The Sauk Centre herald., 1909-01-07
THE LEGISLATURE
From pa mla

| I'LL lLdISEAlU UkI
/ aFDns pa sTl9 i
cal hangers-on; new commissions
will he asked for which will be-a tax
.u.osls the people, and ya4itS y US forms II Is
OF appropriations. frwifl he attempted
hrougho ut the entire ses ION, i. .-..
When the 4egis.atufe OF 1907 ad-.
.jpurned it was claimed thar it enacted
| more and better remedial ard regu-
lative Legislation tonchiag rai,way tar
ifs and charges and practices than
any or all of it's predecessors. 1t was
| lelieved throughout the state that the
| epoch Of railway Independence from
state legislation was af an end The
COMMODITY freight sshedule, the two
cent fare, law. the ai.ti.-pass law, the
reciprocal demuriage ia@. wele piac-.
\ ed on the statute looksa of the state.
With the exception OF the anti-pass
law all of these enactmeii's have been
in force for nearly two years. Not
one of these laws bias. ever been
oheyed by, the. railroads. True, there
is at present "a two-cent fare. but this
is enjoyed by grace aof the railroads
and net by virtue of the law.
The supreme court of the United
| States has declared the commodity
freight schedule. and the two-cent fare
law unconstiutipnal.in al lin, the decision
i" the lease: of eAttorney General
Young. Only one Iattempt has been
made to enforce the reciprocal demur7
rage law, and that the railroads re-
sisted. The case has been pending
l., the district courts: of the state for
months. and in the meantime the old
order of things remains.
1t is plainly the duty of the present
Legislature to draft laws which will
meet the requirements of state and
! national constitutions and accomplish
at the same time the necessary re-
forms. lf.it shaifb be finally determin-
cd that the statesis powerless to reg
plate the tariffs and practices of the
railways the public must of necessity
turn to- The, federal government for
the remedy. $50 "
: 90: e.
The supreme court of the state has
recently held, that the Great Northern
and the Great Western railroads must
lay the 4 per cent gross earnings tax
prescribed by the Minnesota statutes.
The railroads intend to appeal the
case to the, United States supreme
court upon the question of constitu-
t:onality, Z II tthe decision of the state
court is reversed by the federal court
the fact that they are exempt from
higher tax than 8 per cent in case of
the Great Western must be consider
ell in fixing rates. Since these roads
secured their lands and franchises for
practically nothing, these facts should
not be lost sight of by the Legislature
in it's consideration Ct laws regulating
them 1t would be unfair and a great
iriustice to the people if these cor
porations should be permitted to make
an interest charge ON property which
costs them nothing. Along the line
c. the Great Northern railroad there
are very few pieces of land the deeds
for which do not contain provision
that the company may at any time
use any portion of such lands for rail
road purposes without remuneration.
SIS
Another matter that should not be
lest sight of by the people, and es-
pecially the country: newspaper man
ard country. merchant, is. the regula-
ton of the rates of express companies.
For instance, the maximum rate with
II a given radius for 100 pounds is
4. cents. <bat any, sortsof charge
under As cents for any weight under
100 pounds: IT. seems plain that the
legislature should take leognizance Of
the situation and force express COM
panies and other public service cor
pnrations to- give the peoplee the re-
lief needed, sa} .go4n tf Il
;r.A *.,* So
There seems tosbe d general de-
mand for the reorganization of the
body which has charge of the state
fair. At present the board Of direct
ors of the state fair has all the ele--
ments of a close corporation. Prac-
tically it is self-appointed, self-perpet-
uating and responsible neither to the
people or to any legislative or execu-
tive authority. The board has been
criticised for abusing Its power in
several ways and distributing patron
age wherever it could drive peg
to help its, members. individual mem
bers, in politicalqor financial way.
These thinss ares all l. likely to be