TENS, ten per cent from the tariffs now
in force" he
The proposal was, however couplad
with the condition that the merchan
disc rates under discussion, SO FAR as
they relate to the tariffs now in force
on said ines OF railway, shall be coo-
tinued In force and the proceedings
with reference to the same shall 1. e
dismissed. : SIS s$.7
. It further appears that representa-
tives of other roads objected to the &c
sceptance Of this proposal by the Com.
mission. upon the ground that the |ef-
feet would be to disturb the rates IN
their roads. S..
] think every one must agree Mat
you were clearly right In refusing to
entertain the proposal Of the three
companies. but the fact. OF: its ,nayiaR
been made and the manner in whirS,
1T was presented. suggest to my NINA
that we should be able to secure "a
duced rates on grain before the present
crop Is moved, without IN any manner
interfering with the general investiEa-
ton Of rates now being made ~ your your,
Board. :. -
BY their cWn statement the three
companies can, AFFORD to make 4 ma
terial reduction In grain rates. and
they should be compelled to do Is Win its1s-
out delay. ~ ~
The dema,,d that The present INQUIRY
Into rates ho suspended could not 81
scourse .nes entertai ned, inasmuch g tut
proceeding Is IN aceordance With. ~
Instruct tons Etyeus 5ou the lat