The morning call., 1892-03-22
CALIFORNIA AND MINNESOTA.

Under natural conditions there could be
10 comparison between California and Min
nesota. In respect to soil and climate the
Pacific State is 50 far superior that a CON-
paT!s0n between the two States seems alb
sHrd. The variety Of our products and the
facility with which they are produced excite
tie wonder Of the people of the most Ia
v0Fei Eastern State. Minnesota, on the
ether hand. is one of the coolest States In
tie Union. Its industrial season Is short.
From November to May the Minnesota
farmer lives on what he can earn from May
to November. Early and late frOstS threaten
every years work. But, somehow, Mime
sofa gets along 1t attracts population aud
accommodates wealth. lis principal cities
are noted for their enterprise. Both Min
neap0ls and St. Paul are, with many nat
ural drawbacks, more Furnishing than San
Francisco. Neither can look forward to
tie future that lies plainly before San Fran
CISCO but just at the present time, owing to
local conditions, the Minnesota cities are
making the greater progress. An article in
Mondays CALL. making a comparison be-
tween the cost Of getting merchandise from
ST. Paul to points 300 miles distant and the
cost Of getting tie same class of merchan-
disc from San Francisco TO points 800 miles
distant tells the whole story. We find that
the San Francisco merchant has to pay
nearly double the freight rates that ara
charged the St. Paul merchant. The latter
thereby is enabled to deal with distances
that are closed against the San Francisco
merchants. The St. Paul merchant reaches
out until he meets the commercial forces of
another distributing point, while the San
Francisco merchant meets these forces al
most at his doors. Freight Is so large a part
Of the cost Of heavy products that the mer-
chant who has an advantage in this respect
takes the trade. The high freight rates
work both ways. 1t costs the interior pro-
Queer all his merchandise brings in the mar
ketto move it from the point Of production to
the point Of consumption. The blame for this
condition Of things lies partly with the
Southern Pacific Railroad Company and
partly with the Railroad Commission. The
Southern Pacific Company ought to have
considered the interests of the people in the
formation Of its policy. but as it did not the
Railroad Commission should have COM
lelled IL to Go so. Ia Minnesota they seem
II have elected Railroad Commit ssiOners
who did not 60 to the Office Of the Northern
Pacific Railroad Company for instructions.
In this State, since the new constitution
tAf-d4Eu lAc tbGlIlASSioDt TIE IdtifUd1 COM
pany has controlled it. 1t may be said that
that IS what the railroad company is in
politics for. Expensive az railroad COM
missions have undoubtedly been, it has been
cheaper for tie Southern Pacific to secure
control Of them than 10 submit to the con-
sequences of not having control. Possibly,
if the Railroad Commission had kept out Of
politics the rates of freight in this State
might iaUp haan fb.y IN,
sofa. The railroad company has, there
fore, made some millions for itself by cor
rupting our political conventions. The
commission. useless for ali the purposes for
which il was created, serves as a kind of
shelter for the railroad company to the
general complaint of high rates. The rail-
road company can say that they are such
rates as are allowed by the State Railroad
Commission. One lamentabls fact in the
case Is the unc0ncern of the Railroad Com
mission either TO the obligations it has
assumed or to the moral consequence Of not
having performed them. Admitting its utter
inefficieney, it whimpers when the lash of
public opinion Is invoked to stimulate it to
do its duty. II has apparently somehow
formed the impression that the commission
was created for the benefit of such men as
might succeed in obtaining positions upon
IT, There are two ways to break the power
Of the Southern Pacific Company. One is
to establish competitive lines, the other to
drive the company out OF politics. When
railroad money ceases to control conven-
tions and Legislatures there will be some
hope that we may elect Railroad Commits
sioners who will regulate rates. and courts
which win hold the railroad company
ampna hla fn lazy