Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1886-02-05

was killed, and one in every 954 1888 wash
iured, better record than many othes
states show. Many deaths would be pre-.
vented by more adequate penalties for tres
passing upon railroads or cars zaG
a7r.@*i ELEVATORS AND WAREHOUSES;
The grain production of Minnesota being
its chief industry, and the receipts for grain
factors in the earnings OF railway com
panies, 1t Ia OF supreme Importance that thu
producer should be free to ship his product
promptly without discrimination and a
reasonable rates. The grain trade having
become controlled by 4 few corporations
who arbitrarily dictated terms and failed K
provide warehouses. competition was
crushed out, and the price was fixed by thu
self-interest of a few middlemen. The .es:
islature has undertaken to remedy the evils
by requiring every railway company to per.
NIT any person, company or corporation
for an annual rental Of 81, to CONSTRUCT
maintain and operate an elevator OF
lions, for the storing and handling Of grain
Provision Is also made for reasonable track
facilities. Railroads are required to furnisf
cars for transportation OF grain stored il
such elevators and warehouses or offered fO
shipment in bulk or otherwise from any es
promptly and without discrimination
Companies are required to transport carr
when loaded, and transport them with rea
sonable dispatch to the point Indicated by
the shipper. The law also gives any person
desiring to ship grain from any established
side track the right to do SO, and the com.
pauy must furnish cars for that purpose
The law has generally been complied with
and the results have been found TO be bene
fetal to all concerned.
TRANSIT RATES.
The question of transit rates was brought
to the attention of the commission by com.
plants of citizens on the line of the Chicago
Of the roads was that when they got bushe
of grain within their control they must have
it to the last terminal point on their line in
order TO get all out of it possible. A shipper
could unload grain at any point on the route
where there was mill, grind it and ship il
out as flour, or if not desiring to ship, coulC
sell the remainder of his unexpired freight
in open market Under this rule it became
impossible to ship car load of wheat froh,
any local point on the roads en-.
forcing transit rates to Minneapolis
or other milling points, without paying
through rates to Chicago There would be
no especial objection to transit rate, were
it optional with the shippers to use ii OF. not
But the arbitrary system subjected shippers
to the necessity Of selling unearned freight
often at loss, and always at great incou.
venience. The effect was also to reduce the
price of grain at local points. At the time
of the Inauguration of the transit rate it was
regarded as concession to the milling inter
ests of Minneapolis. Chicago was admitted
to be the point where the surplus wheat OF
the Northwest could be marketed to the best
advantage, and the railroads gave this as
reason 1s for the principle involved in
It's effect vas to cheaper freights from MIN
neapolis and St. Paul to Chicago at the ex-
pense Of the shippers at interior points sub.
iect to this rate. Owing To the progress of
railway building in the Northwest the situa.
ton is now changed Many competing lines
have reduced east-bound freghts; Chicago
is no longer the best market for surplus
wheat, Minneapolis and Duluth taking he1
place, and ST. Paul and Minneapolis have be-
come great centers OF commerce. Com
plants also came in from persons on the line
OF the Chicago & Northwestern, the Chicago,
ST. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha, and the Mil.
sidered along with the Others and as re.
suit the commissioners decided to request
the roads to discontinue the transit rate
system, except as OPTIONAL, and to substitute
therefor tariff Of reasonable local rates fol
the shipment of all kinds OF grains within
roads complied with the request and the re-
suit has been satisfactory to the commission.
WOOD RATES
The attention of the commissioners was
called to rates for transportation of wood by
citizens on the line of the Minneapolis e. ST
Louis railway. Az the result OF u confer
ence. che vice president OF the company
issued tariff ct greatly reduced rates.
Petitions from other parts OF the state led
the commission to investigate the subject
further, with the result that the other com
panies over whose lines wood is shipped re-
oo1 Hair ~ofo inljx ~,
neapolis & St Louis road the reduction av-
eraged about 3 cents per hundred pounds,
on the Milwaukee about 2 cents. on
the st. Paul l. Duluth about & cents,
on the Omaha about l cent, and
on the Manitoba about 8 cents. The
sively discussed The abolition of carload
rates and the substitution OF rates on 1OC
pounds r as been advocated This would be
to the advantage Of large dealers, but to the
disadvantage OF the large mass OF consumers
In country so vast as the United States the
carload should be the unit of transportation.
The element OF economy in the transpor1a-
ton OF long lines Of railway. will determine
the question without regard to its effect upop
individual cities and localities. Public inter.
est demands that service which will be the
best and cheapest, taking into consideration
safety, cost, time, waste, breakage. aud ali
other Incidents which control the freight
traffic. car-load business is clean, easily
handled. and IN every way desirable both tc
the shipper and the railway companies
Moreover. there is less loss TO both shipper
and carrier than under the 1OO-pound rate
where bulk is frequently broken The 100,
pound rate system will result in the in.
evitable special rates. secret rebates in favo,
Of favorite shippers at the expense Of til,
great majority. A joint convention of thu
railroad commissioners of all the states il
suggested to consider the subject and to tax.
joint action.
The Milwaukee & St. Paul officials ona