Devils Lake inter-ocean and Devils Lake free press. (Devils Lake, Ramsey County, N.D.) 1905-1909, 1907-01-18


conditions. for congress only has re
ntates, the power to regulate local tradtc
being reserved in the states. In. this
rate biz" there is a provision that a
or passes to any one. ex-
oept persons in the actual employ 81 the
railroad company. The wisest and best
statesmen that we nave must nave e So
sary in the interstate commerce bill. ana
yet, on account of the constitutional pro
vision referred to. it will be pracucany
useless, Unless supplemented by state leg
islatipn. While rhe railroad companies
cannot give passes or transportation from
a place IN one state to place m another
passes good within the state. because
that is not interstate commerce and can
not be q violation of the interstate COM
aise ana y taey can M the States
through which the road runs, and thus
make the interstate commerce act IL.
operative in this respect. The railroad
free, and II it does it Is done at the e1.
pense OF the general travelling pubhc; IL
is better to charge everyone ano .ne y.
carry everyone cheaper. The railroads
being for the use of the public. there Is
no reason why one person should nave
al advantage over ahotnef III thns ~
spect
Because of the magnitude Of the rail
road interests. think it is especially
wrong for a public official to accepl
passes from a railroad company ny ,m re
and he loses the pass when he loses the
Office. The corporation understands hu,
man nature and knows that it Ia natural
cial, honest, as the world goes. remembers
the favor and 10 inclined to be ina:uVe
In the passage OF and In the enforcement
T G laws psube oic aap oSgnt to se in
position where he can enact, enforce VI
interpret all law for the common 5000
and general welfare Of the public WIZ III.
he will find hard to do while his pockets
are full Of railroad passes. I therefore
recommend the enactment OF
An Ansl-Pass Law
to further supplement the rate Dill" and
to enable the railroad companies In TINS
gtate to reduce their rates for carrying
- 1t is now we'll settled that because rail-
roads are for the use of the public. the
public, through, the legislature has a
long as the regulations are reasonable.
This control Includes the right to tx rea-
sonabie passenger and freight rates, me me
roadbed, ana the right to compel compel
the railroad companies to furnish
proper and reasonable equipment
f e. By TO sr tas RaRs The
to make such reasonable regulations
may be delegated BY the legislatu,r r TO to
the railroad commissioners the ialles
Ia the more practical. II your raiiroao
commissioners will act or II your law
delegating to them the power Is sufficient
to compel their action. The reason why
cause it is very difficult to make 9 hard
and fast rule fixing passenger and freight
rates and the furnishing of cars and
equipments: Reasonable rates: .,, under
might be unreasonable under different
circumstances and conditions, and with
the in the ba at WIZ
reasonable regula ton.
We have had, however, since 1897,
law containing q mandatory provision re-
quiring the railroad commissioners to
: make schedule Of reasonable maximum
referred 10 being section 4s4a Of the Re:
sea codes Of ase i ths lag Tar 70
commissioners is concerned II yet
should conclude that the power shoult
but that the rates should be fixed BY
! the rate BY the rule laid down BY thi
s shs ease 81 sp the Chicago, Miwausee
:. 173. United States, 1e7, viz: s"Th'
reasonabsness Of schedule Of rates 10,
must be determined by comparison be
tween the gross receipts Of the road AND
the cost of operating IT," The Question
recommend to your sound discretion ane
best Judgment, feeling: certain that yoi
viii find, on Investigation. that the loca
your action thereon will be fair and Jus
to the railroads and to the people.
recommend the enactment OF lay
IN safe sce 9n and providing sever
penalties for its violation: We have has
q great many wrecks this last fall, re
ported to be caused by the spEeaaing .
know that the rails spread because tn
ties were rotten: In another wreck o.
/ the. same road, In the same county ant
in the same week the rails spread again
there iWas another wreck, two men .vver
killed, and. was told by reliable mel
who were In the wreck, that the ties a
en ptaHg VIZ" en this Subject raiiroa
company allows it's roadbed to becom
in such a condition that the ties are rot
ten some one is guilty Of gross cs e. nina
negligence. a life is lost, some one shout
be guilty Of manslaughter and should b
punished accordingly. The railroad com
Bed. and should be required by law t
furnish it and keep it in safe condition.
In relation to the question OF the recen
shortage Of cars, recommend the en-
actment Of q law requiring the raiIroa
=: companies to furnish q reasonable mum
Z her Of cars to shippers without discrtm
inatiop. I am informed that in man
parts Of the state the railroad cDmpanie
have Disseminated In favor of certai
shippers by giving them more cars an
larger cars than other shippers in tn
same town This should be regulated /
ouch a way that no town would have an
advantage over other towns with tn
same railroad facilities, and NO shippe
would have any advantage over any 9th
or shipper. The people and the raj
roads should realize that the railroad
are not for the individual, but for tn
use OF the public, and that there Shout
be no discrimination In favor Of any plac
or person. i. =. z
n Next cali your5sAttention 10 Rai,roa
H.. = Taxation. 4: :.
] There is a general feeling throughor
the. state that the railroads. are not pay
ing their just and proportionate share {
the burden Of taxation. Railroad proI
erty should be assessed upon the sam
basis as the property of the individual
There is only one way to assess propert
so that the burden may fall alike upo
>, all, and this one way Is by assassin
* it at it's actual value. BY so doing, IN
one can complain, because all should
i willing. to pay taeir Just and proportion
II ate share for the support OF the govern
y ment which protects their lives, their i'll