Morris tribune., 1913-08-15
CREDIT IS Due
TO MINNESOTA
Agitation for Lower Express
Rates Started Here.
BEGUN BY SENATOR SUNDBERG
insignificant Piece Of Farm Machin.
cry Responsible for Reduction
of Many Millions.

st. Paul Especial These are
sure tough days for the railroads and
allied corporations. First it was the
rate decision handed down by the SUI
preme court of the United States and
now comes the Interstate commerce
commission with an order directing d
sweeping and heavy cut in express
charges. Minnesota was responsible
for the first body blow, for which it
received due credit, but it is not gen.
orally known that the North Star
state laid the foundation for the sec
ond infection. 1t did and $4,000 of
the taxpayers money went into the
general pot which furnished the ma
tional commission material and data
on which to base its order. No one
knows 1t better than Attorney Gen.
eral Smith, who furnished much Of
the legal talent figuring In the con
troversy; the members of the state
railway commission, who supplied the
necessary experts to go over the
books OF the several express compa.
niles, and State Senator Sundberg of
Kittson county, who lent his name as
plaintiff In an action brought by. the
state against the Wells-Fargo Ex-
press company. Later other states
Joined in the movement and the or.
der as issued by the interstate COM
merce commission last week was the
result. Minnesota has not been given
credit for this latest slap, but 1t is
entitled to it and for that, matter
many other things in legal and lleg.
islative way which have made the
railroads OF the United States sub
seryient to the peoples demands.
!. = ].
Perhaps you are not aware of the
fact that an Insignificant piece OF
farm machinery was responsible for
the order of last week. Senator Sund-
berg of Kittson county ordered it
from the Twin Cities and as it was
during harvest time he needed it bad
ly and directed its shipment by ex-
press. At the best its value was not
over $3.50, and imagine his surprise
and anger when it arrived with a
charge of over SIS attached. Did he
holler? Well, / should say he did,
and the holler was so loud that both
the attorney general and the railway
commission got busy at once From
the state commission Senator Sund-
berg carried his grievance to the in.
terstate commerce commission and he
paid every cent of the expense out OF
his own pocket. Later he induced the
legislature to provide the commission
with the necessary funds to start an
investigation looking to the filing of
the necessary data with the national
commission. That was just four
years ago.
Senator Sundberg, whose home is
at Kennedy, in Kittson county, is one
of those sturdy Scandinavians who of
late years have been breaking into
public notice in a way that has
brought this particular nationality
into national prominence. When he
broke into the upper branch of the
state legislature little attention was
paid to him by the organization His
particular hobby was railroad freight
and express rates. In time he came
to be regarded as a pest and when
one day he asked for an investigation
of the roads, which he claimed were
gouging the people, the money was
gladly voted and he was named as
chairman of the committee. The idea
was that his attention to his particu-
lar hobby would keep him out of other
mischief and away from the skirts Of
the organization, with which he re-
fused to align himself. 1t worked all
right, as the Kittson man did nothing
else that session but investigate, and
the organization congratulated itself
on its sagacity. 1t little realized
though, what Senator Sundberg was
piling up. With the money which the
organization gladly voted the Kittson
county man piled up line of inves-
tigation which figured both in the rate
cases and later In the express over
charges and today the general public
Is reaping the benefit. Sticking to one
thing did it and the people owe lot
to Senator Sundberg. What the or
ganization which looked upon Sena-
tor Sundberg as a pest thinks I leave
you to figure out.
:! !.
Speaking of Minnesota's Scandiva.
Wan population, and its rapid rise Of
late years in things political and
otherwise. the selection by President
Wilson OF former Governor John Lind
as his personal representative in the
adjustment of affairs between this
country and strife-torn Mexico cannot
but be pleasing to those of his ma
tionality in the North Star state. It
was master stroke on the part Of
the administration at Washington. as
the selection has undoubtedly brought
to the support of the president and
his fOl10Warc on oloy,oor% 10