Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1873-03-28
A Shining Example.

The highly remunerative charac-
ter of the railway transportation
business in eontra-distinction to the
poverty of the credit side of the
farmers ledger, is forcibly shown
by the following statement Of ac-
count rendered by Boston commits
sion merchant:
BosroN Feb. 9, 1873.
Sales cars OF corn for account Il. w. Lewis. So
monauk, ILL.,:
February IA, . cars No. light mixed,
775 Bushels AT % cents ......... 1856. 70
CHARGES.
Freight from Somonauk, SO cents per
loo los 49,. ....:....... -. s3o2 az
EleNatlng and measuring ........... S72
Commission, az per cent. ........ II IS e
Balance ACKNOWLEDGEMENT. $3.50. As
This is 23i cents per bushel at
Somonauk. Deduct profit Of the
dealer and shipper, say 2 cents per
bushel, and cost Of hauling the corn
from the farm to town, say 5 cents
per bushel, and we have lGt cents
as the value OF corn i'll the crib in
the vicinity Of Somonauk; and csti-
mating 40 bushels to the acre we
have $3.50 net income from 100
square rods Of the most fertile prai-
rie land in the world. In other
words, the Somohauk farmers mar
ket is in Boston; he has IT'S bushels
corn to sell; he hauls it to town ut
in expense of 5 cents per bushel,
and gives the railway companies
520 bushcls-the product Of 10
acres-as compensation for trans
porting 247 bushels-the product of
acres-to Boston. But the farmer
at Ottumwa, Iowa-.fjty-eigM mites
FURTHER 2oest-is more Fortunate
The rate from that point to Boston
Is 70 cents per 100 pounds-l2 per
cent. less for iiitycight miles great
er distance. II fhe farmer of o.
tumwa ships to Boston he will get
cents per bushel, or % per cent.
more net for his corn than the farm
er of Somonauk. The difference of
10 cents i'll the freight rate between
the two points seems small, but its
effect upon the net results Of the bus.
mess of the two farmers is immense,
and when it is considered that the
highest price is paid for the short
est distance, the injustice of such
discrimination becomes very glar-
ing.
The railways will answer that the
Somonauk farmer is not damaged
through their action in transporting
the products of the Ottumwa farmer
at a less rate. But this is not true;
for it costs more to haul car of
corn from Ottumwa to Boston than
from Somonauk to Boston, and vet
the railways charge ttcenty doliors
less. Do they lose money on the
business of Ottumwa? Ii they do,
then the Somonauk farmer pays the
loss. If they simply pay expenses,
then the Somonauk farmer is left to
pay at the Legitimate profit demand
ed as interest on capital. If they
make a small profit on the Ottumwa
traffic, then they make much larg.
err one on that of Somonauk. Is it
answered that the business OF OF
tumwa is Through traffic" and that
Of Somonauk "local?" This is RI
dicuIous; for both points area thou-
sand miles from Boston. Is it urged
that Ottumwa is II competing point
and Somonauk not? This is no an
swer. The Supreme Court Of Hi
nois has already declared that com
petition is no excuse Tor discrimina-
ton, and that discrimination based
Oh that alone will be considered I'M
just. 1t is impossible successfully
to deny that in case of high rates
at q non-competing point the non
competing point is forced to defray
part of the expense of transporta-
ton from the competing point. This
is rank injustice, and no court can
decide otherwise in case fairly
presenting the questlon.-Lnter-
Oreu0