St. Paul daily globe., 1896-03-03
WON THAT "Y" CASE
HANLEY FALLS SWITCHING CAsN
DECIDED IN FAVOR OF THE
PUBLIC.
GREAT SAVING TO FARMERS
WILL RE EFFECTED BY THE EN-
FORCEMENT OF THE NEW
PLAN,
"Y'S" AT EVERY CROSSING
Are mn Essential of Railroad Nam
agement if the Courts Sustain.
the Decision.

No decision of more Importance to
the farmers OF the state has been made
for several years than that which the
state railroad and warehouse oommls-
sioners have reached in the celebrat-
ed Hanley Falls case
The decision is In favor of the Pc
titioners and against the railroad COM
palies, and, while the case will no
doubt be carried into the courts by
the defeated corporations, the case has
an additional interest from the fact
that it is the first thing Of its kind
under the new law. This requires any
appeal to be made by the company in
the judicial district where the cause of
action originates, whereas under the
old law the company could make its
appeal IN any county where its road
runs.
This is believed to be far more ad-
VantageOuS ruling for the petition
ers, as it gives them a chance to hear
the case in the courts right at home.
Hanley Falls is at the junction Of
the Sioux Falls & Willmar branch of
the Great Northern and the Minneapo-
lis & St Louis roads. The people of
Lac Qui Parle county want "Y" put
in to connect the two tracks, and the
roads directed to transfer cars at that
point. This will give them a much low
er rate to Duluth and to Sioux Falls
and Southern points, as at present they
have to make shipments by the respec-
tive lines, which base their through
rates by way of the Twin Cities, a
roundabout route. The citizens Of
fered to furnish the land for the ''Y,
and the commission visited the place
to look over the ground and hear testi-
mony Assistant Attorney General
Edgerton, for the people, and Counsel
Booth, for the railroads, argued the
proposition, and the case was taken
under advisement by. the commission
with the above result.
The people of Lac qui Parle county
are stock raisers, and they claim that
they lose $50 on every car of cattle
shipped by reason Of the roundabout
haul and extra freight.
The law on the case is the Jacobson
''Y'' bill, chapter 81, of the General
Laws of 1895, as follows:
All common carriers subject to the provis-
Ions of this act shall provide at all points Of
connection, crossing or intersection at grace,
where it is practicable and necessary for the
interest of traffic, ample facilities by track
connections for transferring any cars in the
regular business Of their respective lines of
road from their lines or tracks to those of
any other common carrier whose lines or
tracks intersect their own, and shall provide
equal and reasonable facilities for the inter
change of cars and traffic between their
spective lines, and for the receiving, for
warding and delivering of passengers, prop
erty and cars to and from their several lines
and those of other common carriers connect
ing Herewith, and shall not discriminate in
their rates or charges between such connect
ing lines or on freight coming over such
lines
The decision applies not only to the
Hanley Falls crossing, but all others
in the state. The 500 at Paynesville,
the Milwaukee at Granite Falls and
other lines crossing the Sioux Falls &
Willmar are similarly affected. The
crossing at Wadena will also be in
volVed, and instead of having to get
the freight rate by the Great North
ern to Duluth, shippers can have their
consignments switched at Wadena and
sent direct to Duluth,a saving Of many
miles. Other crossings might be where
the new rule will be a great help to
limited orders.
Taken all in all, it will be an i'm
mense saving to the shippers Of GER
tain parts of the state.