The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1870-02-24

A=111sl.u-
aad sugar and salt, and l would reduce
it largely upon iron and other articles
which enter directly into the consump-
tlon OF the masses of the people. I
would do this In the interest OF con-
stituency almost entirely employed in
agriculture. But while 1 would do
this l would not wish to destroy or
even paral:ze other Industries. do
not believe tat it is for the interest Of
the .arme: to do this. On the o her
hand, would build up and protect all
the Industrial interests of the country
whenever l can do it without direct
injury to the people :: at represent.
But, Mr.. Speak II, 1 do not rise to
speak abou: the tariff, but about the
monopoly OF the carriers of the country.
Sir, the present oppressed condition of
agriculture in the West is not owing
to the tariff it is owing 10 the extor-
tions of a few soulless railroad corpor-
at:ens.
To-day three OF four gigantic railroad
corporations hoid the interest OF the
producing classes Of the Northwestern
States in their hands This great farm
ing interest is entirely at their mercy.
We mus: pay all that they demand for
removing it to market, or let our mil
lions of bushels of wheat rot in the
grana'iss of the producers.
The wheat crop in Minnesota for the
year 1869 is estimated at l8,500,000
bushels. This crop is sold by the pro-
ducers at the various railroad stations
at about fifty cents per bushel. At the
same time tie article commands S1.20
to sl.25 per bushel in New York.
Here, then, We have tariff of from
seventy to seventy-tive cents per bush-
el upon all the wheat that the farmers
of our State have to sell. I suppose
that Minnesota has surplus of about
sixteen million bushels. At present
prices this crop is worth in New York
about twenty million dollars. Out of
tbs sum the patient, toiling people who
produce it receive about eight million
dollars, and the extortionlsts who carry
it take the other s12,000,000.
Now, Dir. Speaker, I have no doubt
but that these railroad corporations,
taking advantage Of tho necessities of
the people, ond through their unholy
ana wicked combinations, charge one
third more for carrying this wheat to
market titan they ought to charge. l
do not think i, would be difficult to
show that at least onc-third is unjustly
cxtorted from the producer. Thus Is
Minnesota alone, on the single item Of
wheat, robbed OF s4,000,000. Iowa is
in almost as bad situation. But this
last State has more diversified indus.
try and does not suffer so much. Wis
consin is in the same situation as Min
ncsota. This State cannot have less
than twenty million bushels of wheat
for expectation, upon which she is
obliged to pay an extortionate demand
Of not less than four to five million dol
lars. Missouri and Kansas are in pref.
ty much the same situation.
The surplus of these States is not
much loss than seventy million bushels.
at present prices the cost of transpor-
tation for this is not much less than
fifty million dollars. at least one.third
Of that sum or sl6,66O,00O is virtually
robbed from the people of those States
by the mammoth railroad corporations
ter the removal of this crop for a single
year. This sum does not include tho
cost OF carrying the freight that is NOV
ing from East to West.
|Mr. Wilkinson sent to the Clerks
desk to read letter from the Commis-
sioner cf Public Lands which stated
that 1872, los, ,5Sl 40 acres of land had
been granted by Congress, to railroads
and States. The letter concludes I
Referring to the latter portion of
your letter, l have the honor 20 state
that in comparison the total aggregate
granted for railroad purposes, exclusive
Of grants tor wagon roads, exceed, in
the aggregate by more than five mil
lion acres the entire area of the six
New England States, added to the sur
face of New York, New jersey Pennsyl-
vauia Ohio, Delaware, Maryland and'
Virginia.
{ In reply to a question by Mr.. Cullen
Mr.. Wilkinson claimed that Congress
had the right to regulate railroad tariffs
and cited in support Of this position the
following decision of Judge Miller, of
[c*a
"For myself l must say that I have
no doubt Of the right of Cong rcss to
prescribe all needful and proper reyula-
tions for the conduct of this traffic over
any railroad which has voluntarily be-
come part of one of those lines of inter-
state communication, or to authorize
the creation of such roads when the