St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-09-17
THE DISSEMINATION CUES


The tallest lying in the world is done
by figures, despite their proverbial rep
utation for yeracity; and it is very easy
TO compile whole pages of statistics
and make them tell story which
carries truth on its surface only as
cloak for falsehood within. A good
many of the interesting railroad freight
tables which the Minneapolis newspa-
pers have been publishing since the dis
elimination evil has been under debate
illustrate what can be done in this line.
OF course it is very wrong for the Great
Northern or the Milwaukee road to
charge the same, or even lower rate
for the transportation of grain from
various points on its route to Duluth
than it charges for similar services over
a much shorter distance with Minneap-
oils as the terminus. The Milwaukee
and the 500 line can not pretend with
any show of sincerity that Duluth is as
near the points which they touch in the
region south of Fargo as is Minneapolis,
If the measurement be made over their
own tracks. If they shoDld, they can be
at once confOunded with stately array
of figures which will betray the hollow
ness of their position. But supposing that
this is all true and that the interstate
commerce commission, having been ap-
pealed to, shall forbid the continuance
of this new schedule of rates, about
which so much complaint is made, what
good will it do Minneapolis? The Mil
waukee and the 500 road may submit
to the commissions ruling, and make
an additional charge for the distance be-
tween Minneapolis and Duluth. If they
do, the only result will be that they will
lose the Duluth business. The grain
VIII go TO Duluth in just the same vol
ume as it has all along; but, instead of
going partly over the Northern Pacific,
partly over the Great Northern, partly
over the Milwaukee and partly over the
500, it will be carried exclusively by
the Northern Pacific and the Great
Northern. There is a network of rail
roads in the district south of Fargo, and
the farmer, with the difference of only
few miles of hauling, has choice of
routes over which he may send his prod
uce to the market. This year there has
been very extraordinary demand for
wheat for foreign export because of the
shortage in Europe, and bigger prices
have prevailed at Duluth than at Min
neapolis because it is nearer the sea-
board. The Northern Pacific. tapping
the rich fields of Eastern Dakota, can,
without discrimination. land their grain
at the same rates at either Duluth or
Minneapolis. If the other roads want
to get any of the Duluth business, they
have to do the same thing, even though
some discrimination is necessary to ac-
cOmplish it. If this discrimination is
held to be illegal, the roads which are
making it will have to stop, and it is
quite clear that to do so will not help
them. 1t will not help Minneapolis
either, because the Northern Pacific will
continue to maintain its present rates.
1t will not hurt Duluth, either, because
the roads directly tributary to it are
equal to bringing in all the grain it can
handle. The statistics which the Min
neapolis newspapers have so carefully
compiled may therefore be quite accu-
rate, but at the same time prove moth
ing. There is no harm done to our
sister city by division of business
among several roads at a competitive
point, even though some of them violate
the long and short haul clause of the
national railroad law in the course of it.
They can either do this and handle part
OF the traffic, or they can refuse 10 do
it and handle none. The freight will be
hauled just the same. however, and their
loss will be gain to nobody except
their competitors, to whom they surren-
der the business.