The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1913-01-24
(staff CORRESPONDENCE

Helena, Jan. 23.-One of the house
members who is of an inquiring turn
of mind has dug up the fact that the
constitution of Montana gives the leg
%islature the broadcast sort of power to
regulate freight rates within the state.
He quotes the following:
Article XIV, Section V.-AIl railroads
shall be public highways, and all rail-
road, transportation and express com-
panies shall be common carriers and
subject to legislative control, and the
legislative assembly shall have the
power to regulate and control by law
the rates of charges for the transport
tation of passengers and freight by
such companies as common carriers
from one point to another in the state.
Any association or corporation, or
ganized for the purpose, shall have
the right to construct and operate a
railroad between any designated
points within the state, and to connect
at the state line with railroads Of
other states and territories. Every
railroad company shall have the right
with it's road to %connect with, intersect
or cross any other railroad.
The member who has brought this
constitutional provision into the lime
light intends to inject it into the con-
sideration of the report of the grain
rate Investigating committee when it's
report is brought before the legisla-
ture for action.
Freight rates in Montana are motor
iously higher than interstate rates on
the same articles, n this is espe-
cially true of products of the soil. The
farmer members of the Thirteenth,
who are numerous, infleutial and UNI
afraid, promise to be active in att
tempting some practical measures Of
relief.
The grain rate probe has caught the
eyes of the "higher-ups'' in the trans
portation world, and among others
who will he present at committee
meetings, Vice President Hannaford Of
the Northern Pacific will be notable.
He will be heard by the probe here
next Monday. Other big guns will fol-
low in rapid order. The probe is
really going to be thrust underneath
the surface.
The last of the week will witness
the introduction of the promised uni
versity unification bill. 1t is being
drawn by very capable men,, of the
highest standing, and it will be pitted
against the m%illion-dollar pet of the
Allen people. And unification will
win hands down.
The proposed $1,000 appropriation
for a building at the Panama exposi-
ton at San Francisco will get short
shrift at the hands OF the assembly.
The strong box of the state is too
nearly empty to permit of a drag Of
that size. The friends OF the state
fair will help vigorously to put the
skids under the Frisco appropriation.
At the committee hearings on the
highway bills the lines are beginning
to be sharply drawn between the ele-
ment that is interested in roads for
the farmers in the newer agricultural
districts of the state and those who
are out for highways between cities
for autos and other ioy-riding devices.
Representative Drinkard of Fergus is
making a stiff fight for his farmers
roads bill. and he seems to be having
a shade the best of the argument thus
far. The three progressive members
of the committee are standing solidly
behind the member from Fergus.
There seems to have been some mis-
apprehension as to the exact character
of the bill introduced by Representa-
tive Brewer of Missoula with rela-
ton to the loaning of certain state
n of larm land mortgages. It is
true that the Brewer bill, as intro
duced, provided for loans on first
mortgage on farm lands not exceed
ing One-third of their face value, and
at 8 per cent interest, payable semi
annually. But that provision is No. 6
In the list provided for upon which
the funds in question may be loaned,
Preceding this, and, therefore,, likely
to be construed as preferential, are,
first, bonds of the state or of the
United States; second, interest-bear-
ing warrants upon the general funds
of the state; third, city and county
bonds; fourth, school district bonds;
fifth, state capitol building bonds of
the state of Montana that may here
after be issued. If the board having
control of the investment of funds
was to be guided by the arrangement
as to preference as shown in the
Brewer bill, it is probable that the
moneys would be nearly, if not quite,
exhausted before getting down to
loans on farm and mortgages.
There are three bills relating to his
subject, introduced respectively by
Amin, GRAPHICAL and Brewer. It may
be stated upon good authority that
these will be reformed into a commit
tee bill, and that the committee bill
viii reverse the order of preference as
laid down by the Brewer measure, and