The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-01-21

Only u"derstesa bF Th.se Interested
in Zee me

A prounthet shipper yesterday pointed
cut the true Importance Of the 500
INES recent reduction In rates from
New York city aud New England
points. He holds that II thoroughly
committed the 500 TO Northwestern in
terests as opposed to the domineering
tactlcs or the trunk lines. Said he
But very few people Of the Twin Cities and
the Northwest have had occasion 10 give this
matter sufficient thought and investigation to
understand what IL all means. to appre-
ciate why railway traffic officers are 30
wrought up over the matter. The situation is
about as follows: While the larger part OF
our traffic to and from the East moves via the
Great Lakes during the season of navigation.
yet there Is, OF course quite volume OF
business that must be moved during the three
or four months that the lakes are closed
While the shippers of these cities have as a
rule, always secured just about what be-
Iohgeo TO them, nevertheless 1t has required
continued watchfulness and endeavor as the
transportation Interests always have and still
continue to try to impose conditions upon
business to this section that are far from be-
very unjust.
There are severab features or propositions
that require consideration but the one now
before the public bysreason Of the 500 lines
acCon is that OF rates from New York city
and the New England states. Let us see how
the transportation interests treat us as com
pared with other Larger distributing centerE.
me distance from the New England factories
to New Orleans, to ST. Louis and to the Twin
cities are practically the same. The first
CLASS rate OF freight from those New England
factories 10 New Orleans Is 70 cents per 100
pounds; from the same points to St. Louis
the rate is 81 cents per 400 pounds, f1rst-class
while the railways have insisted and still do
insist that the rate from those New England
factor rs to the Twin Cities must be 81 IS per
!GO pounds, or IS cents q hundred higher than
Tor the same service to New Orleans and 4S
cents higher than they charge for the same
service on goods moving through St Iouis
1T is not to the interests Of the trunk lines
operating along the shores Of the Great Lakes
nor OF the railways operating from Chica 60
into the Northwest nor of the iohbers located
at Chicago that we should be allowed to Sc
cure natural adjustment of the rates in this
sectlon The railways via Chicago or at least
those lines having branches radiating through
out the Northwest, propose as long as possible
10 Keep such an adjustment from being made.
The trunk line interests do not TINS oh
9ect 10 TAR and just rates into ST. Louis and
the southwest as ST. Louis and the South
west are too far away from the shores of the
Great Lakes to move much business via the
lake routes The Chicago Northwest rail-
ways and the Chicago jobbers do not object
10 lair and just rates into st: Louis and the
southwest, as ST. Louis is too far away to
prove a serious or troublesome competitor in
the Northwest and West Ing
The 500 line has finally decided to identify
ltselr thoroughly and completely with the in
terests Of the shippers of the Twin Cities and
the consumers. ofdthe Northwest and Though
great pressure has been brought to bear upon
tnem by the trunk and Chicago to- the North
west roads, yet they have at last cut loose
and declare 1t as their intention to hence
forth stand by the Twin Cities in the secur-
ing OF those rates to which we are entitled.
Stories are going the rounds that the Chi.
cago-to -the-Northwest roads will, if neces-
s say boycott the 500 line, that is, refuse to
interchange business with them cancel their
JOINT 10, through tariffs on lumber, grain, and
all other commodities. in order to enforce
them to continue party to discriminatory
rates into this section. 1t would seem as
though, If the Chicago roads are really 90
unfair, and opposed to the best interests of
this section, that it was time for the general
pubic to become posted in the premises In
olVldual roads or combinations of roads
whose aim and object it is to tear down and
do all in their power to handicap and iniure
these cities and the several interested states
snouIa be MADE known to the shipping and
travelling public.