The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1883-01-19
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The peoph OF this State are en-.
titled, by tai logic volume and rail.
way IMPROVEMENTS, 20 Z falling rate.
to a greater txtent THIN hes yet been
granted. Iaw freights stimulate
business and increase che volume. 1t
Is very difficult to tell Just the infiu.
ences that have determined railway
managers In d-tsrminIng some rates
which they charge. When there are
no competing points, even the best of
them are Il law unto themselves. In
a new territory where they have no
rivals they generally charge all the
commodity can hear" The war OF
rates recently existing among four Of
the great lines of this State. has done
more to intimidate capital seeking
such investments thanall the granger
legislation ever had. They dare to
destroy the property. OF their stock
holders. Let the STATE dare 10 pro.
tect the defenseless st0ckholder. The
State should insure the stockholder
the essential elements 1T stability In
his investment. The manager often
exhibits his disposition, unrestrained,
to gamble il away. Constrained,
therefore, by the facts as We find
them under the unrestricted manage
ment Of the roads, we feel 1t to be q
public duty to recommend the Legis
lature to pass law establishing rules
for maximum rates.
POOLING ofRATEs.
1t used tn be thought that cOmpe.
titiOn WAS tho best cure for abuses In
the carrying trade, but the railways
have circunvented that specific rem
edy in very artful. IL not complete
| manner. argues the commits siOner.
The combined roads can put up the
rates as they see fit, and the public
have no remedy. Our laws do not
attempt to prevent pooling. So great
IN agency has pooling become in rail.
way science. that il deserves very
careful and thoughtful consideration.
There Is much to be said upon both
sides OF the question. 1t is said that
free, open competition degenerates
into general T. lOrllizatiOn, and
hence come wars of rates, also that
with open competition. things are not
at loose ends, and Il war OF rates is ut
any time possible and impending.
Each road, intend upon holding its
share of the traffic, will resort 10 any
! scheme necessary to secure 1t hence
rebates. secret Determinations, etc.
The best thing that can re said of
pooling is, that it would seem to pre-.
vent rebate and secret discrimina.
tiOns, if the pool is honestly kept.
1t is a most serious objection to
pooling that its operations are ex-
clusively confined to competing points
and leave isolated and local points
wholly ut the mercy of the road. And
the roads generally recoup any losses
sustained at competing points by
levying excessive rates on local traf.
fic. Pooling stimulates this evil and
80 works general injustice. Recent
events have shaken public faith in
the permanency Of pooling cOnfeder
ations, and have estopped the roads
from pleading this principle as a
sovereign specific. When a road
enters the pooling confederation its
independence is gone. 1t has no in
dividual rights and. can correct no
evils; 1t Is part of confederation and
its hands are tied. But one fact Is
apparent--that we have not. ny either
system. competition, or pooling.
reached solution as to the true re.
gulative principle. We are taught
also that no system yet invented by
the roads can be relied upon AS
rendering complete measure Of
justice to the public. The govern
ment must therefore combine to
formulate such rules for the control
of their common carriers AS changing
conditions and the results Of expert.
ence may suggest. If pooling il to
exist In our State, Its operations
should be regulated by law, and the
Legislature should take such action
as will bring this principle Of railway
confederation within the operation
of regulating statutes.
THE ELEVATORS. 81
It is no statutory part Of the duties
of this Office, says Gen. Baker, to look
after elevators, but there are provi.
sions of law regulating their relations
to railways in the handling and ship.
ping of grain, 50 that the association
is u legal one, and therefore. indirect.
ly, we have to do with the subject,
SO far rs railways are concerned.
Railway companies should have no
identity of interests with elevators.
1t is the business Of railways to haul
grain to market; it is the business Of
elevators to handle and store it. In
any wrongs which may exist in this
system, the railways ought to be on
the side of the people. They should
size or character should alone ship
grain but when tho farmer can get
more for his grain than the elevator
men offer, it should be his privilege
to ignore the elevator in shipping.
While the elevator, if honestly ham
died, is a great convenience to both
the farmer and the roads, they have
ut once established monopoly. This
conclusion is inevitable. We would.
therefore, favor the extension Of side
tracks, and the free and unrestricted
privilege granted to any person to
erect a grain house, on such track,
subject only to reasonable restrictions
as to fire and provision for speedy
shipment. Any other principle In.
wolves the creation of monopoly.
The railways are created for the pub.
lie, and each individual has right to
claim equal privileges i'll the matter
Of shipment. The control and ship.
ment Of wheat should not be left in
the hands OF IL few men, and cOmpe.
titiOn stamped out by arbitrary rules.
Let any person so desiring to engage
in the shipment OF grain apply TO the
railway company for. the privilege OF
erecting grain house, and IL refused,
let him apply to this Office, and if the
board Of railway commissioners, on q
hearing Of all the facts, shall deter.
mine his application to be reason.
able one, let the railway company be
required TO give him location. This
Is the way such things ara done in
Massachusetts. No scheme ought to
he tolerated by the State which drives
out the independent buyer and pre-.
vents competition.
THE QUESTION OF TAXATION.
Test suits are now pending which
will settle all classes of cases where
railway lands have been placed In
situation whereby they might avoid
taxation. by reason Of the refusal Of
two railway companies to pay taxes
upon certain gross earnings, upon
grounds quite the opposite, there Is
u possible way 10y which q railway
may secure immunity from all taxa.
ton, il the principles sought to be
established by the companies are
Sistajnel Inv the cOurts. In the first