St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-02-04

go by way OF Duluth. Id ORDER TO get
profitable rate from Fargo to Chicago
the rates must be kept'up west OF Min
neapoliS. The extremely high rate west
of that place, added to the extremely
low rate between there and Chicago,
taken together is a profitable haul.
Minnesota is therefore compelled to pay
rates high enough to enable a part of
her wheat to go to Chicago, and for
that which goes to Duluth, nearly as
much. The same influence that forces
her wheat to Chicago beats down the
Duluth market and put up the rates on
the lakes east of Duluth, thereby de-
pressing prices of Duluth and compel
ling the producer to accept for his wheat
the Chicago price, less the cost Of for
warding to Chicago by rail. Thus are
the producers of the central, western
and northern sections of Minnesota
fenced out of the lake port almost at
their doors, or permitted to reach 1t at
the cost of 500 to 500 miles of rail trans
portation. If MoOrhead could ship
wheat to Duluth at the same rate per
ton per mile that Fargo sends wheat to
Chicago, she would reach Duluth at an
expense of a fraction over 718c cents per
100 pounds. or about 4 ~ cents per bush
ell. The Chicago roads are interested
in receiving the traffic. The Minneap-
oils millerS are interested in having the
wheat flow by their mills. The Duluth
roads are content to take two prices on
their share of the traffic; it is better for
them than TO carry it all at a reasonable
rate, perhaps, at the cost of a railway
war. The wheat producer is the victim;
it costs him from 9 to 10 cents per buShel
to keep up the combination.
The railroad. the Minneapolis -four
maker and the elevator man will all
work tremendously. 1t is beautiful
scheme. The proceeds of four and one
half bushels of wheat will make a bar
rel of flour and some 40 to As cents worth
of bran and shorts. The barrel of flour
with the bran and shorts will purchase,
delivered at the mil, about six barrels of
wheat. Thus the jolly miller is happy.
Your executive committees met on
the 9th of May last at st. Paul, and
next day as body appeared before the
board of railway and warehouse COM
miSSiOnerS of this state. A complaint
was submitted to the commissioners
were being levied upon by the railway
to pay interest on nearly S100.0OO,00O of
fictitious capital. The commissioners
were reminded that the legisla-
ture had given them ample power
to suppress this gigantic fraud,
and were requested to take
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES for relieving the peO-
pie from payment of unreasonable rates
amounting in the aggregate to nearly
$4,000, 900 annually.
The board of rIlrOad and warehouse
commissioners have made no reply to
that complaint Whether they have
taken any action thereon or not we have
no means of knowing. We only know
that the people are still paying the
SS,000,000 dividends on water. 1t is a
matter of qualification. however, to
know that the commissioners have is
sued an order directing the Northern
Pacific to reduce their passenger rates
from to 3 cents per mile. and nave adj
viSed those travelling on that road to
tender the 3 cents and ii the agent of
the company refuses to accept the
amount rendered, pay 4. or get off and
walk; they can then sue that great cor
pOration. The time has come for Min
nesOta to 90 out
BY WAY OF LAKE SUPERIOR.
No clubbing together of powerful inter-
ests, no combination of capital can much
longer prevent the people from forcing
their way to the ocean by the route
which nature has created. 1t is time for
those in authority to act. Ample power
UCCH HC ilC Ndlt-
ing. Let there be freedom of traffic
throughout this state. If the board of
railway and warehouse commissioners
will make rate from MOrehead to Du-
luth based on the rates now existing
between Fargo and Chicago, that rate
Oh wheat including terminal will not
exceed cents per bushel-with this as
starting point let them make eQuita-
ble rates for the state at large. .--
Should the INSCRIPTIONS combination
which now so successfully plumbers
Minnesota dare to put up the rates on
Lake Superior beyond reasonable fig
ure (and that figure ought not to be more
than cent bushel higher from Du-
luth to Buffalo than from Chicago to the
same place., for every dollar too much
on the lakes, let the commission reduce
the rates west of Duluth an equal
amount. The times are ripe. Will the
commission act? Will the governor of
Minnesota use the great power of his
office for the equal protection of all the
state, and for the correction of abuses
which can only exist where the govern
ment is essentially bad, no matter what
its tOrmo