St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-01-29
REGULATING RAILROADS.
An Open Meeting of the House Rail-
road Committee Last
Evening.
Exhaustive Statement of j. j. Hill, Presl-
dent of the Manitoba
Road.
James Smith, Jr., President Duluth Road,
Judge Chandler, of the Milwaukee g. St
Paul, F. r. Delano and Others
Make Speeches.

| Judge Chandler, or the Milwaukee o. oI-
Paul, +. Z. Delano and Others
Make Speeches.
! The chamber of the house was well filed
last evening, the occasion being public
meeting of the railroad committee, at which
were present many members of both houses,
a number of railroad officials, grain dealers
and citizens of st. Paul and Minneapolis,
and also the legislative delegation from Da-
kota, here TO confer with their Minnesota CO.
| patriots upon the subjects of railroad, grain
and warehouse legislation. The special OBJ
iect Of the meeting was general consider
alton of railroad legislation, and the work
ings of the Illinois law in particular. The
meeting was called to order at a quarter to 8
O'Clock bv Mr.. Stordock, chairman of the house
railroad committee, which Mr. j. Fl. Drake,
at his request, briefly stated the object OF
the meeting. He stated that the railway
committee of the house had been compiling
| a BILL based substant TALLY on the Illinois law.
| That bill, as agreed upon, was ordered
printed, one copy of which had been pur-
! Joined. That bill was not vet the act of the
committee, and should not be so accepted as
such if it should be given to the public in
the morning.
! In answer to Col. Crooks, Mr.. Drake said
! that an outline of the committee bill was Or
dered printed that it might be the better con-
| sidered by the committee, and was yet sub
/ ject to revision. To satisfy the committee
what revision, if any, was necessary, was
! ona of tho ohiacfc IF fbf-
J.J. HILL,
| Of the st. Paul s. Manitoba road, then took
The floor and said the Illinois law covered all
the statutes of that state in reference to rail-
roads. The principal item Of interest, as he
believed, was the matter of railroad rates. II
/ the committee was ready he was prepared to
| take up that subject now. Proceeding Mr..
| Hill said he held in his hand the advance
sheets of the railroad commissioners report of
Iowa. In reading it he found clause that
was of value to this meeting. This clause
referred to the difficulties of railroad
! legislation. Every day brought up new
| questions. A railroad tariff is made, he
said, by a railroad mar, by first determining
the money needed to pay interest on Stock
running expenses, repairs, etc. A railroad
company sells transportation, and from this
source it must get its income. In making
up tariff it would be comparatively easy if
everything could be carried at uniform rates.
| But this would destroy business, and so the
railroad manager had TO place the burden on
| the shoulders that could best bear them. A
! wise policy on the part of the railroad would
| be so to base their tariff as to best develop
/ the country. The interests of the railroad
were direct with the people. 1t always
has been and always will be so. This is the
rule in Minnesota, and Minnesota has de-
rived more benefits from it than from any
other Massachusetts has the oldest commits
| sioner system of any state in the Union. In
/ that state ifthere is a road that can do tle
/ business of a section, the commissioner can,
| and will prohibit the building Of another
railroad. That is, they prohibit competition.
! Here, owing to the desire for railroad faciH-
ties the people will bond themselves to get
com petition, tEds making 1t necessary for the
people to support two roads, while
there is only business for one.
He illustrated the workings OF this
practice by the Pelican branch in Otter Tail
county, which was thus built, but when built
was sold to his company. lie would say if
! he was guaranteed e per cent. on the money
actually in his road, not the water, he would
not care how the rates were fixed.
The farming interest is the grand work Of
all prosperity in the state. That is suffering
to-day as is every other interest, as is always
the case in new states. In the southern part
of the state the farmers had been driven
from wheat to stock and other commodities.
Now there is more wheat raised than there
are mouths to feed. AS reported BY
cable the nations OF the old world are dis
cussug the question OF absolutely closing
their ports against American grain. The
railroads were not responsible for this, and
they could not apply the remedy. The remedy
was less wheat, and more hogs, cattle and
other products. The little kingdom Of Ho!-
land supplied $40, 100000 OF dairy products,
more than the value OF the Minnesota wheat
crop for three years. To-day the English
government is sending mounted dirymen
through the country to instruct their
people. Our farmers are attempt
ing to earn living BY four
and a half months work through the cultiva-
ton of wheat. Thirty years ago the Genesee
! valley was the heart of wheat culture in the
country, and the mills at Syracuse were the
| largest in the world. Now the mills are dis
mantled aud the country is devoted to dairy
| products. A year ago the wheat in Mime
sofa promised well. but drouth came aud the
crop was only small return. He then said
ne would do his share TO induce the people to
vary their industries. This he did by distri-
| huting well bred stock among the farmers.
| He had another hundred head on the way to
| be distributed. lie considered il a good
business enterprise. The railroads and people
were in partnership and one could not be in
/ jurcd but By iniuring the other.
Referring 10 the requirements OF his road
! as to elevators, Mr.. Hill said he considered
/ It was the duty OF the road to so do this busi-
/ ness as to do the greatest good for the great
est number. He then read the contract made
| with elevator men. These contracts pro-
| vides for the erection and main
| tainance Of an elevator for ten
years OF not less than 30, 600 bushels
/ capacity, which shall be operated at fair rates,
without discrimination, aud that the lessee
| will comply with all state laws for the gov
/ eruance of such elevators. Instances where
/ the elevator company could not get elevators
| built the road was forced to do il itself, en-
/ ploying the late Leonard B. Hodges to repre-
/ sent It. What the farmer wants is conve-
nicut market, where he can get fair grade,
I full weight and fair prices. When he gets
| that be gets all he Is entitled to aud ali the
/ legislature or any other power can give him.
/ In Northern Minnesota not one farmer in
] five has any place in which TO store his
/ grain. such men are the ones that
need help. When the elevator lease
/ vas made It was supposed the legislature
I would pass law 10 govern them. lie had
l been waiting for such law for I've years.
I An intelligent Law for this purpose will re-
/ quire that the same quantity OF grain shall