New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1888-02-08

TIE COMMISSIONERS REroKr.

THE COMMISSIONERS REPORT
The Annual Report of the Minnesota Rail-
road Com1aission Discusses Questions of
Interest, Such as Free Transportation and
Appeals to the Courts
The annual report of the railroad and
warehouse commission of Minnesota is now
in press and was given out for publication
yesterday. The following extracts cover the
| most important points:
The amount of the taxes paid into the
state treasury for the year ending Dec 81
| 1886. was 1872, 236. 4S, an increase of $780,
1923 over. the previous year.
The number of passengers killed was z,
and the number injured 81; number Of en-
| ployes killed, 40; number injured, 46; total
| casualties 1876. #
! Total number of employees on all the lines
June 80, 1887, was 81 ,4S3, an increase of
| 1,13S over 1886
The total number Of passengers carried
during the year was S.141, 163, against:
| 6,323, 1873 in 1886 The average rate per
| mile was 2. 4S cents in 1887 and 2.7O cents
in 1856
| The total number of tons of freight car
RED In 1887 was 1 i, 150,3S2, against 8, 49,
| 66S for the previous year, and the average
| earning OH each ton was 81. 64 in 1887 and
! So. Oh in 1886 The average rate per ton
per mile in 1887 was 1.27 cents.
| THE STATE PASS SYSTEM
The Interstate commerce law prohibits
| praises and free transportation except to Of
tcers or employees The state act provides
/ that all charges made fol- any services
/ rendered in the transportation of passengers
/ and property shall be equal and reasonable
But SUCH law effectually utilities the bene-
ticient provisions by a proviso chat nothing
| in the provisions OF this act shall be con-
! strued to prevent common carriers from
| issuing passes for the free transportation of
Mi ~ Ho
pass system. The total abolition of the
system would add to the revenues of the
roads, and would increase the revenues the
state derives from the taxation OF the gross
earnings. "a ticket .entitling one to
! free passage by rail was often more
effective in enlisting the assistance and
support of the holder than its value in
money would have been, and in a great
many cases it would have been received and
availed of when the offer of money, made to
| accomplish the same end, would have been
| spurned Dribe 1t is the conviction of
! this commission that the issuing OF passes as
now practiced in this state is an unjust dis
elimination as against every passenger that
| pays, and is opposed to the spirit OF the act
passed for the regulation of common carriers;
that it is a frightful source of corruption;
that it is I'M urious alike to the public and
private interests OF the companies Them
| selves, and that it is one of the chief OBJ
stacles in the way of proper and neces-
4 control thereof under the authority of the
state.
COMPLAINTS.
In speaking OF the long and short haul
clause, the report recites the case OF the
Minneapolis & st. Louis road for relief, de-
cision being rendered by the commission
! against the company. The commission is Of
the opinion that it is not well to prohibit
common carriers from reducing rates at
will. The common carriers of the state so
| far ia m tho I,
shown themselves ready to comply with the
law which relates to The filing and pnb1ica-
| lions of tariffs In other material points
the commission finds that, in its general re-
Suits the operation OF the law has been
| favorable, both to the roads and the public.
In the matter of complaints it has been
found that. in the first instance, it is wise
and satisfactory policy to open CORE
spondence with the company with view to
adjust the matter complained Of The COM
| panies have been prompt in responding to
letters so addressed to them, and in very
many instances a satisfactory adjustment
| has been reached without further pro-
cedure. There are some cases. however,
which cannot thus be disposed of. Some of
the cases which have occupied the attention
OF the commission deserve a notice, such as
the order relating to the switching charges
| in Minneapolis, milk rates on the Iowa &
Minnesota division Ut the Omaha road, pas
senger rates on the Manitoba and Northern
Pacific, the complaint of the Mankato Job
/ bers' union as to rates on the Omaha from
Duluth to Mankato.
! ..t PASSENGER RATES. -
| Inc question or passenger rates in Mime
sofa received the consideration of the com
| mission in 1886, and an order was made
! that the maximum rate should not exceed
three cents per mile The Duluth &, Iron
Range was excepted from this order, as was
also the Manitoba and Northern Pacific. the
latter road having made a reduction in
freight rates. On Nov. 10, 1887, the COM
mission, after examining the annual report
OF the companies, issued an order requiring
the passenger rate on the Manitoba and
Northern Pacific to be placed at three cents
per mile The Manitoba appealed to the
district court OF Eamsey county and asked
the order to be set aside. A stay of proceed
lngs was granted, and the matter rests at
that point as regards the Manitoba. The
| Northern Pacific has neither obeyed the
order or appealed therefrom, it claiming
that being corporation created by an act
! OF congress it is not subject TO state reeula-
ton or control. But it will be time enough
to consider this latter point when the courts
have passed definitely upon the issues raised
by the Manitoba COMPANY. -. ....
STATE CONTROL AT ISSUE.
The appeals to federal and state courts,
| lnJunctlons, restraining orders and stays of
proceedings show the temper and disposition
| OF the railway managers of tho state with
reference to state control of common car
riers
Nearly every effort made by the commits
sion to assert the supremacy of the state has
been by an appeal TO the courts, and every
move with reference to rates, classification,
methods OF doing business with the public,
is resisted as an impertinence. The amounts
involved in the cases now in court against
| the companies are not large, and if decided
against the companies would make no per
ceptible decrease in their revenues Notably
is this true OF the order affecting milk rates
on the Iowa & Minnesota division of the
Milwaukee road. and Of the order affecting
/ passenger rates on the Manitoba and North
control and state legislation which is now at
| issue in the courts