, 1874-04-28
MILWAUKEE & ST. PAUL II. r.
How Its Now Ercight-featca Differ
from tho legal requirements
Eurther Statements by Officers OF

from tho Legal Requirements
Further Statements by Officers OF
the EkUuil.
From tho aHl,raukee Sentinel Aprfl IT.
To-dayi thp now tariff table Of tho Milwaukee,
l. st. pari Railroad, Of which 80 much has been
said, will 80 into OBJECT. 4 Sentinel reporter
called at the offices Of tho Company, Saturday.
new rites, although not in conformity with tho
now law, show important reductions on grain and
flour, the two lending items Of traffic In tho
Northwestern 6tatos, and respecting which tho
oaaBea whoae iuterosts, 1t was claimed, Ind been
u1nnly consulted by tho now law, nro chiefly COIL
oorned.
1.-THE now tariff rates for tho State Of Wisconsin
{tho Potter bill does not nffoct through traffic
for other statcs), for example, show rcduntion
pounds, in car-loads, from Wyocona, u to II
ccntB; fr0m Portage, 20 to Is cents; Kibourn
City. 22 to 20 conts; Lisbon, % to q contss;
Gn nGnssS ss froM h'o ogcor Waat
Salem, aud Winona Junction, as to ~ conts;
mud from Lacrosse, 20 to Is cents. On the
Prairie du Ohan Division, from Milton junction,
y to IL cents; Madison, Is to Y ce4ts; Ayoca,
bela and Bridgeport 90 to % conts pralrio t'u
CAien aH to % oelIts; md JaneHyillo, II to Ii
cents. 4 propoitionato reduction il nude OIL
Hour. -.
lshod, tho officers Of tho road aro not ablo to
giye tho distance tables, but tho station of
Areua, lag miles, eau bo selected for the purpose
Of making comparison Of tho now with tho old
and tho Potter rates, which are as followa:
For grain, in cur loads, ror 100 lbB, az ccnt1
by new rates, 81 cents old, showing reduction
of ceuts rate by Potter bill lG cents, showing
conts moro still tAan allowed BY tho now law.
| From LaCrosse, 190 miles, or prairo du Chion.
19l miles, tho roduHod rate is 25 cents. Tho old
rato for 20o miles was 20 cents and by the Potter
| bill Ia 22 conta, showing reduction Of cents +;
but III oyercharga still Of conts.
| Questioned aa to tho above rates, tho officers
Of tue Company Hay thoy Gun show to the satls-
uot go lclow them, without such sorlouB LOSSES;
That they may as woll carry for nothing as
cllurgo my lover figure. They Beem quito con-
haeut that they can produce ample oyidenco Of
! this, should tho mltter bo brought before tho
Respecting tho policy Of thoir deliberately
adopting new tariff TINT llea IN tho faeo Of i
now law, and cannot bo regarded BY tho support
deiance Of tho Legislature, tue officers aud ro-
sponshlo advisors of tho Company are undor-
stood to say, iu substance: Wo have rights,
equally with all owners Of property in tho State.
premises and compel ua to carry freight and pas
so1,goss for loss than 1t will cost ua than to go
into the Sentinel Office and declare that tho Seil-
tine! shall soil its paper at cent, notwithstand-
| Tliis brings III down to the principle involved,
which is not 80 much aB to whether the Logisla-
ture laB the power to regulate common carriers.
aB whether It las the power to obliga common
carriers to do what they cannot in tho nature Of
: things do.
To such statement as this the reporter inter-
posed tho remark that d common carrior's buBf-
ness, in such MI emergency, might be rl1n BY the
agents of tho Etnto and the answer WIS thnt no
court could be found to dcoroe ouch course,
and uo Legislature IN 1ss Senses would pass Buoll
bill, unless 1t waH first established that tho
common carriers can actunlly perform what is
required Of them. It is for tlis reason, thoy
aay, tAoy maintain 10 determined an attitude.
TIoy know that, "if tho worst comes to tho
worst" all thut can DO done, before virtually
oonfHcattng their property. will bo, to make an
investigation, which will provo that tho Potter
rates arc IN imposHbilty, md that tho now tariff
rates. adopted on tho owe Of tho going into otreei
of tho now lAw, arc reasonable md FUR; and in
tended III good faitl to comply with the spirit, Ii
not tho lettcr, OF the law.
Whom tho drst suit is brought against the
Company for'volnton of tho law, the law olfcers
Of tho different roads will be found fully pro.
pared. They have Aad statistics collected, &C,
counts mud estimates printed. end everything
don0 that experience can auggost. They are
bristling all points, ready to givo the people {
warm reception. Amy ono WHO rashIy, imagnei
tho railroad companies aro rcoklcsay defiant, Of
Simply reliant on their strength and resources
will Ind hilnaclf wofully deceived. Tho beH
cgnl tnlcnt Of tho country. tho most proininen
rallroad adyiaora aud tact.cIaus, hayo been fo
weeks bard at work preparing for tho inevitable
struggle. Tho foeling ln Offices opon to tho 70
rortor iH, conEcious ability 10 fight 1t out It /
takos no e,d Of years.. Tho fun III only be