St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-02-04
Free Passes, the Report Says,
Are No Longer Issued
in the State.
Freight Rates All Through
the Northwest Reported
Wide Open.
Good Increase in the Earn
ingS of the Northern Pa
cifie Road.


mSSlonerS is NOW nearly ready for dis
tribution. From an advanced copy
number of interesting and valuable
points have been taken. The report
fills over l25 pages, and is neatly printed
Railway construction, including oper-
atlng expenses, taxes, gross earnings,
capital stock and debt, passenger rates.
official orders and decisions, railroad
companies. and complaints adjusted are
the subjects discussed in the report.
RAILROAD CONSTRUCTION.
During the past year 50S.59 miles of
railroad were constructed in the state.
OF this the Manitoba built 1910 miles;
the Minneapolis & Pacific, 1S7. 46 miles:
the Duluth Il Manitoba. 94.2O miles: the
Minnesota Il Northwestern, 18Th miles:
the Duluth u Iron Range, 26.55 miles:
the Chicago, Burlington Il Northern,
24.9i miles; and the Milwaukee, 1927
miles. The number OF miles operated
during the year was 4.S1l.91 miles. as
against 4.3jS.S6 operated in 1886. The
stock. bonds and debt of all the rail
roads in the state on June so, 1887, was
1925. O;S22.,:: -. and the average cost per
mile of The railroads in Minnesota
Is reported at S59.04S.9S The
gross earnings for the year
were S2d. l62. OS6.66. an increase of ST.
O59. 1872 over the amount for the pre-
cedlng year. There were 496 accidents
during the year as compared with 322
for the preceding year. The whole
number OF passengers carried during
the year was Sill. 163, as compared with
G,S25, 1SS carried during the preceding
year. The average rate per passenger
per mile during lSS7 was 2.4S cents; in
1856 the rate was 30 cents. rhe total
number of tons of freight earned on the
lines during the year was II, 150.3S2;
during 1856 the number was 9,17S.66S.
The act creating the railroad and
warehouse commission. the report
claims, follows the interstate commerce
law. which regulates interstate COM
merce. the only difference being that it
Is confined to traffic wholly within the
state. Hence there are no questions
arising affecting the policy of the COM
mon carriers to the public, which are
not clearly under the jurisdiction OF one
or the other. But the report contin-
ueS, there are important differences,
to which the attention of the people of
the state should be called. The
Interstate commerce law pro-
hibitS free passes and free transport
tatiOn, except that common carriers
may give free carriage to their own Of
hcerS and employees, and may exchange
passes OF tickets with other railroad
companies for their officers and en-
ployeS. The state act provides that all
charges made by any common carrier,
subject TO tie provisions of this act. for
any service rendered in the transporta-
ton OF passengers and property afore-
said, or i'll connection herewith,
shall be equal and reasonable. and
every unequal and unreasonable charge
for such service Is prohibited and de-
clared To be unlawful; and in the same
section declares against determinations,
III both cases using the language of the
Interstate law regarding the same sub
JectS. Bui no law
EFFECTTALLY NULLIFIES
these beneficial provisions copied from
the interstate law. by proviSO III sec
ton of the act, that nothing in the
provisions of this act shall be construed
to prevent common carriers, subject to
the provisions of this act, from issuing
passes for the free transportation of
pass ngerS.
Free passes, the report continues, are
no longer issued, SO far as inter> tate
commerce is concerned. The result in
this state would have been the same but
for tie prOyiso above quoted, that moth
ing III the provisions of this act shall be
construed TO prevent common carriers,
subject to the provisions of this act.
from Issuing passes fOr the free trans
portatlOn of passengers Railway
managers, directors and officers will not
OF themselves do away with this dis
elimination, but the abuse is easily
corrected when taken hold of BY the
law.
Only one application was made for
the suspension of the "long and short
haul clause. This was made by the
Minneapolis e St. Louis Railway COM
pany, and was refused.
THE IMPORTANT CASES
considered by the commissioners are
discussed at length. The principal ones
are:
The order relating to switching
charges III Minneapolis.
MIX rates Oh the Iowa e Minnesota
division of the Chicago. Milwaukee 81
st. Paul railway.
Passenger rates on the ST. Paul. Min
neapOliS d Manitoba and The Northern
Pacific railroads.
The complaint of the Mankato job
berS union as 20 rates on the Chicago,
81 Paul * Omaha railway from Duluth
to MankatO.
The report discusses the classification
OF small packages and calls attention TO
the fact that the railroad companies
have modified their charges with refer
encc to small packages so as to meet
the views Of large number of persons
who have an interest i'll this subject.
Inc inspecting and weighing of grain
now carried on at the public ware
houses are discussed. "a great many
irregularities occur" says the report.
land a good deal of Inconvenience
arises from the fact that all the ware
houses at St. Paul and Minneapolis are
not public warehouses. 1t is a cond-
ton of affairs which ought not to
exist. Make all the warehouses at
terminal points public warehouses
and the business can be so
systematized as to place the strong arm
OF the state around every grain-grower
of Minnesota. 1t is hoped
that the next legislature will take Il
broader view of The whole subject and
promptly enact law making all the
warehouses at the terminal points pub
lie warehouses. Such an act would
prove OF incSttmable value to the small
farmer"
The report closes with a list of the
complaints adjusted and the documents
and orders in connection Herewith A
list of the railroad companies that have
been incorporated during the past year
is given. with list of incorporators,
capital stock, and proposed routes.
WESTERN WAR RATES.