Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1875-12-23

STEEL RAIL CONTINUES HIS EVIDENCE
AGAINST THE POTTER LAW.

TINS discussion, because bis aWicles
show that he is well posted upon the
question of RAILROAD building and
railroad management, and his letters
wouli help TO educate the people up
on very important end interesting
question. The people generally are
densely ignorant upon this subject
they have been misled by dema-;
gogues in the press and on the stump,
and they have suffered severely in
their experience by the mistakes and
the dishonesty of railroad officials
and managers. It is so much easier
to draw upon the imagination for ar
gnment than to rely upon the facts,
so much easier to carry the crowd
by an appeal to prejudice, instead of
appealing tc truth and reason, that
we often neglect to prove all things
and hold fast that which is good.
Mr.. l.. is practical sort of man, and
candid and intelligent enough to dis
cass this great question upon its
merits, and he and | together may
dig down to the root of the matter,
aud perhaps invite ADLER pens than
ours to contribute something to the
general fund of knowledge.
| will go on with the evidence
against the practical operations of
the law. Last week | called four
witnesses who testified that the act
so tar as certain localities are con-
cerned, is an injury and a disadvan-
tage to business. Since then have
noticed an article in the Whitewater
Register which declares that ticket
to Milwaukee from that place costs
more now than it did before the
Potter law was passed-that the
manufactures and heavy shippers
can get no rebate upon large guam
titles of freight as heretofore, be-
cause it is contrary to law, and that
the new line OF road to Chicago,
which would give them the benefit
of competition. cannot be completed
because the law has made capitalists
shy of investing their money in pro-
perty that is subject to State control.
Having shown how the law Injuries
certain localities, how it has para.
lied every new railroad enterprise
in the State, how 1t has caused de-
probation of Wisconsin railroad
bonds and stock amounting to more
than S., 1000, 900 in singl. year, how
the litigation the law has caused has
brought tax upon the people of more
than $4,000, with no corresponding
ADVANTAGE will now proceed to
show how and why it is unjust to
the railroad companies. | quote the
following extract from an article
that appeared in the Inter, Ocean last
summer
| "Ifthe managers of the railroads
were to greedy and charged too
much the Legislature went too tar in
| it's penuriousness and has fixed the
rates much too low, as q comparison
with the rates charged on other lines
will amply demonstrate.
Thus, for hauling a carload of
lumber distance of 200 miles, the
Wisconsin law allows $25, while the
Pennsylvania Central charges SCI /;
the Boston and Albany, $48; Ver>
mont Central, $46; Erie, S37; Great
Western, Michigan Central, and Hill
nois Central, each $38; and some of
the roads in Indiana and Missouri
from $50 to 65 per car. On wheat
the Potter law allows the roads to
charge 229 cents per 100 pounds for
a haul of 225 miles, while the YER
mont Central charges 81 cents; Bos-
ton & Albany, 30 cents; Erie, 81
Scents; Pennsylvania, &c cents; Pitts
burg and Fort Wayne, 80 cents; and
the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy,
that penetrates one of the fine7t grain
producing sections of the Union,
charges SO cents. On -four the Pot
ter law allows A cents per barrel fer
200 miles, but on most of the other
roads in the country the charge is
from so to so cents. On live stock
the Wisconsin rate is $25 per car
load for 100 miles, while 1T is SAG on
the Louisville & Nashville road, and
SAT on the Chicago, Burlington 81
| Quincy road for the same distance.
The comparative rates on agricultural
implements, furniture, and wagons
are still greater, and in some in
stances, show an increase of double
the amount above that allowed by
| the Wisconsin act indeed, it seems
as if the Wisconsin legislators in
tended to conhscate the property OF
the railroads by making them do
business at loss, or else they legis-
lated 10 regard 10 the management
of kind of property, concerning
which they were blindIy ignorant.
Turning to foreign countries and
comparing the charges of their rail
roads with those allowed by the Pot
ter law, We find that our Badger
neighbors are getting their trauspor-
tation done considerably cheaper
than the people of those countries
which are constantly being held up
to us as the Land of cheap labor and
cheap living. Thus the Midland
railroad charges SO cents for carry
ing a barrel OF flour 100 miles; the
Northeastern, SO cents; the Glas-
gov &c Southwestern, 40 cents; and
| the Wisconsin law allaws % cents
On grain the Wisconsin law allows
| IL oanta nor 100 nounds for 15(l milas