Little Falls weekly transcript. (Little Falls, Morrison Co., Minn.) 1894-19??, 1895-06-21
RAILROAD FREIGHTS.
DOES ENGLAND REGULATE tAMERI-
CAN ROAD CHARGEsi VI

4 Rates on Foreign Products Cheaper Than
Given to Home Goods-special Favors
mi and Concessions to British Shippers.
D Disgraceful Discrimination.
Xxx We hope that it will never again b.
necessary to refer to the fact that Amer
lean railroads discriminate in their
freight rates in favor Of foreign goods.
We find, however, from Tin and Terne,
that "the condition is now as bad as it
was last year., ;" although there was some
improvement in the situation after the
action Of the trunk lines last January.
Tin plate is not the only article Of
American manufacture that it has dis
eliminated against. In this case, as we
have previously pointed out, the manu-
facturers of Pittsburg, when selling in
markets not far west, have to compete
with Welsh tin plate that is laid down
there at lower rate Of freight from
New York or Baltimore than the Amer
lean plate pays when shipped from Pitts
burg to the Same point.
The American manufacturers do not
ask the railroads to reduce the rates on
American plate, but they do ask for fair
3ess, honesty and justice. 1t is dis
grace to our entire railroad system that
American manufacturers and producers
should have any cause for complaint
whatever. Our railroads have during the
past two years felt very severely the ef-
feet of the inauguration Of the system OF
free trade 1t has crippled their business,
made very many lines insolvent and stop
ped very many more from paying divi-
dends.
Every railroad president and official
in this country knows perfectly we'll
that a policy which will build up our
country is a good policy for the rail
roads. If the presidents Of the roads are
mere fgureheads, controlled by and sub
servient to English interests, the Ameri-
can people should know it, and nothing
will more effectually hasten movement
toward the government control Of Amer
Jean railroads than the despicable treat
ment which the officials Of our roads are
now according to American producers
and to American enterprise. They ought
to be thoroughly ashamed Of themselves.
Under their charter the English rail-
roads are compelled to carry freight for
export at lower rates than are charged
ON similar goods consumed at home. 1t
is bad enough for our manufacturers to
be compelled to meet this item of COM
petition without the addition Of special
favoritism also shown to the English
manufacturers by the presidents Of
American railroad systems. If Europeans
own our roads and can fix our freight
rates to suit themselves, let us know it:
Let American labor, American industries
and American producers be brought face
to face with their enemies. The low tar
if is bad enough, but the condition OF
low freight rates for foreign goods mako
matters worse. It looks very much as If
English control extended not only
throughout the White House, but also
into the private offices Of the presidents
of American railroads, so called. Let MS
see if our railroad presidents yet have
any Americanism, or if they are the mere
advocates, supporters and tools Of the free
trade party in it's policy Of destruction
to everything American.