The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1893-10-11
AN IMPORTANT
MOVEMENT.
An Attempt to Reduce Railroad
Rates on Wheat, etc.
To be Argued Before the State
Commissioners.

Commissioners.
l have received the following let
ter, from one of the leading lawyers
of this state:
HON. IGNATIUS DONNELLY.
President State Farmers Alliance,
St. Paul, MINI.
DEAR SIR:-Enclosed please find
copy of complaint which was filed yes
terday with the railroad and ware
house commission at St. Paul.
] am advised by the secretary Of
the commission that the complaint
will at once be served upon the Great
Northern Railway Co., and that pur-
suant to chapter 10, Sec. 13, general
laws of 1887 as amended by chapter
1O6, Gen. laws 1891, said company
will be given ten days in which to
satisfy the complaint, and if COM
plaint is not satisfied within said
time hearing will be ordered at any
time after ten days notice that may
be agreed upon or fixed by the COM
mission.
In the event of the failure of the
company to satisfy or comply with
UlIC vi UIlC dIlu d
consequent hearing, we desire your
cooperation in every way in order
that we may make out as strong a
case for the grain growers and pro-
ducerS of this section of the state as
possible.
Please advise me at your earliest
convenience, whether you are willing
to cooperate with us in this matter
Yours espectfully,
H. STEVENSON.
The complaint is as follows:
STATE OF MINNESOTA
Railroad & Warehouse Commission.
ELIAS STEENERsON
VS.
The Great Northern Railway Co.
The complaint of Elias Steenerson
respectfully shows to the Railroad
and Warehouse Commission of the
State of Minnesota:
1st. That the plaintiff is resident
of Polk county in said state, and is
and has been for more than ten years
last past engaged in farming in said
county, and has raised wheat, oats
and barley and other grain for ex-
port and has been engaged in ship
ping such grain for himself and 9TH
ers over defendants line of railway
from the stations of CroOkstOn, Fisher
and East Grand Forks in said county
to the terminal points at MINES
apolis and Duluth in Minnesota.
End. That the defendant is and fof
more than three years last past has
been corporation owning and operatr
ing a system of railroads known as
"The Great Northern System" and
is and has been engaged in the busi-
ness of a common carrier of freight
and passengers between said stations
in said county of Polk and said ter
minal points, an average distance of
three hundred miles.
3rd. That by it's tariff No. 25O as
amended March Goth, 1893, of charges
for transporting wheat, oats, bar
ley and other grain, and the mill proc
ducts Of such grain, the charges for
transporting such freight between
terminal points in car load lots is
per hundred pounds for such freight,
and between Fisher and East Grand
Forks and said terminal points at
seventeen cents per hundred pounds.
Attn. That said tariff of freight
charges is unjust and unreasonable,
in this, that said charges are at least
one-third too high.
That the same ought to be and
should be reduced at least one-third,
or thirty-three and one-third per
cent.
That during the last three years
said charges have been substantially
the same upon defendants line Of
railroad, and during that time wheat
and other grains aforesaid and their
products have decreased in value
about one-half, or fifty per cent, and
all labor nearly in proportion.
That the labor cost of operating de-
fendant'S line of railroad, has been
reduced from twenty to forty per
cent of what it was three or four
years ago and the cost or value of de-
fendant's railroad and equipment
has, as atfiant is Informed and verify
believes, decreased more than twen-
ty per cent.
That considering the length of line
between said station in Polk county
and said terminals and the increaS-
ing volume of business, the said
charges are not only unreaSOnably
high but are unequal and unjust as
compared with the average charge
for freight by railroads in this state
under similar circumstances as to
conditions as to cost and carriage.
5th. That said complainant brings
this action in his own behalf and in
behalf of those similarly situated in
said county of Polk, and the coun-
ties of Marshall and Kittson in said
state, and he asks that charges for
transportation of wheat and other
grains aud the mill products thereof
mentioned in said tariff between
said points may be reduced to and
fixed at twelve cents per hundred
pounds between CroOkstOn aforesaid
and either of said terminal points
and between other stations on said
railway and said terminals in pro-
portion or. at such rate as to this
honorable commission may be reason
able and Just. HI. STEVENSON,
Attorney for Plaintiff,
CrOokston, Mimi.
(SwOrn to before e. M. Stanton,
Notary Public).
This &c q vorv imnOrtont noovo