St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-02-19
GENTLEMEN:

GENTLEMEN:
The Iowa railroad commissioners, in
their last report, say that g the most skillful
and successful managers of railroads. while
fattering themselves that the subject to
which they have devoted lifetime has at
last become familiar and easy, will almost
any day meet new question as difficult
of proper solution as though they had no
experience in such matters. 1t cannot be
expected in reason that difficulties of this
character Will ever be removed. They
must be met daily and hourly, and the
mistakes of yesterday must be corrected to-
day. The qualities required for their
proper correction are candOr, mutual for
bearance and clear perception of right. "
Gentlemen, l ask your committee to con-
slider this question, that is of vital impOr-
lance to over $160, 600, 900 of capital invest
ed in railroads in the State of Minnesota,
in spirit of candor, with mutual for
bearance and Il clear perception Of right. u
Let us take the question mp and discuss it
in that way and we cannot fail to agree.
BASIS OF CONSTRUCTIONS OF a RAILWAY
TARIFF.
I'm making a tariff railroad company
mas to consider the amount of money to he
raised TO enable it to pay interest and div
idend on the capital invested in its rail
road, and TO provide reasonable fund for
renewals and repairs; also to provide such
additional equipment. terminal facilities,
side tracks, etc, As its business may de-
mand The railroad company has no other
means from which to supply this money
except from its traffic revenue. The rail
road company has transportation to sell,
and it must sell its transportation at such
rates rs viii enable il to provide a sum
over and above the actual operating cx-
penses sufficient to meet these require
ments. In making up its tariff Of rates it
~ necessary, in order to arrive at the best
results, to distribute the burden in such
manner that every person desiring to use
the railway shall pay fair portion, and
no more. of this burden. 1t is the interest
Of the railroad to make its tariff so as to in
crease the number of tons over which to
distribute the amounts to he collected, and
I'm a State like ours wise policy could not
foil to use the best means to open up the
agricultural interests along the line Of the
railways, and to develop them to their
greatest extent In doing this they in
crease. more than i'm any other way, the
number of tons over which to distribute
the amount of revenue required by the
company. The practice is much the same
as ln lcNyiug tax 10y local tax board.
The greater number of people who can con
tribute their share of the tax, the lighter
this tax must Ice p0- capia. Again, the
railroad company must So conduct its af-
fairs ms to enable whoever occupies the
lands along the line of its road to increase
his business, and in that manner increase
the business of the railroad company.
Every railroad I'M the State, wherever il is
located. Is in partnership with the man,
whoever he may hc. who occupies land
along said line Any particular farmer
may sell ont and move away, but someone
else takes his place. and. for the time, the
railroad Is in partnership with him. Rail
WAYS may change owners, hut the road re
mains. and the facts have stated are not
IN ANY way changed In making a railway
tariff il Is necessary to discriminate, and
20 discriminate wisely. The cost of haul
ing "a train load of tea is no more to the
railroad company than the cost of hauling
the same amount Of wheat or coal, hut il
the railroad company should charge uni
form rate ON all its freight, the tea would
paw the same us the wheat and the conse-
quencc would be there could be no wheat
raised except in the immediate vicinity Of
large cities. and it would be impossible to
open mp and develop the new country he
youd Our State law applicable 10 the
building of railroads provides that any set
Of men may at any time by filing arti-
clos of Incorporation. if they have the
money 20 ON and build 4 railway wher
ever they please. This makes the property
of existing railroads more hazardous.
INrl~,BININNrE BUILDING FORBIDDEN.
In Massachusetts,, after long experience,
she State has decided not to allow the in
discriminate building of railroads. hut
rather 10 make the railroads. when they
are once built into a section of country. do
the work for which they wen, designed to
their full capacity. at such rates rs will at
ford reasonable returns ON the investment.
snd mo- more. They reason. and wisely.
that one railroad can do the work cheaper
than two. In many instances. in our own
State. the people have voted bonds to aid
some particular line Of railroads. expecting