The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1907-01-11
State Department of Mines.

SkahS
BY reason of the vast interests of
the state in mines and mineral prop
critics | herewith submit to you the
advisability of organizing a new state
department devoted to that subject
and the creation of the position OF
state commissioner of mines, giving
such official powers and duties sim
liar to those of the commissioners OF
insurance, labor, railroads and ware
houses, dairy and food, game and hsh,
or the superintendent of banks. To
this department might be entrusted
the enforcement of the state mine in
~spection and regulation laws, the eX-
animation of the mineral resources OF
the state school and other public lands,
the protection of the states interests
in iron and royalties and mineral con-
tracts and leases, as we'll as the main
tenance of a bureau of statistics and
general information in regard to the
mining industries and mineral re-
sources of the state for the aid and
use of the state legislative and various
executive departments.
The state has a large area of land
containing iron ore and in the past
has leased OF terms wholly out of
proportion to just and proper condi-
tions. The statute now provides that
from all iron ore taken from state
lands the state shall receive a fixed
royalty of % cents per ton, each ton
to be reckoned at 2,240 pounds. In
the light of the leases made between
private parties this fixed sum is an
absurdity and should be changed
without further delay. | would sug-
gest hat the provisions Of the law be
changed, fixing a minimum royalty OF
( state leases of not less than so cents
per ton, and authorizing a board con
sisting of the governor, attorney gen.
eral and the state auditor to dispose
of mineral leases at public auction to
the highest bidder without fixing a
maximum price by law.
Railroad Legislation.
No problem with which you have to
deal is Of more vital concern to you
and the people you represent than that
of railway transportation and a proper
adjustment of transportation rates.
Some idea of the importance of this
question to the people of the state
may be gathered from the fact that
the total gross earnings of railroads
within the state of Minnesota, as re.
ported by the companies to the rail-
road and warehouse commission for
tho yoar ondino Ju1v 81 100 was
SS1, 619, 640.35. The relative impor-
lance of this matter may be more
clearly understood when we realize
that the total gross earnings in Min
nesota is over so per cent of the esti-
mated farm productions of 1906. The
basis of our wealth is agriculture and
the total estimated agricultural prod
ucts of Minnesota during the past
year, including wheat, oats, corn, rye,
barley, flax, potatoes, hay, butter,
cheese, live stock, poultry, market
garden, fruit and nursery products, is
approximately $50, 900 1000. In other
words, it required more than one-half
of the agricultural products enumer-
ated to satisfy the transportation de-
mands of railroad corporations within
the state of Minnesota.
The vast earnings of railway COM
panies have been swollen by eXces-
sive rates of transportation. which
have been much higher in our own
state than in the state south of us, or