St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-04-16
Cheaper Railroad Transportation Under
Consideration by the State Commits
sioners-The Managers Views.
The Laborer and Education Discussed at
Unity Church by Prof.
Phelps.
A Meeting in the Interest of the GEN
tlemen's Driving Club and Its
Results.
REDUCING THE RATES.
Arguments Against the Reduction
OF Railroad Rates.

Arguments Against the Reduction
OF Railroad Rates.
Some time ago the railroad commissioners
addressed a communication TO the officials
of each of the roads operating in the state,
abiding to the fact that the public senti-
ment of the state considered the present
local rates excessive and discriminative,
and inviting them to meet the commits
sionerS on April II, to consider the advis-
ability ana feasibility of establishing n
maximum passenger rate of cents per
mile. In response to this invitation a num-
Der of railroad officials met the commits
sioners at the capitol yesterday, and argued
strongly against the proposed reduction.
The railroads were represented by the fol-
lowing officials:
Northern Pacific, ]. G. ODell. general
manager and J. NJ Hannaford, general
freight agent and Charles 5. Fee. passenger
agent; st. Paul. Minneapolis " Manitoba,
w. S. Alexander, general traffic manager;
Chicago, Milwaukee s. st. Paul, A. V. III. Car
penter, general passenger aud ticket agent
]. +. Tucker, assistant general manager;
Chicago, st. Paul, Minneapolis n Omaha, E.
". Winter general manager, Il. w. Teasdale.
general passenger and ticket agent; Chicago
Northwestern, II. c. Wicker, general traffic
manager; st. Paul 81 Duluth, p. a. Rockwell,
general ticket agent; Minnesota & Northwest
ern, IL. NJ. Litten, general passenger agent;
Burlington, Cedar Rapids & Northern,
j. NJ. Harrigan, general ticket agent; Duluth
Iron Range, j. VI. Gilman, attorney, A. II.
vee, auditor; Minneapolis & ST. Louis, w.
fl. Truesdale, vice president, S. +. Boyd, gen.
eral passenger and ticket agent.
The bulk of the argument was presented
by \. V. ii. Carpenter, j. I. Tucker. IL.
c. Winter and w. Ii. Truesdale, while the
Representatives of all the roads presented
arguments drawn from the experience and
situation of their lines. The principal OBJ
lection entered against the proposed reduc-
ton was that the state was in the main
sparSely settled and that the local patron
age received did not enable them to estab-
liSh as low rates as roads in Illinois and
Iowa. They compared the railroad business
the state with that of similar areas in older
states, and asserted that the time was not
Opportune for the proposed change. They
could not give such regular service at re-
duced rate. Another point made in this
connection by several representatives was
that. they were burdened with branch lines
that paid but small profits, and that if the
rule was to apply at all it should be on
main lines. Representatives of the Duluth
road said their business was mainly through
business and that their local traffic would
not warrant the reduction. Mr., Gilman of
the Iron Range said that though their rate
was cents, the travel did not half pay
running expenses. The commissioners did not
present many arguments in support Of
their position, it being yet an open ques-
ton, and cOntented themselves with hear
ing the objections that might be presented.
1t was argued by Mr. Murdoch, however,
that it was not fair that the jobber and the
richer class who travelled a good deal
should be able to do so cheaper than the
farmer. who did not know them, whom
they did not know and who was without
the influence necessary to get favOrs and
concessions. Commissioner Baker said
that the commission proposed to do what
they could to protect the mass of the people
and the large class in the frontier farming
districts Who had no other protection.
Representatives of several roads asked
for more time to file statements
and information, and they were given
until May to do so, and were requested
to furnish complete statements of all
rates and the receipts therefrom, including
through and mileage rates and special rates
to privileged classes, conventions, ETC., and
also of earnings from local rates.
The commissioners have Investigated the
matter of rates on the different roads of
the'cotintry very thoroughly, as well as the
situation in this state, and are quite conf
dent that the time and public sentiment
warrant and demand the reduction. They
look upon the giving of special rates to
large parties and to the sale of
mileage in larger quantities as a
discrimination, which works an injury to
the class they are interceding for The
wholesaling of traffic is in direct conflict
with the spirit of the railroad legislation of
1885, which while it does not deal with
passenger rates, provides that the tariff on
one carload of freight shall not be higher
than on 100. In 1888 the railroad commits
sion of Iowa declared that the wholesaling
of traffic was not Objectionable, but in their
report two years later they completely re-
versed their position and declared against
it. The commissioners will not
require the roads to abolish special rates
but they see in the system warrant for
acting in another direction. The railroad
companies look upon the matter of whole
sailing rates as matter of proper CONNER
cial usage but in this opinion the commits
sioners do not agree. The commissioners
also look at the matter of small compare
tive patronage in this state in a different
way from the railroad representatives.
They say that the roads compare their bust
ness with the area of the whole state,
whereas large portion of the state is not
traverSed by railroads at all, and the COM
parisOn should only be made with the act
ual population tributary to the roads. If
the three-cent rate is fixed, as it probably
will be, it will rest with the discretion of
the commissioners to make exceptions, in
the case of branch lines and roads like the
Duluth 81 Iron Range, whose earnings are
small.