The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1897-12-17
FREIGHT RATES.
SHIPPERS DISSATISFIED WITH
PRESENT ARRANGEMENTS.
Board of Trade Would Have MankatO a
Terminal Point, Which its Import
anCe Warrants.

Mankato will become terminal
point next year. if the railroads grant
the wishes of Mankato shippers as eX-
pressed at the meeting of the board OF
trade this morning. Almost the en-
tire session was devoted to the con-
sideration of freight rates, and the
shippers present expressed much dis
satisfaction with the present tariffs.
No formal action was taken, but 1T is
understood that when the new COM
mittees shall be appointed next month
determined effort will be made to
secure a readjustment of rates and
the naming of MankatO as terminal
point.
The subject was brought up by
some remarks by M. G. Willard, who
said that sleeping car rates from Man.
kato to Chicago are $3.50, and from
Waseca to Chicago only 81. He
thought that the sleeping cars would
get larger business Fl ON Mankato if
the rates were 81. He then branched
off into freight rates, and mentioned
particularly the matter Of coal rates.
f. M. Currier took up the line of
thought where MIR. Willard dropped
it, and said that the business men of
Mankato are seriously hampered by
freight rates as at present establish
ed. The difference between what are
and what they ought to be is large
sum in the aggregate, and makes the
difference between profitable busl-
ness and an Improbable one at the
end of year. If man agitates for
change in the rates, he is called a
crank. If the city is-to grow and be-
come large jobblng center, different
arrangements must be made in the
matter of freight rates.
There was considerable talk along
this line, and finally Jno. G. Noe
asked Mr.. Willard whether the Man
kato Jobbers' Union has gone out OF
existence.
Mr.. Willard replied that he did not
know. 1t had held no meetings the
past year.
Mr.. Currier said that when he was
in the legislature he had tried to get
a bill passed to have something SINH
lar to the Iowa system applied in Min
nesota. Mankato did not favor the
bill and he was severely censured for
his move. A prominent Mankato ship
per had at first encouraged him, but
after a meeting Of those interested
had been held at The Saulpaugh the
shipper had suddenly lost all interest
in the bill, and it appeared as though he
had been seen by the railroad officials
and satisfactory arrangements made
with him. The average business man
does not find it pleasant to antagonize
the railroads, because he has claims
coming up all the time to be adjusted.
and it is not pleasant to do business
of this kind and be fighting at the
same time every day, unless the abuse
is glaring. He gets no credit from
the public Mankato should be made
a terminal point and given a
special rate, because of the city's i'm
portance and the value of the bust
ness which the city gives the roads.
Mankato is now only local town on
the freight tariffs. If it had the same
rates that the twin cities have it
would be the biggest thing that
could happen to it, and it's growth
would be ensured. To illustrate, Mr..
Currier said that six weeks ago his
firm had brought an article from
Boston by way of the Canadian Pa
cific and 500 roads, and the freight
rate was IS cents, of which "a cents
was from Minneapolis to Mankato.
The rate from New York or Baltt-
more would have been s1.2O, although
the distance is less.
Mr.. Willard said that cities of less
Importance and business than Man.
kato are made terminal points.
In reply to a question from Mr..
Haynes, Mr.. Currier said that it
rested with the railroads to make
Mankato terminal point. The rail-
road commission could aid by it's
moral influence.
Gen. Pope's work in behalf of Man
kato and other places was referred to,
and it was stated that while it was a
valuable work, he got no credit from
the citizens for it, but only discour-
agement.
Jno. N. Hall favored taking the
work up next year. He favored hav-
ing the committee composed OF other
than jobbers, who did not like to
fight the roads while doing business
with them.
Some little other business was
transacted. The committee on leg
islation reported adversely on the
proposition to petition congress for
the establishment Of tariff commits
sion tn take the tariff out of politics,