The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1907-06-19
PROBLEM FOR TO DAY
Concluded from 1st page)

" concluded from LIST page)
bound to come some good. The
railroad attorneys were present.
! They fought. But despite their work
1 it was apparent that measures affect
ing them and Of vital interest to the
people were certain of an enactment.
1 Then came halt. Three ATTORNEYS,
representing three Of the biggest
lines in the state, and apparently
| clothed with power to speak for all,
authorized a statement whereby q
compromise might be effected. This
compromise was submitted to vari-
GUS state officials with the view Of
having them give their assent and
securing their aid in lining up GER
tain members who stood for one
issue only-a two cent. fare bill.
The compromise was accepted by
both the officials and the legislature,
the latter body clothing committee
with power to carry it thru. By it
you were able to obtain material
i freight rate reduction reduction
that affected every person in the
state man, woman or child, and
you were to obtain % cent fare
for single tickets, with two cents
for various mileage books and round
trip conditions.
But what happened then? Mr.. Hill,
of the Great Northern, had been
thrown into the courts in an at
tempt to increase the capital stock
of his line 100000, 900. The case
had been carried to the supreme
court. and about the time that the
compromise was at it's height that
body sent down a decision declaring
the Minnesota law no good and hold
ing that Mr.. Hill could issue all the
stock he wanted to without asking
the state of Minnesota, thru its COM
mission. This, as well as certain
other alleged complications, was the
cause of the railroads refusing to
verify the compromise proposition.
and for several days all was darkness
and despair SO far as securing rail-
road legislation of benefit to the
people.
Then came the revised two-cent.
fare bill-not mere plaything, but
a stern reality--a positive demand
on the part Of the state that after
May 1stsno railroad doing business
in Minnesota should charge a pas
senger fare of more than two cents
per mile. And this command was
coupled with penalty that meant
business 1t provided that any agent
Of a railroad company who should
demand more than two cents per
mi : on and after date would be
guilty of felony, and subject to
punishment by imprisonment and a
fine not exceeding $1,000. The peo-
pie were left to enforce the provi-
sions of the bill, and this meant that
everv agent of a railroad company
doing business in this state must sell
tickets for two cents, or be subject
to arrest for each and every offense.
The state had struck the keynote.
The railroads saw that they were
for once out-wtted, and every rail-
road in the state is compelled to
give passengers a two cent fare in
the state.
Here was the solution Of the rail-
road freight rate problem of in
finitely greater Importance to the
whole people than a mere passenger
rate. Freight rates affect every
body; passenger rates only that
small percentage who travel. At
the time the compromise was UP for
consideration it was proposed to re-
duce the freight rates about 10 per
cent. After the compromise nego-
tiations fell thru, it was discovered
that reduction Of IL per cent. in
existing commodity rates might pos
sibly be actually confscatory as to
certain railroads hence that a law
enacted on that basis might be held
not enforceable. A ten per cent.
reduction was found to be absolute
~ safe with a small margin (1.58
per cent? between the line of known
safety and the line of possible con-
fiscation, and accordingly a bill was
carefully prepared to that effect.