Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1888-07-12
Wisconsin Railroad Rates.
The following letter explains it

MILWAUKEE, june 10, 1000.
The Hon. Alley Peterson, Rail
road Commissioner of the State of
Wisconsin.-DEAR SIR; I have
read your finding in the case of
the Chamber Of Commerce of the
city of Milwaukee VS.. the Chicago,
Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway
company ct al, decided June IL,
1888, with much interest, and
while | do not desire to offer any
opinion upon the finding, I cannot
refrain from expressing my sur
prise at the following statement in
cidentally made by you in the
opinion rendered:
The course adopted by all of my pre-
decessors, Of trying to settle all com
plants brought before this department
without recourse to the courts, has been
amply indicated by the good results
which has followed, in securing to the
people of Wisconsin as good rates as in
any part of the West.
This statement is SO at variance
with the actual facts as to the rates
of freight that have prevailed in
this state as compared with those
in other parts Of the West during
the past fifteen years, that it indi-
Gates either a want of acquaintance
with the subject, which can hardly
be excused in an incumbent who
has held the office of railroad com
missioner of the state for nearly
two years, or, a disposition to
maintain preconceived theory
without regard to the facts. Your
immediate predecessor in office,
the Hon. n. 2. Haugen, made the
following statement in the summer
of 1885 to the u. S. senate select
committee on interstate commerce:
Railroad men and those who antago-
nize railroad legislation on the s'let well
enough alone" idea, are in the habit of
referring to the general reduction in
freight rates in support of the theory of
non-interference, claiming that compe-
titiop will correct all evils. The average
rate per ton per mile on the two lead
ing lines Ii this state has, for series of
years, been as follows:
Here follows a table giving the
rates per ton per mile received by
the two principal companies of
this state for the transportation of
freight every year from 1871 to
1884, showing reduction in the
average rate from 2.43 cents in
1872 to 1856 cents in 1884 on the
Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul
railway, and from 2.6I cents in
1872 to I.29 cents in 1884 on the
Chicago & Northwestern railway,
during the period, being a reduc-
ton OF ~ per cent. in the case Of
the former and 50 per cent. in the
case Of the latter. Mr.. Haugen
adds:
That the above reduction is brought
about largely by the low through rate is
evident from the fact that in many in
stances the rates to local points are to-
day just the same as the rates establish
ed under the tariff of June Is, 1872, re-
ferred to before your committee at St.
Paul. Madison, the state capital, is 81
notable example. The rate to this point
from Milwaukee or Chicago on first
class goods is now 80 cents per hundred
the same as in 1872.
It seems somewhat remarkable
that this statement; made by your
predecessor on an occasion that
attracted general public attention,
should not have come to your
cognizance. Rates of freight dur
ing the period referred to had been
reduced on local traffic in the state
of Illinois about 40 per cent. and
in other Western states, excepting
Wisconsin, in about the same
ratio, The average rate per ton
per mile received by the six
principal railroads extending West
from Chicago, as shown by their
annual reports, declined from IS
cents in 1872 to LIS cents in 1884
a reduction of 81 per cent. on
through and local business COM
bined. While this reduction was
going on, the average reduction
made in rates between points in
Wisconsin and Milwaukee and
Chicago by the two principal
railroads doing business in the
state, was fraction less than 10
per cent.
During the last session of the
legislature of this state, furnished
members of the legislature with
tabular statements, showing first
the rates then in force on all
classes of freight to or from Mil
waukee and points in Wisconsin
on the two principal railroads in
in the state, as compared with the
maximum rates established by the
railroad commissioners, of the
state of Illinois for corresponding
distances IN that state, then in force,