Devils Lake inter-ocean and Devils Lake free press. (Devils Lake, Ramsey County, N.D.) 1905-1909, 1907-08-23


and the testimony Of the men
who built them, that the actual
value of the roads today are only
about one-half of what they |
were capitalized and without
considering the fact that the
railroads of Minnesota received
in land grants over fifteen mil
lion Of acres of land.
"Our committee found that
the average value Of all the rail-
roads in Minnesota today, includ
ing equipments, terminal prop
erty and everything they have,
amounts to about $4,000 per
mile.
"All the railroads of Mime
sofa last year earned on an aver
age, over and above all expenses
and taxes of every description,
over $4,000 per mile, which is
more than twice as much as
would have been a fair return
upon the actual value of the
property. Will anyone say that
these excessive earnings in Min
nesota in one year of over $780,
100000 have not affected the
happiness and the prosperity of
the people of the state of Min
nesota generally? Will any man
say that the people have no right
to complain of such added and
unnecessary burden as that?
These uneared millions were col
lected by these railroads. Where
did they go? What portion of
the railroad stocks and bonds
that absorbed 100000 are
owned in the state of Minnesota ?
'When you realize that this
contest which our able attorney
general and assistant are waging
against the railroads to compel
them to accept and do business
in accordance to the commodity
rate bill passed by the last Min
nesota legislature means an at
tempt to prevent them from TAX
ing from fifteen to twenty-five
million more than they ought
from the public every year, you
will understand how desperately
the railroads fight.
II want to tell you that no man
has any idea of the extraordin-
airy efforts and desperate means
adopted by the railroads to pro-
tect themselves in their grip up
on the prosperity of the country
who has not been in active touch
; with the efforts made to pass the
right kind of laws.
II introduced a distance tariff
, and maximum freight rate bill
: at the beginning of the last legis.
. lature. The first, if it. became: a
) law: would prevent the build:
} ing up Of one locality at the ex.
: pense Of another, and it woulC
: also prevent determinations be.
tween individuals.
) "The maximum, freight rate
= bill would fix the maximum rate
' that could be charged on com
modities named in the bill. I
7 is needless to say that the rail
= roads were we'll represented
Y around the lobbies Of the capito
: when those bills were under con
>sideration and they brough
a pressure enough to bear to Sc
4 cure the defeat of both thos,
D measures. But the agitation
r bore good fruit for no sooner die
r some of the worthy representa-
e tives of the people see that they
: would have to go on record OF
e my bill than they got busy on :
Y new commodity bill.
: 'It was then within tire,
t weeks of the close Of the session
t and two weeks after the TIM
t had expired for introducing bill
,, without obtaining the governor
e permission. About twenty min
n utes after my distance tariff bill
$ was voted down a few of the Leaf
: ers became very active. A new
:. bill was soon in readiness. TIL
governors permission was oh
tanned at 9 o'clock that SAM
night and the bill was passet
under suspension Of the rule
$, before IL and also passed in tn,
" senate under suspension of tn,
4; rules the next day. I consider
this bill by far the most import
ant legislation effected durin,