The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1912-04-05
DEVELOP THE WHOLE STATE.

The Long Pfdlrle Leader is CIV
ing instances of railroad rate dis
elimination against the industries
of the small towns. It's latest in
stance is of the local Touring mill,
which is cut out of it's natural ter
ritory by the inability to get a
proper and fair transportation rate.
1t gives but one sample. The haul
form Long Prairie to Bagley is 1852
miles; from Minneapolis to Bagley
is 297 miles; the rate is the same
for both hauls. Either Long Prairie
is overcharged or the roads charge
Minneapolis nothing for 1876 miles of
the greater distance.
"This is just one of thousands OF
such cases." says The Duluth Her
aid. There is not community
from Duluth to Luverne, from Crook
ston to Preston, that can not cite
them by the yard and they are
all in principle the same as Duluth
has taken to the Interstate Com
merce commission except that they
are intrastate.
kept Minnesota state of a twin
city; that has prevented the ration
al and right development Of the
state. 1t is better morally, COM
mercially, economically and socially
when there are many cities of from
5000 to $4,000 population than when
there is but the one great civic
octopus.
What Minnesota needs is a modl-
fication of the eastman law; dis
lance tariff that would avoid its
mistakes and be workable. We be-
lieve Duluth should favor such
law. We believe st. Paul and Min
neapolis should join in this. Con-
centration of wealth and advantage
of location, is power enough; 1t is
not necessary to be hog.
Community growth should de-
pend upon but two things-localion
and the quality of citizenship. When
railroads nullify the natural advan-
tages of location and slaughter the
energy and ability of its men, they
are working manifest evil and their
own disadvantage.
1--WE believe the many strong
centers of industrial activity would
return the roads a larger revenue
than the one or two. But be this
as it may, we know that the distribu-
ton of industries making nearby
markets, is the square deal and is
better for the people.
More than this, we believe it
is better for the larger cities. 1t
is Duluth's policy to build up its
territory; to encourage the growth
of other communities. 1t has more
than once offered the service of its
traffic bureau to help industries
located in other towns to adjust
their rate troubles.
ct discourages industries located
elsewhere in the state from moving
even when Duluth might get them
and invariably refuses to consider a
proposition of removal here, unless
the enterprise has definitely decided
to make a change Of location.
"Any city that builds itself up at
the expense of other communities
in it's own state is penny wise and
pound foolish. 1t loses more than
it gains. 1t is robbing itself. 1t is
overlooking it's roots with top-heavy
foliage, where the right rule in
city husbandry is to strengthen the
roots by sacrificing leaves, if this
is necessary.
1.-The eastman law was wrong in
detail, but it was right in principle.
1t probably would have worked more
harm than good, but that can be
remedied and certainly the cOndi-
ton it was intended to relieve is
fundamentally wrong and intoler-
able"