Omaha daily bee., 1883-05-25
MAGNITUDE CT THIS BURDEN,

says 10, sos, ia tons Of ftelghr are
moved Ia Iowa; of this amount over
two million IONS is strictly local
moved from INT point ia the state TO
another.) Let ia see the
ENORMOUS AGGREGATE
of excess for handling this 20 per cent
of the freight moved. Calling the
average distance hauled Within the
state 100 miles, and we have the sun
OF zoo, DOC, COO toni moved one mile,
which would cost at n cent a ton a
mile 81. 600, 600. We must approx
mate the rate now charged from fig
ures given In the reports, as we have
no other data. These would show
that three cents a ton per mile would
DO a low estimate. At this rate the
cost of moving 200, 600 ,OOO tons one
mile would be So, 000, 600, or
81. 900, 900 IN EXCESS
of cost at one cent o ton per mile, the
rate of leading roads. If we give our
carriers 30 per cent more than the
leading roads, or 81, 80 per ton per
mile, we will still have SO, 600, 09O
forced from the people annually, which
is four times the annual tax for SUP.
porting the state government.
RIVER TRANSPORTATION,
The EXCESS Of charges IL must BIO re.
membered is only on the strictly loca,
freight. One-haIf Of the balance only
crosses the state, and does not effsci
us materially except as increasing OF
diminishing the income of the roads.
The other half Ia freight originating
In, or coming to Iowa to stop. Much
of this half would become strictly loca.
to the immense benefit of sill the in
terests of the state. If tho railroads
were not allowed to compel it to take
the long haul to Chicago for theil
benefit, Iowa would then derive come
real benefit from the rivers thai bound
1t on two aides. These unjust charges
are most especially to prevent freight
from taking the cheaper river soute tc
the seaboard, or to other competing
(oot pooling lines which leave thu
river for the eastern seaboard at points
below. Cheap rates to the rivers
would open up all the compstinI
markets OF the country to Iowa pro.
dace, free from the manipulating pro
cesses of the Chicsgo market.
THEY PREVENT LONG HAUL RATES.
The present system of charging o.
much for a few miles haul to the stat,
line, "a is paid for a thousand miles be
yond Chicago, or SIS would be paid foI
a thousand miles from the Mississippi
to New York by rail, In competition
with the lakes and otherroutes, is cut
ting Iowa eff from all the benefits O.
really long haul routes. Give reason
able rates to the rivers, and We woulc
soon be able to secure rates that woulc
astonish as. There Is no reason t,
doubt that the volume of freight II
be moved between the Mississippi ant
the eastern seaboard Ito say nothin,
of the competition of the river rout,
to New Orleans). would insure rate
as low per ton per mile as the rates b,
rail from Chicago to New York, or Ii
the state of New York In competin,
with water transportation, If we coult
avail ourselves of 1t by proper rates t,
the river. The rates of the Ney
York roads in competition with tn
canal, of a cent per ton per mile
would be for the one thousand mile
from Iowa to New York, 20 cents pc
hundred, So per ton, or $50 per car O
ten tona, which is no more than 1
charged on merchandise tranaporte
sixty miles In Iowa, and less than 1
charged on wheat one.ffth the els
tance.
HARD TIMES.
That Iowa Ia prosperous notwitt
standing this taxation Of million
above just rates by the railroads, is n
argument in favor of allowing II {
continue. Our natural advantages {
soil and climate do not belong to tn
/ railroad corporations. Oar state
new and has been a success. Our vii
t gin soil has yielded abundance ofte
r when crops in other states and forelg
countries have failed, and wealth hi
flowed In upon US. We must not 70
f. get that the reverse has, In some II
S stances, been true; that We are at q
times liable to these reverses. III
tendency Is to closer competition az
lower prices for farm products. If Il
: old and new sources of supply tn
9 Europe has nearer home, should 81
coed In excluding our products fro
the vast market of which we have h
the benefit for the past few yea
% hard times would indeed be upon |
g and larger crops would be Of lit
= benefit, ct the present enormona a,