The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1907-03-06

sufficient profit to warrant the state
in extending credits, which the trust
now does. The very basis of the siac-
cess OF the trust in agricultural i'm
/ plements has been in making the
sales apparently without much regard
to whether the machinery was ever
! paid for or not. The bane Of this line
4 OF business has always been the
credit system. It was the rock en-
| which the we'll known firm OF Sey-
/ mour, Sabin & Co, who once made
agricultural implements in the state
/ prison, split And in the popular
clamor to down the trusts / feel some
what apprehensive that the state may
/ have undertaken a very large con-
tract. As indicative of the feeling be-
tween the house and senate | note
that one day last week the senate was
1 debating the bill and trying to amend
it. At the very same time the bill
was reached in the house and the
house took it up and summarily passed
It. A few minutes later the senate
had voted down all proposed amend
ments and then it took UP the same
! bill and passed it with only nine neg
ative votes, so it now only awaits the
Z governors signature to have the
/ state fully set up in the business of
/ making agricultural machinery.
Result May Be Beneficial.
I As there have been three individual
/ enterprises of this kind go to pieces
in Minnesota, involving losses to in
/ diFiduals Of many hundreds Of thou
sands Of dollars, perhaps even mil
/ lions in the aggregate, | cannot say
! that | look with any great joy upon
/ this rather hasty action It is, how
ever, the natural outgrowth of the
antitrust sentiment and in all proba-
bility it is necessary for the public to
take hold and lose some money if the
! trusts are not to become too dom
inant and too unbearable. 1t is prac-
tfcally an impossibility for individuals
to fight the agricultural implement
trust. The state can grapple with the
/ monster and ln a degree win. | GER
tainly hope it will, but I look good
! deal for pandora box of evils to be
opened by the bill which SO suddenly
became a law this past week.
The question Of reciprocal demur-
rage came up in the house during the
week and the Nolan bill was passed
with only one negative vote.
Senator Sundbergs committee,
which IS investigating the cost Of the
railroads, is really making more prog
ress than the railroad commission and
still it is very far from being ready
to make report. While Mr. Hill,
president Cf the Great Northern rail
road, does not of course approve their
action lrecause it is being taken with
r'<-- of reducing freight rates,
re-n-t heless he IS meeting the legis-
Iatare very cordially.
Invited to Hits Headquarters.
The sergeant alarms of the senate
one day last week sllbpoenaed Mr.. Hill
as a witness before Senator Sund-
berg's committee Mr. Hill desired to
leave the city on Important business
on the following day and he accord
ingly took UP the matter with Sen
ator Sundberg to fix convenient
time This was readily accomplished
and Mr. Hill invited the senator to
bring his entire committee dowr to
the Great Northern building, where he
would accommodate them with Gash
room and facilities for gathering in
formation more rapidly than they
could otherwise hone to. He seemed
to give them the impression that he
rather enjoyed telling them what
they wanted to find ont, though per
haps he is not overwhelmed with
pleasure at the outlook Still it indi-
Gates that he does not propose TO
wage a direct fight on the legislature.
He is wise enough to realize that the
popular sentiment is anti-railroad and
thus we are learning he knows that
the railroads must bow to popular
sentiment whether they like it or not.
The senate has been somewhat
criticised this winter as being inclined
to favor corporations. The railroad
committee of the senate has been
criticised, but this has been unjust.
That committee reported out favor
ably and very promptly the bill for re-
ducing railroad passenger rates to 2
cents per mile and while the house
took three weeks time to consider the
question of placing fund of $4,000
at the disposal of the attorney general
to employ more legal ability to prose
cute the railroads in the courts it no
sooner reached the senate than it was
bounced through almost instantly I'M
der suspension of the rules.
Senate Simply Conservative.
This does mot look as though the
senate was controlled by corporations.
Without wishing TO criticise between
the two bodies it is safe and correct
to say that the history of the state has
been that the senate is usually the
| more conservative and the body
which exercises the greatest judg-
ment. 1t can be said that the present