Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1920-03-17
The act of Congress makes this

The act of Congress makes this
eight to ten billions of wildcat
paper" worth 100 cents on the dol
lar; or in other words, takes at least
eight billions of dollars from the
productive industry of the country,
largely from the farmers and trans
fers it bodily to the pockets of the
railway magnates. How does it do
this? By simply guaranteeing a divi-
dend or interest of 5k per cent on
the face value of all the stocks and
bonds above all the costs of opera
ton! And the cost of operation is
not limited. Some of the higher ups"
railroad management receive bigger
pay than the President of the United
States and many thousands of them
get from $20,000.O0 to $50,000.O0 as
nually. Then, again, the railway
managers can form rings" and buy
their supplies from them and thereby
make millions of dollars off of the
people, ION the side" One of the
bad effects of this bill is to repeal
or set aside all the state laws regul-
ating railways that interfere with
their charges. Two cent fares are no
more and the rates may even go 10
four or five cents for it is predicted
that transportation charges must be
advanced at least rs per cent in order
to conform to the law.
The Farmer Hit Hard.
The farmers are probably hit the
hardest of any class by this legisla-
ton. For they pay the freight on
both what they must buy and also on
what they sell and cannot pass it on
to the ultimate consumer. The act
compels the Interstate Commerce
Commission to provide for the pros
perity of the railroads no matter how
recklessly or extravagantly they may
be managed and they are guaranteed
higher rate of interest, than the gov
eminent pays on it's own obligation!
The bill as finally passed was de-
servedly denounced on the floor of
Congress as the wickedest and most
pernicious measure that ever passed
that body. This measure had plain
sailing in the Senate which is made
yers. Both Minnesota Senators as
might be expected, voted for the bill
In the House such vigorous opposi-
ton was manifested that the leaders
of the Republican party become
frightened and tried to make it as
a party measure in which they fail
ed. Some twenty-three of their two
hundred and thirty-eight members
refusing to be thus bound and gagged
and delivered. Nearly all of these
were from the Central West includ-
ing two from Minnesota, the same
number from North Dakota and six
from Wisconsin. The two from, Min
nesota who refused to "bow the
knee" to the interest that furnished
the campaign funds are Ellsworth and
Davis. The four who supported the
bill are Anderson, Newton, Volstead
and STEVENSON. The other two Re
publicans, Schall and Knutson were
paired" until further notice" with
the Democrats and the record does
not disclose how they would have
voted if they had been free to do
so. 1t might be we'll for some of
their constituents to write to them
and find out The two Independents
from Minnesota, Carss and -Kellar
both voteI mo- on this measure.
The Supreme Issue.
The Passage of this act and the
return of the railroads to private
management under it's provisions
makes or should make the transpor-
tation question the Supreme issue
of the election of our next Congress-
Every farmer who likes to go down
into his pocket and dig up enough