The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1907-01-09

lature. 1t will require a sacrifice on
the part OF the members of the eastern
district; some of them will necessarily
lose their seats in future sessions, but
| feel that you are all unselfish and
patriotic enough to do that which is
best for the entire state.
Public Printing.
| am informed that since the pas
sage of Chapter 125 OF the Laws If
1899. the same being section 1882 cf
the Revised Code of 1905, the county
printing has cost forty per cent. more
than before the passage of such law.
This you should enquire into, and if
found to be true, the law should be
repealed, or YOU should enact a law
fixing a maximum rate for public
printing-fair and Just compensation
for the services rendered, and no more.
recently passed law known as the
Rate Bill" for the purpose of regu-
lating the commerce between states.
This law, as you know, does not apply
to your local conditions, for congress
only has the power to regulate COM
merce between states, the power TO
regulate local traffic being reserved to
the states. In this rate bill there is
a provision that railroad company
shall not give free transportation or
passes to anyone except persons in the
actual employ Of the railroad company.
The W:5cs. and best statesmen that
we have must have considered that
such a provision was necessary in the
Interstate commerce bill, and yet, on
account of the unconstitutional pro-
visions referred to-. it will be practi-
ca!ly useless unless supplemented by
state legislation. While the railroad
companies cannot give passes or trans
Fortation from a place in one state to
a place in another state, they can give
transportation OF passes good within
the state, because that is not inter-
state commerce and cannot be viola
ton OF the interstate commerce act:
and il they can give it in one state
they can give it in all the states
through which the road runs and thus
operative in this respect The rail-
road company cannot afford to carry
anyone free, and if it does it is done
at the expense of the general travel
ing public. 1t is better to charge
everyone, and then the railroad COM
panies can afford to carry everyone
cheaper. The railroads being for the
of hn nj, in. tIor iS
why one person should have an ad
vantage over another in that respect.
Because OF the magnitude of the
railroad interests, | think it is espec-
tally wrong for a public official to ac
cept passes from Il railroad company.
He does not have the pass before the
office. and he loses the pass when he
loses the office The corporations un-
derstand human nature and know that
it is natural to return favorS, and that
the public official, honest as the world
goes, remembers the favors, and is
inclined to be inactive in the passage
of and the enforcement OF laws regu
lating and controlling railroads. a
pubic official ought to be in Il position
Where lie Cdl tluCl, ellolCc VI llllG1-
prer all law for the common good and
general welfare OF the public without
embarrassment 10 himself, and this
he will find hard to do while his pock-
cts are full OF railroad passes. u
therefore recommend the enactment Of
An Anti.PaSs Law.
To further supplement the rate bill
and to enable the railroad companies
in this state TO reduce their rates for
carrying passengers.
1t is now settled that because rail-
roads are for the use of the public, the
public, through the legislature, has
a right to control and regulate them,
so long as the regulations are reason
able. This control includes the right
to fix reasonable passenger rates, the
right to regulate the condition OF the
road bed, and the right to compel the
railroad companies to furnish proper
and reasonable equipment and cars to
the public. The regulation may be by
direct legislation or the power to make
such reasonable regulations may be
delegated by the legislature to the
railroad commissioners. The latter is
the more practical, if your railroad
commissioners will, or if your law
delegating to them the power is suffi-
cient to, compel their action. The
reason why such a law is the more
practical is because it is very difficult
to make hard and fast rule fixing
passenger and freight rates and the
furnishing OF cars and equipments.
Reasonable rates under certain Cir
cumstances and conditions might pc
unreasonable under different circum-
stances and conditions, and with the
| powers vested in the railroad COM
missioners the conditions could always
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