The Cook County herald. [volume] (Grand Marais, Minn.) 1893-1909, 1900-09-29

merlt Of Hon. E. S. Reishus as chief in
spector, has been managed in a way to
DO full justice to all interests, protect
ing the farmer in his just rights by fair
grades and just weights, on the one
hand, and establishing the fxity and
reputation Of the Minnesota grade on
the other. That Individual cases Of err.
ror have not occurred I do not claim
Such state. Of facts cannot be looked
tor IN business SO extensive as the
handling of the crop contributary to the
terminal markets of this state. But I
am gratifed to be able to say to you
ana to the people of the state that since
the reorganization of the service there
has not been a single instance of COM
plant, either from the East or from Eu-
ropean markets, either as to shortage
IN weight or grade, of single bushel
OF wheat that had passed through the
Minnesota service. Prior to that time,
and Under the administration OF Mr..
Rc1shus' predecessor, complaints from
Buffalo and from England, both in re-
gard to grades and shortage in weight,
were persistent and common. Mime
sofas leading grade, No. northern,
Duluth, has stood on an average as
compared with the four leading Compel
tive grades in the Liverpool market,
two cents higher than those grades.
During the crop year closed, No. I
northern, Minnesota inspection, has
ranked one to FIVE cents per hundred
pounds higher in the Liverpool market
than Nc. northern, Chicago inspec-
ton, the average for the year being
three cents in favor of Minnesota in
spection. Throughout the crop year,
No: northern Duluth and No. I hard
Duluth have uniformly been quoted
higher than the corresponding grades,
No. I northern Manitoba, and No. I
hard Manitoba. This ratifying result
has been effected by enforcing the same
standard Of excellency upon grain in
spected out of the terminal elevators as
is applied to the farmers wheat when it
reaches the market. AS to the manner
in which the farmers interest has been
protected, he is the best judge, and I
shall offer no comment I will only
add that these reforms in the grain ser
vice have been accomplished without
any increase of expenditure. On the
contrary, the expense of the service
during the crop year just closed, under
Mr.. Reishus' administration, was
S2,2o1.72 less than the cost of the SER
vice during the preceding year of MI.
Clausen's administration.
REGULATING RAILROAD
> RATES.
In the matter of the regulation of
railroad rates, the commission since it's
Reorganization has proceeded as expe-
ditiously as possible. The first and most
important question demanding the at
teiltion of the board was the grain rates
IN the southwestern part of the state
The rates on grain from that section of
the state to Minneapolis and Duluth
had always been maintained at a figure
that seemed to me exorbitant and such
was the Judgment of the commission
Early in the year hearing was ordered
for the Investigation of these rates.
After full inquiry and repeated confer
ences with the several carriers in that
part OF the state, the commission pro-
mulgated a schedule which reduced the
rates to 172 railway stations of the six
roads which run through the Is coun-
ties OF the Second congressional dis
tr;ct, and in four adjoining counties.
The reduction per hundred pounds runs
from ~ cents down on flax seed, 8
cents down on wheat, and cents down
on coarse grain. The rate on wheat is
reduced I cent at forty stations, cents
at 20 stations, 3 cents at % stations,
and in fractions between and under
these figures at other stations On flax
seed the reduction is cent per hundred
at &c stations, = cents at II stations, 3
cents at II stations, 4 cents at IS sta
lions, and from. u to AZ cents at the
other 20 stations This reduction put
in force by the commission is only from
local points to the Minnesota terminal
markets at Minneapolis and Duluth, but
the railroads have now adjusted their
Chicago rates to the new Minneapolis
and Duluth rates, so that the rate re-
ductlon applies to both the Lake Supe-
rior and the Lake Michigan markets.
A careful computation of the savings to
the farmers of that part of the state by
this change in the rate, indicates the
amount to be in excess of $4oo,o per
annum, which is sum much in excess
OF the state taxes collected from those
counties. 1t would pay the $324,ooo of
NOAAIy lSVSIltC taxes llldC IL taxes TO
run the county governments of the
counties affected; besides, it would pay
the charge of $4,000 for the care of the
poor, and still leave surplus of $751;
for the road and bridge fund. l men
ton these details simply to indicate
how important and how far-reaching
the question of transportation rates is
to a community.
ANOTHER QUESTION PEND
Another question relating to mer-
chandlse rates is now. pending before
the commission. What the outcome
will be of the hearing now in progress
no one can tell at this time; but of one
thing | am assured, and that is, that the
present commissioners will take no ac-
ton that will be unjust or unfair to the
legitimate claims of the interests in
volved. Nor will they consent to any
schedule of rates that does not afford
every community substantially the same
rate and, the same fair. field as is at
forded to any other community in the
state engaged in the same line of bust
ness j. a. S5Ns@4 sc - -&s.s.@-.,s-, szy::5s'sN
CONDITION OF FINANCES, :.