Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1892-05-08

4 tunlty Tor It's Joint consideration.
At that tine resolution embodylne
your request was presented, and the
| reasons set forth in your memorial
were made generally known. Upon
the vote being taken the proposal VA!
negatived by large majority of all the
members, as also by the majority oil
each the eastern and western roads.
As your original request petitoned
| the roads IN this ASSOCIATION, II seems
proper that should indicate some OF
the leading reasons which led to thus
result:
FIrst-Your proposition being on be-
half of all industries at Grand Rapids,
| involved the same interests at other
points which compete with the same
Wisconsin territory and with your
factories as well.
| 1t - lS0 miles from Grand Rapids 10
| Chicago by the shortest line, but as q
| considerable portion of the traffic be-
/ tween the same points traverses routes
much longer the route via Fort Wayne
being 300 miles. tie proposed reduc'
ton will extend over many other
| points, both IL equity and under the
| operation of the law. For example, il
clearly involves Fort Wayne, which is
| nearer Chicago than Grand Rapids by
| thIrty-two miles. Ii may be safely
| stated, therefore. that the average DIS
| lance over which property taken from
| Grands Rapids passes Is at least pa
miles.
This is practically the same distance
as Toledo, which 10 23S miles.
wsuia Not he Gamers.
Inasmuch as Toledo and Detroit
| enjoy the same westward through rates
1t the present time on trans-Missourl
traffic the large reduction you seek al
| Grand Rapids would bring down not
| only Toledo in some proportion, but
Detroit would also be affected. The
| adoption OF your proposition is for the
| above reasons equivalent TO putting
about Chicago westward rates in a,
every point IN the state OF Indiana from
which our roads lead westward to and
through Chicago. IL your views were
conceded via Chicago we could not de
cline to issuo the came through rates
via tac east and west routes south OF
Chicago, representing shorter mileages
from many points to Mississippi and
| Missouri river towns than the routes
via Chicaso. This would promptly IN.
voive the concession you ask via Chi.
| cugo and equal or sherter ones on ship
ments Of the saInc articles from com.
| peung points of manufacture which
use routes leading through Peoria
Bloomington, Alton And East st. Louis
In a word, the average distance be.
tween the Mississippi river and Chicago
via all crossings beng approximately
200 Males and affecting. Is l have
shown, say, 225 miles additional east OF
Chicago. there would be no good reason
why any line from. q manufacturing
point which is. say, 425 miles from the
Misslssissippi river, should not be emit
| tied TO about the same rates. II mile
| age govern it would carry the rats
which you propose for Grand Rapids ~
far east a. Columbus, o., 426 miles from
East 81. Louis and involve Dayton
PI1ua, Lima, Richmond, Connersville
and many other points, as well as the
larger centers of Cincinnati, Louisville
| and Indianapolis. In other words, II
! rates from Grand Rapids were equal.
ized with Chicago your logic would re.
| quire that We as promptly equalize
| other points with yours, ~ we'll AS with
Wisconsin, and this would produce the
| widespread result which have briefly
| set fortn via many routes.
It would also doubtless induce claims
from the wveonsin points IN question
that II the rates wers equalized west-
wsrdly to Kansas City they should be
eguallzed eastwardIy to New York.
You would not be the gamers by this
reversal Of the principle.
Second-Your memorial indicates
| that the SPECIAL competition which you
desire equslizcd Is from Wisconsin and
| manufacturing points IN that state.
| THIS may be your strongest cempetI-
ton wesiwardly, but you have urgent
competitors IN Various industries At
many other points, south and east of
Grand Rapids. etc. III you require pro-
teet,ou against Wisconsin competition,
il must be clear that points IN Indiana
aud Ohio OF not greater distance than
yeu are, require the same protection
against Wisconsin. mere especially il
yon are placed IN position TO meet Wis
eonsin competition and they are not.
The basis upon which ysu have
doubtless coulectured the ability OF our
lines te eauallze Wisconsin points -
that SEINE Of the trsfflc from Wisconsin
passes through Chicago on It's way 10
trsns- Mississippi destinations. anu that
your slightly greater distance entities
Won TO about TIE same rates. This "a a
fact only true of the longest workable
routes from Wisconsin Via Chicago,
and not of the SPORT lines directly west
thersfrom. In other words. measured
by TIE short distance. say from osh-
kosh 10 Missouri river poInts. compared
with the distance from Grand Rapids
TO the same destinations, you have At
present az low rates per mile on your
manufactures az the manufacturers IN
wiscoBsn poiats, Milwaukee. oshko.h,
Racine. Mad seu. etc.
cssset -. Aseeptes.
Third on will realize that no ar.
rsnssment Of tire KIDD can be made
and BE equitable 20 all manufacturing
points VIA Chicsfo, uniess 10 al tae
Mls.ssipps river sent by all lines- II
could act % made with linlted
nu1tsr Of our ewn or WESTERN
reads Axsin, 4 Any hass ~sss 81 ths-
cago we're sling 70 secspt less ffem
easesss thsn farir prssent rstes ss .
proportional rate upsn trsme ffssa
tsfand kaeids. they shsnld, justice
60 sll tn@ Fo.as a tsss sssosl sses,
make corresponding reductions ~