St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-01-30

derives from the taxation OF the gross earn
ings. and would tend TO reduce passenger
rates the country over. 1t is TO be hoped that
congress will fully consider this question in
the proposed national supervision OF railways.
WAITING ROOMS.
After reviewing the law requiring suita-
bic passenger stations the report says that
from circulars answered by county attor-
neys year ago thirty-one stations were in
adequately provided with accommodations,
but in accordance with requests twenty-one
have been built or enlarged. The commits
sion holds that 1t has the power to in
sist on the erection of union depots at i'm
portant junction points. Red Wing, Fari-
bault, Owatonna, Spring Valley, Mortified,
Wells and some others. have not such pas
senger houses as are worthy Of present
progress, and do not compare with other
public buildings at those places. In most
of these cases the railway management
has promised to erect at an early day,
more suitable buildings. The police regu-
lations of some of the passenger houses,
are not such as the public have a right TO
expect. Depots are intended as place Of
and comfort for passengers ar
irving and departing. In many cases they
are made, however, a resort for idle per-
sons who ill the room with smoke, and
otherwise annoy persons who are there for
legitimate purposes Dirt, bad light and
i'll ventilation. characterize some of them.
If superintendent do not enforce better
regulations in these matters, the commits
sion may feel it duty another year to
invite special attention to such places and
mention the superintendent in charge.
An analysis of the three accident tables re-
veaIs the fact that personal carelessness is
rha larUact claimant nv tho
of our railway accidents. OF the employees,
30 were killed and ia injured, according to
the companies reports, by their own care
lessness, and killed and IL injured by causes
beyond their own control.
GRAIN BUSINESS.
The grain production of Minnesota is fits
chief industry, and the aggregate receipts for
transportation of wheat, oats, barley, corn
and fax seed constitutes one of the chief fac
tors in the earnings of our railway compa-
MES 1t is OF supreme Importance 10 our
people that in the handling and marketing of
these great products there should be all the
competition which is the accompaniment OF
trade, and entire freedom on the part of the
producer as to the time, place and manner of
his shipments, TO the end that he may select
his market, and be at liberty TO ship his pro-
ducts promptly, without discrimination. and
at reasonable rates. Experience shows that
where combination Is possible competition Is
out OF question unless the law interyenes for
the protection of the weak against the strong.
So in the process OF tune IL had come 10 be
the fact here that the handling an market
ing of grain on different lines of road had
gradually come to be controlled by few cor
porations, firms or men, who arbitrarily die
tated terms, fixed rates and customs and were
able in many instances TO drive out of exist
ence the independent buyer. and so establish,
with or without the aid of railroad companies,
a monopoly which touched nearly every pro-
Queer In the state.
The railway companies themselves fur
nished no facilities for receiving or storing
these products, but they did undertake TO de-
terInine who alone upon their respective lines
should enjoy the profits OF this business, and
what should be the character and capacity OF
the elevators and warehouses TO be built along
their lines of road.
TIE DIRECT RESULT
of this system was to throw the grain trade
of the state into the hands of a constantly
narrowing circle of business men, to crush
out anything like competition or independent
buying at primary points, and 10 leave the
price to the producer TO be fixed by the self
interest of a few middlemen rather than by
natural laws of trade.
The points of the law touching the grain
handling are enumerated and upon the car
rying out Of these the commission saws:
Upon all these subjects the board of COM
the part of the railroad companies, for the
most part, a ready acQuiescence in the law
and in the demands made upon them under il
by this board.
With but u single exception. every applica-
ton that has been made to the board under
section Is is granted; and It is hoped that the
exception referred TO will not long; HeInain as
the evidence of a disposition on the part or
any company TO resist the laws of this state
Much good has already been accomplished
in these directions by the enactment and en-
forcement of the law quoted, and we are con-
fident that the provisions cited, If observed
and enforced, will do away with many of the
substantial grievances heretofore connected
with the grain trade of the state.
THE TRANSIT SYSTEM.
The statement as to the injurious effects
of the transit system, issued by the board
at the time OF. the establishment of the
flat rate, is incorporated into the report,
and on the subsequent developments the
report says:
The commission submitted Q schedule of
mileage rates TO the companies indicating
their views, and suggested that the new rates
be made as nearly as practicable to that
schedule.
In response to this request the Minneapolis
st. Louis. the Chicago. st. Paul, Minneapo-
lis O. Omaha and the Chicago g. Northwest
ern railways promptly made and submitted
new rates In conformity 70 the request,
which were accepted by the board
A few days later the Chicago, Milwaukee &
st. Paul railway submitted a modified tariff,
based upon the schedule suggested by the
commission, which after further modification
was accepted by the board.
There was much public excitement and ag-
itation, upon the subject of transit rates, at
the time the commission took the first step
towards insisting that our people should have
the right 10 ship, to and from, all stations
within the state at reasonable rates. and that
grain should only be shipped on a transit rate
at the request of the shipper.
Many doubted the power OF the commission
under the law, and dispatches were sent out
from Milwaukee over the whole country, that
the action Of the Minnesota commission in
this matter would end in notifying failure
The commission based their action upon the
power given them in section % of
the act of March 5, 1885, and believed it to be
their duty to make the issue at once, that the
relations of the commission and the railway
companies might be better understood and
defined, and in this they were sustained by
the attorney-general.
The result has fully indicated the position
taken by the board. and is one of the most
Important steps ever taken towards estab-
fishing precedeuts for the reasonable regula-
ton of rates by state commission which has
given much satisfaction TO our people.
CARLOAD RATES.
This subject has been discussed by the
boards of trade, jobbers' unions, railroad
managers and state railroad commissioners
of the Western states dVriug the past year
with much earnestness. The questiou is said
TO be very complicated, and is so treated by
many who have written upon the subject
The Chicago and st. Louis jobbers have for
several years past persistently advocated
the abolition OF carload rates and the SUBJ
stitution of rates per 100 pounds, no matter
how large the shipment. That this would be
to the advantage of the large dealers in those
cities is manifest. That it would be to the
disadvantage of the great mass of con-
sumers occupying the vast area west of
these cities is equally manifest. In a
country vast c..ah