The Sauk Centre herald., 1916-02-24
C0NSIDERS old
METHODS BEST
CORRESPONDENT DI S c U S S E 5
WAYS AND MEANS OF The
RAILWAY COMMISSION
EDIT0RS ENDORSE KELLOGG
MANY ATTENDING STATE CON-
VENTION SIGN PETITION TO
MAKE HIM SENATOR

St. Paul, Feb. 22.-You've all had
dreams, dreams that set you to think
ing when you awoke, and kept you
thinking. Generally they were absurd
and more often improbable, yet their
memory remained and out of the tan
gle came much in the way OF thought.
/ had a dream the other night-now,
don't laugh-I dreamed the state rail-
way and warehouse commission dlsa-
greed on a matter before them and
that one of their number violated
precedent to the extent that ne took
the public into his confidence. The
whole thing was so unusual that it set
the state press to talking, and out Of
it all came a boom for governor for
the insurgent member, with the added
honor of United States senator. Right
there came the break; l awoke-it
was only dream. Few possibly know
it, but outside of the educational de-
partment, which admittedly has the
lead, the most powerful state depart
ment, speaking politically, is that an
swering to the name of the state rail-
way and warehouse commission. More
than 800 men are employed in the de-
partment, all of whom has done his
bit in political way, and when the
mass moves opposition must give way
All this probably explains inability
of the outside world to scale the walls
of its sacred precincts, for as memory
runs the only change in the ranks of
the commission since the statewide
primary law was enacted has been as
the result of resignation. Prior to it
convention rule generally fixed the
maximum at three terms. Piffle, did
you say about that dream? Why, it's
impossible!
In the old days the railway and
warehouse commission was most i'm
portant factor in the state govern
ment. Memory harkens back to the
fight on the merger, the birth of the
cooperative elevator, the fight to up
hold the 2 cent fare law, and hun
dred other acts and moves that have
saved the people from corporate greed
Little in this line has been written
into the history of the commission of
late, but such must not be taken as
meaning that the members of the COM
mission are not earning their salaries.
It is simply the method now employed
in handling the departments business.
Where in the old days all three men,
bers of the commission were answer
able for the departments several
trusts, the work is now apportioned-
telephones to Commissioner Elmquist;
grain and warehouses to Commits
sioner jacobson and railroads to Com
missioner Mills. Of course the three
sit as court on all questions brought
before them, but the findings are gen.
orally subdepartmental. Where it was
formerly the practice to place the bur-
den of proof on the railroads when an
order carrying some concession to the
public was involved, the commission
now makes exhaustive investigation
and then acts. This is now the case
with telephone rates in Minnesota, a
new line of business given to the de-
partment by the last legislature. In
the old days cut would have been
ordered and the alternative given the
companies of either obeying or fight
ing, but under the new order of things
the properties Of the companies must
first be valued and then the reduction,
if found justified, made by the COM
mission. 1t does not bring as quick
results, but the commission of today
believes it is the safest.
Ye country editor has been with US
this week, nearly 200 of them, with
Minneapolis as the host. 1t was one
of the best annual meetings in the his
tory of the State Editorial association
and those in attendance enjoyed it to
the limit. Three whole days were
given over to the program, and it in
cluded everything calculated to give
the moulders of public thought good
time. Not the least was their oppor-
tunity to see the latest in new faces
seeking political preferment. Thomas
Huntley, of Fillmore county was early
on the ground. Mr.. Frankson, you
know, has designs on the lieutenant
governorship. Another with like as
pirations was DR.. Gates of Kenyon,
and still another James A. Peterson
Of Minneapolis, a veteran of many po-
litical wars. Governor Burnquist faced
the quill pushers one whole evening,
while pressing him hard for recogni-
tion was Irving Caswell, who has
taken on the job of making Senator
Cummins of Iowa president; Andy
Rain of Minneapolis, who will attend
the Republican national convention in
the Iowan's behalf; Oar Reese, who
wants to represent the Fourth district
as congressman, and a dozen others
with official axes to grind.