The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1896-09-08

the often needless expansion of captaliza-
tion; and above all. excessive competition.
which by subsequent combination enforces
freight rate so exhaustive OF profit alike to
producer and miller almost to compel
them to forever dwell in the regions OF de-
spair.
bilities comes the atrocious transfer tribute
levied in Buffalo, the little end of the great
est Of cornucopias. To this is added again the
terrible exactions OF lighterage in New York,
the chief port of the country, where alone is
assembled tonnage competent to transfer
the products of a continent to the markets of
the world 1t was in reference to the exces-
that It was said by Sir William Van Horne
that he could move barrel of -four from
the dock OF Montreal to the dock in London
Tor less than II cost to handle it in the har-
Dor of New York. Sir William is good au-
thority. for he is giant in transportation.
a wonderful combination of courage and
ability, and Minneapolis Is fortunate In the
possession Of representative of that great
man, second only to his great chief whose
comprehension OF your needs is quite as
complete in the person of one Fred B. I'm
derwood. The combined exaction of Buffalo
and New York. which like the tribute levied
by the robbers of the Rhine, costs the prod
ucts of the country from $12 to 500 per car,
is so excessive as not to be equaled for SIM
liar service in the wide world.
THE RATES FAVOR WHEAT.
"But II straw were needed to break the
camel's back it is added to the hard fate
or the miller by the universal discrimination
in railway freight rates in favor Of wheat
and against -four. The double nay the
treble cost of transportation of the finished
product of our mills, as compared with the
cost of transportation of the raw material
of wheat to feed the mills OF Great Britain
Holland Belgium and France to compete
with your -four In those markets, is high
crime and misdemeanor against enterprise
exhibited in your great milling structures;
against investment and against your prosper
ity that no longer ought to be tolerated if it
were possible to punish 1t or otherwise pre-
If for this long catalogue OF disabilities
from which the producer and the miller were
suffering, there was possibility of relief
and remedy, he who had the great good for
tune to propose it surely had ground for con-
graduation that distinguished an assem-
bly, afforded him this opportunity. 1t was
sufficient to atone for numerous buffetings of
1ll-fortune. which in recent years he had ex-
perienced, TO be met in such kindly spirit
even for the purpose of presenting his plan
for remedy of so great a wrong, if Moth
ing further flowed from it.
Proceeding to elucidate the particu-
lars of the proposal, Mr.. Wiman said it
was apparent that the millers and
shippers of the Northwest had great
advantage in the magnificent system
of internal navigation afforded by the
great lakes. This provision of Provi-
dence, penetrating from the sea to the
center of the continent, had long ago
been supplemented by the great state
of New York in the creation of the
Erie canal, the greatest artificial wa
ter-Way of the world. This 500 miles Of
interior water communication, by the
tolls once levied upon it, had not only
entirely paid back to the state the
original cost of 10000, 900, but had
yielded a profit approaching an addi-
tional 500, 200, 900, which being INJECTED
in the funds of the commonwealth,
provided a sum sufficient to perpet-
ually maintain the canal, and forever
make 1t as free as the lakes that enter
into it, and the mighty Hudson into
which 1t empties. In addition to this
munifcence and favorable condition of
affairs, direct vote of the people
last year had appropriated $9,000,000
more for the deepening Of this canal
it's entire length to a uniform depth
of nine feet, thereby increasing it's ca
pacity so per cent.
Thus, for the benefit Of the North
west, was created by the sister COM
monwealth Of New York, an all-water-
route unequaled in the world for
economy in transportation. It was
to ask the nillers and shippers of the
country to take advantage Of this large
public expenditure that the speaker
appeared before them. Surprise might
we'll be expressed that at this late date
it was necessary to invite those who
ccrtrol volume of commerce so vast
and whose profits were In such peril,
to avail themselves of a facility so
free, so economical and which, by
proper system and organization, they
themselves can perpetually control for
their perfect service.