The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-09-09
WINDY CITY, MERCHANTS BE-
LIEVED TGAHAyE INSPIRED
THE PROSECUTION
BEFORE THE us. GRAND JURY.
PROMINENT RAILROAD MAN EN-
PRESSES HIMSELF ON THE
QUESTION THAT WILL
COME UP FOR CONSIDERATION.
the Twin Cities and North
west.

The result of the work of ]. j. Mar
chand, the special attorney of the in
terstate commerce commission, will in
part be laid before the United States
grand jury in Minneapolis today. 1t
will probably not develop there why
the Twin Cities have been selected as
the mark of the interstate commerce
commission, when it is generally known
that sometimes and under some condi-
tions the jobbers of every city in the
country secure special rates. But
whether or not it does develop, it is gen
orally understood that the action has
been inspired by the Chicago merchants
and that it is intended as blow at the
jobbing interests of the Northwest.
The Chicago jobbers never overlook
an opportunity, it is claimed, to injure
the jobbing trade Of the Twin Cities
particularly, and Minnesota in general
When few weeks ago the st. Paul
and Minneapolis merchants secured
rates for the merchants excursions, the
Chicago people endevaored to prevent
it, and failing in that tried to have the
rates confined to the certain days al
lowed the Chicago people That, how
ever, was minor matter as compared
With this attempt to button UP the rail-
roads running to the Twin Cities so
tight that it would injure those who
have occasion to ship freight out of
Minnesota, as we'll as those who bring
In freight. prominent railroad man,
discussing the proposed prosecutions
yesterday. said
There are two sides to the story of the
proposed investigation regarding railroad
rates. Every one acknowledges that railroad
rates should be, far possible, uniform
but, 4bove all, should be reasonable. Sup
pose one road fees that they are not getting
enough of certain class Of business For
instance. grain, and while they do not feel
they feel that for a short time they can
afford to carry certain quantity of grain at
less than the agreed rates among all the
injured by this? Certainly not the United
states government. Net the railroad. For if
they were injured they would not do it. Ger
tainly not the shipper or producer. What
ever benefits may be derived go into the
hands of the farmer, because the lower the
freight rate the higher the price the buyer
can afford to pay for the wheat. The same
thing applies to merchandise or any other
commodity. The consumer reaps the benefit
of any low rates
lone thing appears very strange. That is,
why the Northwest should be selected as
scapegoat Of the entire situation. 1 know the
situation here has not been nearly SO bad as
in Chicago, Milwaukee Detroit, Kansas City,
St. Louis. Omaha or any of the other ship
ping or distributing centerS
3 & 1T looks very much as if the Chicago grain
shippers and merchants, dissatisfied with the
competition of the Twin Cities and feeling
their inability to compete, have set this in
vestigation on foot. 1t would be a hard
proposition to ask any. grand jury in ltais
community to conyictiiany neybecausee they
were making an effort to build up the state
and the community, and to put the condition
of producers, consumers and others on an
equality with the other markets.
A st. Paul jobber was also heard to
criticise what he, with many others,
thinks is the work indirectly OF the
Chicago business men to kill off bust
ness competition in the Northwest.
at may happen sometimes" said he, chat
a road will give us certain concessions in the
matter of rates. The conditions may warrant
it. If we are allowed something of the kind
the people profit by it. We certainly sell
goods cheaper proportionately as the cost of
getting the goods to St. Paul is essened. If
we can sell goods little cheaper to our GUS
toners they can sell them cheaper to the con-
sumner, and any profit that comes is shared
by them an who does business with the re-
taller of the Northwest If the farmer can
manage to secure little better rate some
times he certainly Is benefited, and nobody
is hurt
LAS matter of fact, merchants in every
city in the country looking for the best
rate they can get. as well as they are for the
best place to purchase their goods. And
has helped the business of the Twin City
jobbers. 1t is necessity, almost few
weeks ago the jobbers of st. Paul went be-
fore the board of equalization with protest
against the increased valuation placed on
their stocks The board after considering the
matter and hearing the arguments of the job
bers made a reduction. Now, everybody
knows that the valuations as agreed upon are
much below the actual value of the stock.
But if the assessment were made on the act
nal value of the property of the jobbers it
would result in killing off the wholesale bust
ness, not only in St Paul, but in every city
where such course were pursued in the mat
ter of taxation. The jobbing trade could not
caIly the case with regard to published freight
rates AS long as every other. important
shipping point In the country and especially
those that do business in our territory, re-
cefves such concessions, and most of them
are favored far more extensively than the
Twin Cities, it would be an extraordinary
proceeding to punish ourselves for their bene-
ft'