Audubon County Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Audubon Co., Iowa) 1885-1894, 1888-03-01
call that a proper adjustment of rates for

Mr.. Ripley: 1t does not seem to me that
II Is exactly question as regards Iowa. Ii
strikes me that II Is the result of competition
between Minnesota town and an Illinois
town, resulting to the benefit of tho people
OF Iowa, In that they get lower rates at both
points, That Is the question OF adjustment
of rates. II may just rs well follow--lt Is,
perhaps, just as likely to DO the case that
rate from given point in Iowa to Chicago Is
too low, as that the rate from that point In
Iowa to st. Paul is too high. In the trouble
between commercial centers, between Chi
cago and the roads leading to Chicago, and
st. Paul and the roads leading TO st. Paul,
for the trade of Northern Iowa that the rates
are reduced to an enormous extent.
Member: l mean tho rates are precisely
the same from Chicago TO the northern points
as from Chicago to ST. Paul. over the said
line Of road, u haul longer by 100 TO $50
miles.
Mr. Ripley: oh, beg pardon; under
stand now. That Is one OF the effects of the
Interstate law. That may, or may not DO
10 the benefit Of the State Mt large. II GER
tainly nnurcs to the benefit OF the people
living at the small stations, and, In way,
may be 70 the mass Of the people, and II does
inure to the benefit of the distributing points
In Iowa. The through lines between Chi
cago and st. Paul are not the lines through
northern Iowa, and the Iowa lines that com
pete for the business of 81. Paul, under the
operations of the Interstate law, have simply
their option, whether they will attempt TO
compete for the business OF Minnesota rs
against shorter lines through Wisconsin, and
rs against the still shorter line at Duluth;
whether they will compete for that business
by reducing MI their rates on this Side; or
whether they will let II run itself, an adjust
hat Ia hA
roads by the Interstate law. The only
alternative, surprising there were no law,
would be TO retire from the business OF St.
Paul and Minneapolis, or Ia. charge higher
rate ut the points In Iowa south OF st. Paul
ami Minneapolis than they do there. That
Is something that has always been objected
TO. have many times been called upon 10
ascertain why we should make the long haul
the less rate. l think there are a great
many cases IN which that Is very Justliiable.
think the erState law Ii bad In that II
prohibits that under substantially any and
all circumstances. IL does leave an UNI
doubted loopholc under tho exceptions, but
| il Is very vague. and hardly one that we can
work under. But think tho Interstate
law--l don't come here 10 crltlcise that
| but think In that respect II Is not altogether
| sound.
Member: Before you come To any
thing else, you made statement that freight
| rates might be reduced one-half. Fifty per
| cent l believe, was your language, without
| making more than n difference of three or
| four dollars TO each family In the State. VIII
| you pursue that thought farther
Mr.. Ripley: Yes. l said the
rates ON merchandise, meaning by that
| the rates ON what family
| ordinarily consumes In the way of clothing
l.tft t..t.. mt In 40
on coal, the rates ON what wo call merchan-
| disc. That Is matter very easily figured.
Chairman: Was II recently figured, Mr..
| Ripley, by statlstlclans that the average ex-
pcnsc per family of five In the country for
railroad charges was about forty-iive dollars
| year?
Mr.. Ripley: ! believe that Is horribly ex-
aggcrated ! cannot conceive that II amounts
| TO quarter Of that. II Is very easy 10 Illus
tratc. | suppose that the two heaviest Items
| that family would use would be Hour anu
sugar. think the freight ON the flour and
| ON the sugar would amount TO more than
| anything else that they used, perhaps, put
| together. The rate on sugar from Chicago
| TO any point In Iowa has not been higher
| than tlirty-lve cents hundred. Half q
| cent practically. For the last two years 1t
| has not been TO exceed thirty cents, but call
|
wrong In my figures l would like 10 have
| you correct me. Ibelieve the average con
sumption OF sugar In Illinois, per man, Is
| about fifty pOunds for family OF five peo-
| pie Il IL two hundred and fifty or sixty
| pounds. At thirty cents q hundred that
would be about sixty-five cents, as TO freight
| paid, not In Iowa, but from Chicago, upon
| the entire supply Of sugar for family for u
| year. AS regards flour there are so many
markets that II is difficult to state what dis
lance II would be probably hauled. The
rate In Iowa will not exceed thirty cents a
barrel anywhere. II you assume that a fam
lily of five people will use--l don't know
| what Is a fair average. How many barrels
| OF -four do you use?
| Member: Let me suggest that according
to Senator Swency's statement IL would DO
| nine dollars apiece, and with two millions
| of people, would be eighteen millions of dol
lars, which would be half the gross earnings
of all the railroads In the State.
Mr.. Ripley; could figure up easily what
/ the average family would use my statement
was reduction of the Iowa rates of fifty per
| cent, which would make difference
to family of five persons, OF not
more than dollar, or dollar and q half.
When you see what small percentage Of
value the freight consist you will realize
that Il Is not there that the people of Iowa,
as a whole, are interested except In slight
degree The highest rates we ever charged
on boots and shoes, cloth, dry goods, on
sugar or anything OF the kind, Is very small
percentage of its value. One-fourth OF q
cent pound ON sugar, one-thirty -sccond of
cent yard on sheetings, two or three cents
pair on boots and shoes, and eight TO ten
cents on o suit OF clothes, Is rs much freight
as a consumer Is ever called upon to pay I'M
der any circumstances. IL would make
| no difference then TO the consumer II you
would reduce the rates Oh these articles OF
merchandise. The difference in the aggrc-
! gate to the railroads Is great, but would be
so small when reduced to the quantities the
consumer buys, you would never know the
difference. II seems TO me that the true In
terest OF the State Of Iowa consists, not only
for the State at large but for this mercantile
class, In so arranging the foundation Of the
pile that IL will bear up the rest of 1t. The
farmer Is at the bottom Of the business. lie
is the man from whom we all live. do
not think that this legislation has been pro-
posed for his benefit In the slightest degree.
A reduction of the rates on corn, live stock,
| on produce or products of the farm, reduc-
ton OF one per cent, still more, q reduction
of five or ten per cent, will do more good to
| the State, including the merchants and mill
| ers and everybody In II. than the reduction
OF fifty per cent on this merchandise we are
| discussing. There cannot be a question
about 1t. The reduction of fifty per cent on
merchandise does not amount to anything Ia
the average consumer. If the farmer OF
| Iowa can obtain the rates 10 the markets II
seems TO me that is the important matter, SC
| far as the transportation interests are con-