The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1891-07-24
COMPLAINTS MADE.
The Attention of the Railroad Com
misSiOners Called to Evident
Violations of the Law.

Judge John 2. Williams, of Fergus
Falls, and Gen. Geo. D. Becker and
VIM. M. Legget, of ST. Paul, with
Secretary HI. r. Teasburg, of st. Paul,
arrived in the city Thursday noon. In
the afternoon they were met at the
Board of Trade room by the Alliance
committee appointed for the purpose,
Gen. j. III. Baker, f. M. Currier, and
John Diamond, and Gen. E. M. Pope,
who had been added to the commit
tee The meeting was pleasant one,
at first formal, but soon resolving it.
self into an informal one.
Gen. Baker at $50 o'clock, arose
and explained the nature of,the meet
ing, and said that the committee was
there to present the facts as they ap-
pear to the agricultural interests of
the county. The committee had had
several meetings and thought that it
had real grievance to present. and if
so it expected prompt remedy. 1t
had been left with Gen. E. M. Pope to
present the case.
The latter then stated that there
appeared to be some things which
ought not to be, though he had al
ways found IL easier to criticise than
correct. The freight question has re-
solved itself into question of the
difference in distances from Lake Su-
perior and Lake Michigan to Southern
Minnesota. We are 235 miles from
Duluth, and 430 miles from Chicago.
What we want, We'll have, and never
will stop until we get, is recognition
of this fact. Combinations of Chicago
roads prevent the north and south
lines from making such rates to Du-
luth as they would like. / have here
tariff upon lime for export. The
rate from Chicago and other points,
including Oshkosh, Wis, to Lewiston,
Mimi, is 13 cents. From Chicago to
Lewiston, the distance is 316 miles,
from Mankato to L. it is 113 miles.
West of Lake Benton, the rate comes
under the distance tariff. From Chica-
go to WaSeca the rate is IA cents.
From Red Wing to Howard the rate
is 10 cent, the distance being 104 miles;
the rate from Mankato, GA miles away,
is also 10 cents. A number of similar
examples were cited, to show that
there are many industries in this city
which are affected. One of these is
the stone industry, but if the stone
men are not interested in it, the
speaker said that he didn't know that
he was. If a reasonable coal rate
would be made it would be of vast
benefit to this country. The rate now
is 81 80 per ton from Duluth to ST.
Paul, which is the same rate as upon
wheat. Coal and wheat rates which
should be the lowest, are up to the
average, and claim have high rate.
The rate to Mankato on coal is 1915,
the distance from Duluth to St. Paul
being $50 miles, and that to Mankato
being S. miles further. The Illinois
rate on hard coal from Duluth to St.
Paul, is $1.15, and the Iowa rate S1.70.
From Duluth to Mountain Lake the
rate is $500, and from Duluth to Om-
aha it is also 1920. The country from
Duluth to Mountain Lake must, it is
patent, pay the share of the country
south of Mountain Lake. According
to the Ill. tariff, the additional rate
for s. mics should be As cents, the
Iowa rate Al cents, and the MINI. rate
50 cents, instead of S1.25. Waseca
gets rate for roundabout route 5
cents less than Mankato. Coal comes
to Mankato at 1915, while in all other
directions, and even to Marietta, 331
miles from Duluth, the last, station
west on the M. & St. L., the rate is $3.50.
Red Wing and Albert Lea have a rate
25 cents lower than Mankato, and FL
roy has a So rate, though 80 or 40 miles
further than we. Other towns men
toned secure a rate cents less than
Mankato.
On grain, the rate from Mankato to
Chicago is 20 cents, while fromWinona
it is only 10 cents. The rate from New
Ulm, Tracy and Sleepy Eye is less
than from Mankato. In fact, mo station
in Minnesota on the G. & NV. road
pays such a rate per ton per mile as
Mankato, being $50 mills. The rate
to GAINESVILLE is but II cents.
All the roads in the State of Illinois
are working at less than the Ill. rate,
while kere we are so per cent. above
it. The rate from St. Paul to Kasson,
GA miles further, is cent less. The
M. 81 St. L. makes a rate to Water
vile, 65 miles, at cents, Albert Lea,
10S miles, II cents, Mankato 1913 miles
III cents. From Minneapolis to Red
Wing the rate is cents. The rate
to Dodge Center, GA miles east of US,
is II cents: and to New Ulm IL cents.
The rate from st. Paul to Lake Su-
perior, $50 miles, is TIC. The III. rate
would be 101, the Iowa 81. The Mimi.
rate from Duluth to Mankato is III.
The reduction of the tariff from St.
pa1ll IN MankatO is if seems to me,