The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-01-15
A MATTER OF RATES
Analysis Of Mr.. Hilps Claim by a
Grain Man.
THE WHEAT TARIFF PROBLEM
That Des Moines Valley Illustration
and How II Works
Ont

1 and How 1t Works
Ont. ~
Some Of the grain men do not seem to
understand President Hills claim of be-
ing reform leader in, the matter OF
grain freight rates.
Mr.. J. J. HILL" said chamber OF
commerce authority on grain rates ia
The Journal, attempted to make
out In his Fargo speech that his rates on
wheat from the Red river valley to Duluth
and Minneapolis are low, in fact, lower
than the rates charged by the Chicago
roads into Chicago. If there were ship
pers in the Fargo audience who knew
anything about grain rates, and there
probably were, they must have smiled at
this announcement. (
Look at, the facts. Mr.. Hills wheat
rate from Fargo to Minneapolis 2s4 miles,
is II l-2c per hundred. The highest rate
between Minneapolis and Chicago, the lo-
cal tariff charge, is IL 1-2c for haul OF
425 miles. But as matter. of fact only
/ z 1-2c is actually paid, because the bulk
of the wheat going to Chicago is through
wheat going to Atlantic coast points, and
simply pays the difference between the
Minneapolis through rate and the Chi
cago through rate.
"A peculiar thing about President Hills
! comparison is, that he went off down into
a corn state to find wheat rate to COM
| pare with his rate from the Red River
valley. OF course, he is aware that the
| whole state of Iowa produces less wheat
| than the Red River valley alone, and that
Des Moines valley farmers are not inter-
ested in wheat rates as they are In corn,
oats, barley pork cattle and dairy rates.
He knows, moreover, that on all the rates
in which the Des Moines valley farmers
are specially interested they get lower
freight rate tolls into Chicago than Mr..
| Hill gives North Dakota farmers Tor the
same length Of haul.
| But take even the Des Moines valley
| wheat rate. It is fact that the Des
| Moines valley farmer gets as low and OF
, ten lower rate on his wheat shipped a
distance Of $50 to $50 miles up to Min
neapolis, than the Great Northern rate
from the Red River valley, although Tor
every bushel that comes here from the
Des Moines valley a hundred or thou
sand come from the Red River valley, and
therefore the rate for the latter should be
far lower. Here is an example which
may have escaped Mr. Hills notice:
4 From Ogden, Iowa, to Minneapolis, a
haul of 26S miles, the wheat rate is lac,
which is half cent lower than Mr.. Hill S
rate from Fargo, 234 miles; although
based on volume Of traffic, the Fargo rate
4 should be several cents lower.
| "Mr. Hill used for comparison the local
tariff from the Des Moines valley into
Chicago, which, as matter of fact, is
pretty much of nominal or paper rate
only, as the bulk Of wheat is actually
shipped on the through rate. 1t is true
however, that the local tariff from the
Des Moines valley for haul of $50 to 45t
miles into Chicago is 18c-that is to say
SO per cent to 100 per cent more than
finn lie fn n
to two cents higher even than Mr.. Hills
charge for the same distance. This il
Mr.. Hills case, and what does it amount
to? AS matter of fact, Des Moines ant
Ogden wheat does not pay the lSc t
, Chicago, but pays &c for the through
haul to Baltimore, a distance OF l,3O'
miles, which is Mr.. Hills charge for {
haul through North Dakota and north
ern Minnesota of less than half that dis
| tance."
| "As stated by President Hill, in nj:
Fargo address, volume Of traffic, is wha
governs rates.. The Minneapolis Chamber
of Commerce records give the volume Q
wheat receipts into this city by roads, AM
likewise the amount Of shipments TO east
J ern points, and for export. Minneapolis
wheat receipts for the year ending De
cember 81 were 80, S3S, $40 bushels, Whlcl
: / is 100000 greater than the receipts 0
Chicago and New York combined. Min
neapolis receipts via the Great Northern
alone aggregated 80, 455, $50 bushels, which
was three fifths of Chicago's total re-
ceipts from all sources Great Northern
trains hauled into Duluth alone PROB
ably three fourths as much wheat as New
Yorks total, and half as much as chi
ca COS total of 50000,000. So far as vol
ume of wheat traffic goes, therefore, the
Great Northern is situated so as to be
able to make the lowest wheat rate in
the world.
"As to the point. that volume OF arat-
fic should make low Minneapolis rates on
shipments to eastern points, as compared
with Great Northern rates into Mime
| apolis, the reverse appears to De tne
fact Minneapolis total shipments to al
eastern points, and for export IN l9Ol
were II, 469,57O bushels. Minneapolis re-
CENTS via Great Northern road alone, ~
455. $50. From this it appears that 1he
Great Northern hauls into TINS city
nearly three times as much wheat as al
roads combined haul out.
s'From the, basis of volume OF traf-
ic. therefore, the Great Northern rate
from the wheat districts, notably IRON
the Red river valley, should be as low
if not lower, for the same length or maui
than the rate on shipments to eaS3efl
points. But they are not.
wheat Rates for North Dakota.
The following are the rates charged .!
the Great Northern for distances OF 20
tn 100 miles into Duluth from the Ret
River valley and from various point
| across the state of North Dakota IN
same rates apply to Minneapolis