The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1907-06-19

y
valuation. Thus in a period of 81
years, what was once a wilderness
has grown to a vast territory of
golden wealth, from valuation of
practically naught to a valuation of
nearly ST., 100000. Where then you
could see but few rude shanties.
scattered over our prairies, to-day
you see on every hand magnificent
farm homes, with magnificent out
buildings. surrounded by stately
groves, and cities and villages that
are the wonder Of visitors and the
pride of every resident.
Following the pioneers the adj
vance guard of civilization-ha come
the railroads. Wherever one of the
latter has made its appearance thru
an agricultural region there has
followed a general influx of settlers
of all descriptions, seeking homes
and happiness and wealth out of
the soil. These roads mark the
progress of the state. Fifty years
ago not more than one or two lines
were given a place on the map of
the state. Today Southern Mime
sofa is fairly cut up with them,
while every gap in Northern Mime
sofa is being filled with new lines,
and the electric car bids fair to make
its appearance at numerous cross
points all over our state within the
next Is years.
The people have been liberal with
these immense thorofares. The orig
inal lines were given vast acres of
land for the opening up of territory.
All of them have been given the
right of eminent domain. Many of
them have secured hundreds of thou
sands of dollars in bonds to aid their
extensions. All of them were per-
mitted for years to make such
charges as the operating officers
saw fit to exact for the transpor-
tation of passengers and commodi-
ties.
The growth of the business of the
railroads in Minnesota is but a
criterion of the growth Of the state
itself. 1t is not necessary for me
to recur to many years gone by.
Four years ago the various railroad
companies of the state did bust
ness in one year amounting to over
Sc millions of dollars, Three years
ago this reached nearly 81 millions
of dollars. and in 1906, so heavy be-
came the business of last year, when
according to the reports made by
the various lines in Minnesota to the
railroad and warehouse commission
ers they did a combined business of
nearly one hundred millions of dol
lars, and paid into the state, under
the new a per cent. gross earnings
tax, nearly four millions of dollars,
a sum sufficient to defray nearly
two-thirds OF the entire cost of run
ming the state government.
As the state became more thickIy
settled, as the passenger traffic in
creased, and as the freight-the
handling of grain. merchandise, coal
and other commodities, became such
as to tax the equipment of each
company to its utmost, a feeling
grew in the minds of the public that
lit was time for these common car
riers to reduce their rates, both
passenger and freight, to figure
commensurate with the increased
population and increased business
a figure yet that would give them a
fair profit on the actual capital in
vested, and not on millions of dol
lars of watered stock.
At each succeeding legislature,
and each year before the railroad
and warehouse commission, this
matter was agitated, and it fell to
the last Minnesota legislature to
allay and satisfy the restless feeling
regarding these great corporations.
No one knew it better than the sem
ators and representatives that you
sent up to the capital at St. Paul. No
one knew it better than the repre-
sentatives of those gigantic corpor-
ations, who are continually feeling
and watching the public pulse.
"A storm Of bills followed the day
n