The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-10-21
Had to Make Rate Permanent.


Had to Make Rate Permanent.
Were soon brought to a point where the
rates in order to build the traffic up on
permanent basis, must be permanent or
reasonably so. We found in going to the
South for cotton that Texas cotton going
to Galveston and the gulf state cotton go
ing tc New Orleans went down at differ
ent rates, and went from New Orleans to
foreign ports at such rates as the, ships
were inclined to make, according to the
supply and demand for tonnage. We
found that it was necessary for us, In
order to be on a permanent basis, to have
more than joint rate, to have more than
joint tariff, which might be Withdrawn
at any time. We could not build up
great permanent business, extending
across the continent and even across the
ocean, on the basis that tomorrow the
rote might be changed or the party with
whom We. were working to reach the. diff
ferent points of production or consump-
| ton had some other interest or some
greater interest elsewhere. 1t was neceS-
sary in doing tjiisS that We should have
control the permanency of the rate and
that We would be able to reach the mar
kots; In other words. if the man produc-
| ing lumber on the coast, or cattle on the
ranges, Or ore in the mines. if he could
not find n market for. it and if we could
| not take 1t to market that would en-
| able him to sell this stuff for a profit, he
would have to stop making it, That was
! the line We worked upon and that was the
reason that We felt called upon to put
ourselves in a osition where we could
control access to The markets for him and
! access to the production for the Vest
burnd The burlington reaches more than
any other roac In the country, I think,
these particular conditions; think prob
| ably as much as all the other Western
rold' put together.
Advantages of the Burlington.
Q. In what particular as to the places
winch 1t reaches, what are the distin-
| gushing features of the Burlington, as
compared with the other roads; What
points does it reach?
A. Well, if you will commence in the
| west, It connects with the Northern Pa
/ reaches Lincoln, Neb., and Omaha, com
ing east to Des Moines and to Burlington
and going south to ST. Joe and to Kansas
ely ana st: st. Louis; and then you may
| every town between st. Louis and the
dWn Cities. 1t reaches Chicago, Peoria,
| Galesburg, Aurora-all these large points
in Illinois: + had the figures and prob
ably, might be able to find them. 1t
reaches very large percentage of all the
manufacturing interests in the state of
| turing state.
- @. What are the principal markets in
the West for cattle that are brought over
| your line, from the ranges?
| A. WE'LL the principal markets in this
! country, over all lines, are Omaha. st.
Joe, Kansas City and Chicago, all reached
| n.
! @. What advantage does the Burlng-
ton for shipment?
A. The Burlington at st. Louis and
| the Southern railways reaching the cotton
fields. To Illustrate Mr.. Ripley, presi-
! dent of the Santa Fe road. a short time
| ago told me he found they could make
more money loading. their cars that went
| down to Texas back to st. Louis with
cotton than they could hauling the cotton
it up to St Louis in the return cars and
| give 1t to us and let us take 1t abroad
because they had to haul the car that
took 1t to San Francisco back empty
| They had no lumber to bring back, and
we had lumber to bring back, for every
car we carried.
@. What advantage. If any, did you
| expect to derive and have you derived
from, the Burlington purchase in regard
| to the supply of coal for the country
traversed by your line?
| A. On the west end we have a local
supply of coal. On the east end the coal
in the past has come from PENNSYLVANIA
| and West Virginia mainly, and some from
/ Ohio; but during the season of navigation
! Of 1902 and commencing with 1900, the
| difficulty in getting coal from Pennsylva-
MIA mines up to Lake Erie was very great
1t was first quite apparent in 1900. In
! 1901 it was impossible for US to get our
| full supply of coal. We had to bring. coal
| from the South, and bring it through by
rail some; that is, from the East. Last
|
while the railroads were unable to bring
| coal for our own consumption, they were
| also unable to do this because at the same
! time they were unable to supply the fur
| naceS on their own lines. Furnaces with
| in hundred miles of the coke ovens were
| cold all last winter for the want OF fuel
| because the railroad companies absolutely
| had reached the capacity OF their fac1l-
| tiles I made as close examination OF the
| general situation as could, and came
| to the conclusion that it was because the
| hn vva1 fnI4-
minals. This year, the case is much
worse. think, speaking for the Great
Northern company. At this time we
| haven't missed solitary load that, we
could get, and have kept a man there
| travelling from the mines to the railroad
| offices trying to get the cars, and we are
now we'll on into October and we have
| lakes. And that applies still more, I'M
derstand, to tie. domestic coal for do
! nestle consumption. / felt that unless
| coal here in the Northwest there will be
| a coal famine this winter, and every year
| hereafter it will be greater and no amount
! Of work can avoid 1t, because the people
! down in the older states, Pennsylvania
| and Ohio will see that their own demands
are supplied before it can come away
| out here.
Can Live Without Anthracite.
@. You have been speaking of bitumin-
Gus coal?
A. Yes sir; bituminous coal Anthra-
cite coal is used in the cities, but as
long as people have bituminous coal they
can live, They get, along. without anthra.
| bituminous coal before they are done.
| The coal situation of the Northwest is a
very serious one. | think 1t Is one that
| To begin with, the Burlington road has
very low grade down the Mississippi
| rivera water grade, sixteen feet to the
| mile and can carry with a train prop
| erly equipped cars we'll designed for the
| purpose heavy locomotive can carry
| modern boat load on train. The load
rate, and the rate on the coal is more,
| In any event, than the cost of producing
| the coal at the mine, and the Importance
| of the rate is therefore very manifest.
| 1t fixes the price at which the coal might
| be sold in the Northwest here. And
again, there is a further reason for buying
| the Burlington; that is, that the coal may
/ be loaded on cars and the situation con-
| trolled, so that when the cars are in de-
| mand we may furnish our cars OF they
| may furnish theirs and let the cars go
| through to the destination in Minnesota
or in Dakota and not unload the coal and
| break it, Every time it Is handled it
interferes with the quality of the coal
The main point. however, is our =; ability IEE
| bought that we might supply coal, If
the coal miners in Illinois were at any
time unwilling or unable to supply coal
at reasonable prices. We have, through
/ the Burlington people, bought $4,000 or
| 10000 acres of coal land in the best part
of Illinois. and for the purpose of ex-
tending reaching more into the coal field
the Burlington bought the Jacksonville &
/ ST. louis, about 100 miles There are no
other coal fields reasonably accessible
| from st. Paul, unless you may call the
few pockets in Iowa, and don't imagine
they supply Is per cent Of the consrmp-
| ton Of the state of Iowa today. These
| coal mine fields of Illinois are the nearest
/ by far to this part of the country. and,
| with the low grade of the Burlington
road and the physical conditions under
| which the business may possibly be done,
they will furnish the cheapest and only
certain supply of coal that this country
| can rely upon
Minnesota Ores South Bound.