St. Paul daily globe., 1891-03-27
IN THIS THEY DIFFER.
Mr. Searle Explains the Diff
ference Between the Two
Railroad Bills,
Placing His Opposition to the
Cupriep Bill in a New
Light.
Nearly One Hundred New Bills
Introduced in the
House.
Temperance Bills Receive a
Setback by a Large Ma
jority of Members.

The merry warfare over railroad leg
is!ation in the house was not resumed
yesterday. but is expected to be taken
up again to-day. A vast amount of in
terest is centered around the Currier
substitute for the much-talked-of House
File Is, as we'll as the Searle substitute,
and considerable doubt exists as to the
vital difference between the two bills.
This did not come out clearly in the
discussion inaugurated Wednesday, nor
was the position of the opposition to
Mr.. Curriers' bill at all lucidly set forth.
Hon. T. T. Searle. the st. Cloud states
man, while enjoying a choice Havana
i'll one of the cloak rooms in the house
Yesterday afternoon, undertook TO fur
nish the GLOBE with complete state
ment of his side of his side of the QueS-
ton. He said:
The substitute presented by me, represent
ing the views of a majority or the railroad
committee. does not prohibit distance
tariff" nor do its supporters oppose dis
tauce tariff. 1t does not alter the present
law. which requires to be fixed and published
classification of freightS' in force upon
each of the railroad lines, distance tariff
and table of interstation distances; also. a
separate statement of terminal charges
and any rules or regulations which in any
wise change. affect or determine any part of
the aggregate OF the aforesaid rates, fares
charges" Mr.. Curriers' substitute does not
change this section except to add this SEN
tence: such schedules shall also contain
copies of any and all terminal and commod-
ity tariffs in force upon the lines OF such rail
road within the state, which tariffs shall con-
form to the
Distance Tariff
lines Of said railroad" This new provision
i'll the language here quoted is not found in
the law of any state nor in the interstate
commmerCe law. The majority of the rail
way committee construe this language to
mean that all terminal tariffs shall conform
10 the distance tariff, and that the effect
would be to abolish the terminal tariff We
believe that the interests of the outside towns
having competing roads of different lengths.
and the agricultural districts of our states
are best subServed by the terminal tariff
from any market to the terminal market, re-
gArdiess of what the distance tariff may be
between stations, so long as the provisions
OF section of our present law IS III force.
winch prohibits greater charge tor Snorer
than for a longer distance the shorter being
included within the longer and with full
power lodged i'll our commissioners and
courts TO regulate or prohibit determinations.
We believe that the provisions would abso-
lutely
Destroy Competition
between roads. 1t is said that the Currier
provision above quoted is the principle of the
Iowa law. I his is by no means certain. as
the above language, which is entirely dl fer
ent from that contained in the Iowa law, has
never been construed. But if it is, cannot
forbear to quote from the 1890 report of Kan
sas railroad commissioners, where they have,
like our own state, both a terminal and
distance tariff, ana where they were evidently
asked to adopt the Iowa rates. They say:
The local rates differ in all the states.
They are adapted to the condition of trade
and traffic existing in each state. 1t has been
asserted by several persons who appear 10
possess no information on the subject, and
To whom. unfortunately, authentic informa-
ton is peculiarly offensive, that the condi-
lions existing in the states of Iowa and Kan
sas are SO exactly similar that distance
tariff adopted in that state furnishes cri-
terion of what would be reasonable III this
In iowa the local distance tariff is lower
than il is in any other state, and it has been
the subject of long legal conflict. Whether
II is just ana reasonable, as applied to Iowa,
we are not called upon to express an opinion.
That the conditions existing in the two
states are
Widely Dissimilar
Is matter OF public record
They then give at length reasons relative
to population. amount of tonnage per mile,
etc. which are equally applicable to this
state. They then proceed:
w hat the people living in the agricultural
states of the West are chiefly interested i'll is
low rates to points where the great bulk of
the surplus products must go to find market
for consumption. There the prices are fixed.
Rates OF charges for transportation to in
termediate points do not affect prices to the
producer. but the cost to the consumer. The
rate per ton per mile charged on grain from
points in Kansas to Chicago and eastern mar
ketS is less then the rate from Iowa points to
the sam m lrlet.
What is the reason that the freight from
Kansas points 10 Chicago, which must pass
through the great states of either Iowa Or
Missouri are less than from Iowa points. sew
eral hundred miles nearer the terminal. I'M
less the distance tariff i'll Iowa compelS the
railroads to establish higher terminal rates
And does ihiS not explain why, notwithstand-
ing That the distance tariff i'll Iowa gives a
lower rate in some instances between local
stations than in this state the terminal rate
Tor the same distance and the average rate
per ton per mile is higher. Rem ember that
our present law permits
Our Commissioners
to make the rates Mr. Currier contends for,
but does not compel them to. 1t is left 10
the discretion of the commissioners. With
the exception of provision i'll Mr.. Currier S
substitute abOllshing passes, which the
house has already rejected in 4 separate bill,
the other provisions of Mr. Curriers' bill, and
all of the provisions of my own. relate solely
10 procedure before the railway commission
and the courts to fix. regulate and enforce
the provisions of the law. and affording a
right of appeal TO the district court denied
by the old law, and for which defect it was
held unconstitutional.
Those best Informed in the matter outside
of railroad circles largely agree that we now
have on on our statute books one of the best,
If not the best railroad laws of any state in
the Union, and that all that is necessary is to
provide efectual means TO apply and en-
force il.