St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-02-07
entirely to the discretion of the com mission

entirely to the discretion Of the com mission
ers.
Mr.. Clough then took up the long and the
short haul section. He said it sounded well,
but WAS wrong in principle, and II put
into operation would ruin the north
west. It was not true that the cost of haul
was regulated by distance. On the contrary,
he said, it often happened that shoat haul
cost double longer. He com pared the
through business from St. Paul to Chicago,
and the local from st. Paul to Elroy. In the
first case the trains had full loads, while the
local only had small and fuctuating busi-
ness, and thus it was the cost of freight SER
vice on small and short was twice and even
three times as much as on the long haul.
The provision denying the companies to fix
the rates for
LONG AND SHORT HAULs
is wrong and should be stricken out. It's
exercise in the past had built up the north
west, and its prohibition now would be a Sc
r1ous blow to its prosperity in the future.
Mr.. Clough then took up section 81. by
which the railroad mmissioners are en-
powered to fix a schedule Of rates. He
commenced by saying that he thought there
was no necessity for giving the commission
comparison with rates in states where that
power was exercised by commissioners.
Mr.. Hodgson, of st. Paul, said the railroad
speakers all found fault with this bill.
They all wanted some bill, they said, but not
this. It was probable 1t had some faults, but
it was the duty of the legislature to make it
as near right as possible and there pass it.
As all the railroad men were opposing this
bill he had reached the conclusion it was
good measure and ought to be passed. He
feared there were signs of weakening on the
part of Some. 1t was told OF one member.
who refused pass to come to st. Paul, that
he had since arriving heIe become the pos
SCISSOR of male COW of a black per-
suasion, and it would be well for
the friends the bill to ascertain if possible
how many of these black male COWS were be.
ing used to manufacture opinion.
Mr.. Marvel, of the Manitoba road, was the
next speaker. He first entered upon an ex-
planation of the freight bills read
at the first meeting by Mr.. Canning,
showing much higher rate west
from st. Paul than from the east to st. Pull.
person fixing rate on freight must know
all the circumstances surrounding such
freight. The volume carried is an important
factor in this matter. In making its tariff the
Manitoba had endeavored to fairly meet the
circumstances, and though their rates were
higher than those coming into st. Paul, the
latter were making more accordingly to the
cost than was his company. An item that
contributed to this was the fact that large
proportion Of their hauls were empties. The
cost of running an engine on the Manitoba
road was also much greater than on a road
running west from Chicago, the added ex-
pense for this one item being nearly half
million dollars. There were many other in
creased expenses from the same causes.
Mr.. Barrett, of Grove Island, criticised Mr.
Manvels statements as to rates, and made
an appeal to the people of the state not to let
the cutie fish of railroad monopoly continue
to absorb their life blood but to throttle and
hold in check the monster by legislation.
Mr.. James Smith, Jr., of the Duluth road,
said 1t was so late he would not attempt to
give all his reasons why the bill should not
pass. He claimed that the operation of the
bill would greatly iniure the Duluth wheat
market, by adding to the cost of deliveries
at that point, and thus destroy mpetition.
The Minneapolis Millers' association could
not have desired better bill, because it
would secure them a monopoly Of the wheat
business.
Judge Chandler, OF the st. Paul rord, ex-
planned the per cent earnings Of his road,
by saying that for twenty years it had never
paid cent of interest, aud that to-day it did
not paw 3 per cent. on its investments In
Minnesota. The Hastings & Dakota road
was operated for years when its expenses
were double its gross receipts. The money
that enabled the company to pay z
per cent. now, was largely earned in Wis
consn and between Milwaukee and Chicago.
Judge Howes, of the Omaha road, thought
too much time was being devoted to the
Manitoba road. The Omaha company earns
per cent. upon its preferred stock. But
that should not be the test Of this bill. He
believed he could convince any candid man
that the bill meant destruction to the farmers
Of the northwest, destruction TO all
business. There was q spirit abroad
of the dynamiter. OF kind
with II was the unreasonable spirit mani
tested In certain directions, which said the
bill does not suit the railroad men, 50 let us
pass it. The duty, uIder the circumstances,
was for the railroad committee to take hold
of the bill. have its merits and dement's care
fully considered, and then report what their
best Judgment shall decide a just measure.
At the conclusion Of Judge Howe's re-
marks the house adjourned.