St. Paul daily globe., 1892-05-28


Mr. Dodge was recalled to disslpate
that idea. He said that he looked
upon rs cents a hundred as too
much because it was not prOportionate
to the rates charged on Chicago roads.
Taking the 1915 cents rate TO Chicago
for an assumed 400 miles as just rate,
the average per ton per mile at that rate
being 6.5 mills, the rate to Duluth
should be only little over mills per
ton per mile. Ii the present rate 10
| Chicago OF 10 cents hundred be just
rate, the rate to Duluth should be only
| 3.S mills per ton per mile. Chicago is
400 miles away while Duluth is but $50.
Mr.. Dodge also testified that the ter
minals of the Duluth road at Duluth are
generally supposed to have been given
to the road by the citizens of Duluth.
Then the examination turned INTO
the question of the cost of handling
flour at Duluth. Manager Plough had
testified that it cost about 10 cents ton
to handle flour at Duluth. Mr.. Dodge
said that while he was managing the
traffic of the Duluth road l3 cents ton
| on flour for handling il at the terminal
point was considered high rate. 1t
seldom ran over that. He was familiar
with the Eastern Minnesota terminals
| at West Superior. which are similar TO
those of the st. Pau IL Duluth at Du-
lutiI. The general manager of the
Eastern Minnesota told Mr.. Dodge that
the average cost of handling general
merchandise at West Superior is about
| IL cents ton. 1t costs less to handle
| flour than to handle general merchan-
disc.
The railroad attorneys tried to draw
| out of Mr.. Dodge an admission that he
is in the employ of the millerS of Min
neapOls in looking up these rate mat
ters. Attorney Brown said he wanted
the record TO show his explanation that
he and he alone employed MIR. Dodge.
With the close of Dodge's testimony,
| the cOmp!ainantS rested their case. At
| tOrney Hanson, for the railroads, said
| that the roads were not ready to offer
| any testimony at this time. So much
| statistical evidence had been submitted
by the chamber of commerce that the
roads must have time TO look it over.
| They would wait until the reporter had
| had time to write up the evidence. Then
| the railroad attorneys would go over 1t
and prepare their defense, submitting
| their evidence in the form of depOSi-
tions.
Hugh Ryan, for the Milwaukee cham
| Der of commerce, explained that his
| clients had nothing to do with that feat
| ure of the case relating to reduction
of wheat rates from the country to Min
neapolis and the making of them equal
| to the Duluth rates. Ii he were 10 de-
eide, he would say that Minneapolis
was being Disseminated against in this
particular, But his clients were WORK
| ing to prevent the reduction of rates on
flour between Minneapolis and Duluth.
Milwaukee has large milling Industries
now, and she stands on an equal footing
with Minneapolis. The reduction Of
these rates to Duluth wonld give Min
neapoliS an advantage over Milwaukee.
Railroads Not Ready.
Brown, the round little attorney from
Washington who has been handling this
case for the milers. just threw himself
when it came his time TO speak. He
laShed the railroads numerically. They
were simply sreking delay in order to
still iui ther cripple the millers.
Il was told in Chicago, while on my
way here" said Mr.. Brown, "by the
president OF one of the corporations in
terested here, that the railrO ads were
re ldy for trial. Since | arrived. have
ueen told the same thing here at the
hotel. Now they offer the plea that we
have submitted mass of statistical evil
dence that they must have time 10 look
over befofe they can offer their side
of the case. There is no statis-
tical evidence there that has not been
complied from their own rate sheets.
They certainly should know their own
rates and distance tariffs. They do not
have to sit up nights to find out abo t
them. But so far as | am concerned
am willing TO throw all that statistical
evidence out of the doors and into the
streets if by so doing this case can 90
on. We came here prepared for
trial, and we want trial. This is a
question of vital importance to the busi-
ness interests of this city. We can as
well accept dismissal as delay. The
policy of the railroads is simply to delay
the settlement of the case until after the
next crop movement. l hey say they
have not had time enough to prepare
their case. These rates were in exist
ence eighteen months ago. There has
been continual complaint about
them ever since. and they
have been the subject of cOnfer-
ences ever since. The complaint
was fled elaSt January, and the opp0s-
ing attorneys have had all the time
since then to prepare for trial. There
is Just one question involved III this
case. Either these rates are right, or
they are wrong. If they are right now,
they were right over year ago, and the
railroads should be able, at a moments
notice. to 90 into court and establish
that they are right. Ever since this
hearing began the question of a COM
promise has been trembling in the bal
ance. Railroad men SAID that if
& half dozen men could have sat down
at a table and kept faith with one an
other this commission need never have
been appealed to. But the railroads
that are opposed to compromise are
opposed to a trial and they are resorting
to these tactics TO delay the final deci-
sion. | am violating no confidence when
| say that l have been threatened that
if this case goes against the railroads
we will be dragged through the courts
for years"
No Immediate Settlement.
Mr. Brown said lot more that was
strong against the railroads. During his
argument fOrimmediate hearing he made
some unfortunate alluSiOnS to his former
experience before the interstate COM
meTce commission and to the cases he
had won, after preparing them at short
counter OH him effectually. Attorney
Bullitt, for the Northern Pacific, made
some exceedingly sarcastic remarks
which had little weight other than over
drawn sarcasm.
Col. Morrison explained, in reply to
Browns impassioned appeal for an i'm
mediate hearing, that there was not
! quorum of the committee present, and
tlat, therefore, the case could not be
pushed to the end i'll spite of the rail-
roads. He had hoped, however, that
the railroads would have all of their
evidence ready 10 present here in
Minneapolis, and was disappointed to
| find such was not the case. All
| that could be done under the circum-
stances was to adjourn to Washington
and fix the final hearing for an early
day. Under the circumstances, this
was the best that could be done. The
railroads will probably be ordered TO
present their evidence next week in
! Washington.
There is no prospect of the case being
decided soon enough for the millers to
secure any relief from the decision III
connection with the marketing of the