Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1874-10-14

: was inaugurated many months ago
E but it-has only lately assumed
y form which promises to be felt
5 The inland mill men along the line
: of the Jackson, Lansing and Sagi-
r nav northern extension have sc
, far had this movement almost en-.
tirely to themselves. They have
an organization TO which some re-
, ports of the dealings of the road
with its customers have been made.
1t is charged, in brief, and the IA
ciiities furnished are sbamefully
inadequate for any but the dullest
seasons that prices are, unreason-
able, and that contracts are not to
be depended upon; that unneces-
sary and vexatious delays are made
in the settlement of claims arising
from irregularities, and that sta
tons are discontinued af.e mills
have been erected, depending upon
them for facilities in getting sup
plies and shipping lumber. The
railway company denies all this,
and asserts that the road is well
managed to afford all possible facili
ties for the business which 1t is its
interest to foster, not TO discourage.
The issue here joined is broad
enough and the interests involved
are of sufficient Importance 10 af-
ford the basis for genuine railroad
war. The latest plan of the lum-
bermen is to get representative
in the State legislature, and so get
an audience where something eff
fective may be done.
1t is not many months since q
State investigation was made on
several roads in the eastern part of
the State, and the prospects now
seem fair for more work of the
same sort. In the meantime, it is
becoming apparent that Michigan
is not alone in real or supposed
grievances suffered by lunbermen
at the hands of the railways. The
Pennsylvania lumbermen, at the
late meeting at Williamsport, re-
monstrated against the practice of
charging them for 300 miles trans
portation, three-fifths Of the rate
charged Western lumbermen for
1000 miles carriage, or at the same
rate of three times the proper
charge, according to distance. The
Pennsylvania men propose to pros /
ecute the matter until relief is OBJ
tanned, insisting that the discrim-
nation against them is especially
unjust because they have given the
railway the right of way into their
district and even into mill yards,
greatly increasing hazard from fire,
and Of course insurance rates.
There is no doubt, from these
and other recent Developments,
that the lumbermcn are beginning
seriously to count the cost of the
railways which n few years ago
they were so anxious to have run
through their districts. Into such
calculation must be brought not
only the increased fire risk on mills
but the rapidly-ansmenting de-
struction of standing timber by !
forest fires. This misfortutunc /
seems however TO he peculiar TO !
the West. and perhaps Michigan
is the heaviest sufferer in that re-
gion. In this State the matter
was long since of sufficient impor-
lance to demand earnest attention.
Taking only the disappointments
and consequent losses on freight
calculations, and the actual losses
by reason of fire and increased
fire hazard and insurance rates,
there is little doubt that the bal
ance will he largely against the
railroads. Bnt of late another
consideration has been mentioned.
1t is charged that manufacturers
are kept out of some of the lum-
her districts which have peculiar
facilities for certain industries, Ivy
reason Of high freight rates. A
difference in rates of s25 per car
between New York and two Mich
igan cities, was recently mentioned
at a railroad meeting In this Sec
ton, and the speaker accounted for
it by the fact that one of the cities
had two lines of railroad and the
other but one-both being about
the same distance from New York,
1t was boldly asserted that manu-
features Of wood could not be sue