New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1873-09-11

Il $500 - AA-xAA$AAAS
such that the farmers could afford TO ship their crops
70 central points and sell them there, part OF the
freight might go forward from those points by rival
roads,
TAXES EyADED BY THE ROADS.
We hear great deal said In the East re-
marked. about the farmers of Iowa burning their
corn. Has this been done to any great extentp
Isuppose considerable corn was burned last Win
ter in sections of the State where fuel is not plenty
or where coal had to be hauled considerable dis
lance either from the mine or from the railroad A
ton OF corn IL worth for fuel about two-thirds or
three-fourths as much rs a ton Of coal. Now If il
takes ton OF corn to buy ton of coal, the only
question for the farmer to settle Is whether the coal
- worth enough more thar the corn to paw for the
hauling. Suppose farmer lives five miles from
railroad station, where coal IL worth 80 ton, and
corn viii sell for the price. Assuming two dol
lars day as fair wages for the man and his team,
the corn would be worth on the farm five dollars a
ton and TO get the coal there would cost seven dol
lars But II the coal is woI n only one-thlrd more
than the corn FOR fuel, then, II 1t costs more than
50 OK ton on the farm, il Is cheaper to burn the
corn"
II hear crest deal said about taxing railroads;
on the same basis and by the same Officers as other
property IL taxed. Have the railroad companies
State r.
Certainly" was the reply. "Tbev have managed
here az they have in other States. When taxes have
been assessed against them according 10 their cost
or present Vane, as other property - assessed they
have refused 10 pay, aJ. have had the taxes re-
dueed by men virtually appointed by themselves.
You understand how it has been great corporations
are always evading the payment OF their INST share
of the taxes. To gay nothing Of the Others, we
nave IN this State four great railroads that pay
large profits To their stockholders and managers.
refer 10 the Chicago Rock Island and Pacific. Hill
nols Central the Burlington and Missouri River, and
the Chicago and Northwestern Nowwe don't think
u right that those roads should be taxed on
the OASIS OF special assessment very lar below their
rTftl So rlttarr "a
living are taxed for the full value of their prop
erty, no matter how heavily it is mortgaged. But
think this will be corrected before long"
TIE LAW WANTED BY TTik FARMERS.
find the farmers pretty generally agreed in favor
of law thai shall fix maximum rates Of tariff on
each of the railroads of the State making those rates
high enough pay the railroads for the service they
render, and giving them some margin for competi-
zion below those rates That was the theory Of the
"ODonnel biil,p which was passed by the lower
House of the Legislature last Winter, and which
lacked only one or two votes OF passing the senate.
Such an act as this viii surely be passed by both
Houses next Winter and signed by the Governor no
matter what the result Of the all election may be.
mated for legislative offices by either party, the Re
publican the Anti-Monopolists, are publicly
OF privately pledged to the support OF such
a bill. The farmers of this state are
not in favor Of any pro rata law; doubt if they
would sustain an act like that at present in force
IN Illinois, requiring the railroads 70 CHARGE IN al
cases "A eSS rate tOr "A ruOII ulSIluct. rs La ~
have talked with them they are perfectly willing
that the railroad companies shall put down the
rates for through freight from compe 1ng points as
low as they please, aud shall carry gram from
Council Bluffs to the Mississippi River for less even
than they charge from points IN the Interior ~ the
State tn the river. provided always those living
where there s but railroad are not made to pay
unreasonable rates IN consequence OF these cheap
through charges Let the Legislature fix rates that
shall be fair for ALL and the roads may compete
below these rates AZ much as they please.
TERRIBLE THING TO FIGHT THE PEOPLE.
The farmers complain that thus far, in their efforts
to arrive at just settlement of the railroad ques-
ton the railroad managers. with strange short
siGhtedness. have refused to give them any aid
They seem 10 forget that, in the long run, their
mOspority will depend the prosperity of the
whole community through which their roads pass.
and that in forming combinations with and grant
ing special privileges 10 mOnOpOhsts who IN return
now throw business into their hands. they are re-
tarding the growth of the country ana Gripping
the farmers TO such an extent that they are actually
reduciug the amount OF their own Ouslness A
prominent farmer and advocate OF the new party
movement IN Illinois told LIE that the greatest
danger which the Anti-MOnopoly party OF that state
would have TO encounter would be determination
on the part Of the railroad companies 20 meet the
people in a spirit of fairness. why SIR" SAID me-
"far as this this thing has already gone and
excited as are the farmers IN some parts OF TINS
St1ts IL The railroad managers were TO propose
conference for the purpose OF setting me preSent
difficulties on the basis of mutual concesSions and
was made in good faith this thing would all blow
over in a few months" the same might trutnfully
be said of this state. Heretofore lt has been ="
terrible thing for a man 10 tignt Railroad, because
the contest has been one of an individual against
great corporation. private fortune, and nOt very
large fortune at that, sometimes, against segregated
capital But when the great body OF the people OF
a State holding the political power Of toe Common
wealth in their hands rise up against real or fancied
wrongs inflicted on them by the railroads, tue latter
may yet ind out that Il IS terrbr tllhg 70 hgnt
the people when the people have rglt aud justice
on their SIDE.
WORKING OF THE ILLINOIS LAW.
Ihaye taken some pains TO inquire about the feel
ing in this State in regard TO the Illinois Railroad
law IN former letters have given the interpreta-
ton of that law as made by the railroad companies
ana shown how it differs from that of the farmers
and OF the Railroad Commissioners The four great
east and west lines across this stare, which move
the great bulk of the produce, are extensions or
branches of tour of the richest and most powerful
Illinois roads. The northern OF these roads Is tne
Iowa Division of the Illinois Central, eAuenulu5
from DUBUQUE 10 Sioux City. Running nearly par
abel with this and about ~ miles south o. H. Is the
Chicago and NOrth-N estern road. extending IN TINS
State from Clinton the Mississippi RIVER 70 Conn
ell Bluffs. The next road 10 the south Is the Cll-
cago Rock Island. and Pacific, which crosses the
river at Rock Island and extends to Coqncu
Bluffs. The last on the south - the bur,
IngtOn and Missouri River road owned
OF leased by the Chicago, Burlington and
Quincy road and connecting Burlington on the
these eornnanes ia accused by the Illinois farmers
Of doing everything in its power 20 make the rall-
road law OdIOus ard as the farmers OF iowa get
their IDEAS of the law from the changes that have
been made in tariffs between points this State and
Chicago by these roads, it is natural that they
should look upon 1t with disiavor Some corn
shipped from this city to Chicago late IN june anC
which arrived at the Illinois line after July l. did
not sell for enough in Chicago to pay the freight
and elevator charges. OF course, business mas Deei
NJ complete sa nd-stil for the past SIX and
see il reported in the local paper here that the
irst shipments Of grain from Des MOines since the
new law went into operation have been made WITHIN
the past week.
EXPORTS TO BUILD UP CHICAGO TRADE.
NoI,odv needs TO be told that the Illinois Legisla-