The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1907-05-01

ger fare of more than two cents per
mile. And this command was cou-
pied with penalty that meant bust
ness. 1t provided that any agent of
railroad company who should de-
mand more than two cents per mile
on and after that date would be
guilty OF a felony, and subject to
punishment by Imprisonment and a
flne not exceeding SIS 200. The peo-
pie we're left to enforce the pro-
visions of the bill, and this meant
that every agent Of railroad COM
pany 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-witted, and
every railroad in the state is COM
PEELED to give passengers a two cent
fare rate in the state.
Here was the solution of the rail
road freight rate problem of in
finltely greater Importance to the
whole people than mere passenger
rate. Freight rates affect every
body; passenger rates only that small
percentage who travel. At the time
the compromise was up for consider
alton, it was proposed to reduce the
freight rates about Is per cent. AT
ter the compromise negotiations fell
thru, it was discovered that reduc-
ton of Ii per cent. in existing COM
modify rates might possibly be
actually confscatory as to certain
railroads hence that law enacted
on that basis might be held not
enforceable. A ten per cent. reduc-
ton was found to be absolutely
safe--with small margin (1.58 per
cent? between the line of known
safety and the line of possible con-
fiscation and accordingly. bill was
carefully drawn to that effect and
so planned that the house railroad
committee should report out that
bill at around Z o'clock that even
inc to be submitted for the con
siaeration Of Republican caucus
called to convene at Z o'clock that
evening as a result Of a hasty con-
ference of some of the house Re
publican leaders, held in the office
of the secretary of state, with a
view to agree to make the bill a
party measure. At 8 o'clock the
house convened in regular session
and around midnight the bill passed
the house with practical unanimity,
and the next morning was trans
mitted to the senate, where, after
four days consideration thereof, it
was passed almost unanimously, and
on April 10Th became the law of the
state. This law contains a penal
clause like the passenger fare law
left with the people to be enforced;
and the railroad companies cannot
enjoin the entire citizenship Of the
state of Minnesota. Already the
railroad companies have indicated
their acceptance of both the freight
law and the passenger fare law
and what does this mean to the peo-
ple2 Without a doubt these two
laws, given full and complete effect,
will work an annual saving in the
cost of railroad transportation to the
people of the state Of Minnesota of
not less than between five and six
million dollars. The enactment of
these two laws, coupled with secur-
ing the assurance Of the president
of the Great Northern railway COM
pany that these laws will be given
full and complete effect without
contest. which in and Of itself is
tantamount to the assurance that all
the railroads of the state will put
these laws into effects worth
many times, yes, many, many times
the entire cost Of the 1907 session of
the Minnesota legislature.
During the past three years the
question Of reciprocal demurrage
has been agitating the people. Rail-
roads have been charging patrons
for failure to load and unload cars,
without allowing the patrons to
charge back in case the railroads
failed or refused to furnish cars, or
to move the same towards their;
destination AT fair rare Of Snped