Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1903-09-16

class. One matter that concerns him in
very direct way is the transportation
question. The products of his farm
must be transported to market. First
from the farm to the local market, then
thence TO the distant central market, 1t
may be across the ocean into foreign
lands. The farmer pays the freight
The costs of the transportation of the
products Vi his soil is deducted from
the price to the consumer to those pro-
duets. Not only this but the farmer
| lays freight also upon the product of
Nc factory and the shop from the place
/, manufacture back to his farm where
/, q used or consumed Thus he pays
tn, freight both ways He is, therefore,
or ought to be, interested in the ques-
tion of freight rates The merchant,
too, is interested. He pays the freight
to the market, or thinks he pays it, up
ON the product he buys from the farmer,
and also upon the product of the fac
| tory which he ships back and sells to
the farmer. But in the end 1t is all
charged up to, and the man with the
hoe" pays it, together with a profit
for the handling of the goods botn ways.
He is mighty convenient fellow to
have around, this farmer. lie pays the
bills for all OF us. He should pay q
reasonable rate-no more. Public service
| corporations operate the railroads upon
which he ships his products, I'd collect
| the freight, These corporations are
creations of the state. Ii gives them
life, but places such limitations on their
powers as il seems best for the interests
of the people. 1t is well settled rule
| that the state has the power to regulate
4 aavfatsa hounds fhE
charges that these corporations can
make FOR the transportation of goods.
They should have q reasonable compen-
satiop, but they should not be permitted
| to overcharge Public service corpora
tions are largely monopolistic They
are not and cannot be, in the nature of
things, subject to the same rules of
competition that apply to nearly ali
other lines of trade and commerce.
Once they occupy the field it scarcely
ever happens that they meet with any
serious rivalry In fact in these times
combinations of this class of public SER
vice corporations are so general and ef-
fective that each is permitted to occupy
| its respective field, and is unhindered in
the manner of fixing rates, 80 far as
any other railroad is concerned. The
only remedy for ills that grow out of
these situations is the state The state
has reserved the power of interfering
and of standing between the freight
payer and the common carriers, preser-
wing or insisting upon Just or equitable
1 treatment each toward the other.
| Wisconsin, 50 far, has placed practical
ly no limitation upon the railroads in
the matter of maxim freight ch+ cges
1t is fact proven By the investis cation
of high authorities, that Wisconsin
| shippers pay on an average OF about 40
per cent more than the transportation
of goods of all kinds, than do the ship
| pers OF sofnesof our neighboring states,
notably Illinois and Iowa Both OF
these states have laws governing the
matter of freight charges.
A comparison on merchandise IN less
than carload lots from Milwaukee sto
| Union Center, where most OF the far
mers of Hillsboro neighborhood receive
goods and market their products, show
that they actually pay over 40 per cent.
higher rates than do Iowa Illinois and
Minnesota farmers for like service on
wheat grain, cattle hogs, stoves, etc.
All transportation charges enter into
the cost of the goods or product and
therefore effect the price of these and OF
the valueIof the land and capital em-
ployed in production. One of the
evil effects of the discrimination in
freight charges as between localities
may be illustrated as follows
| Let us suppose that land Of the same
quality in Wisconsin and Iowa yields
say 30 bushels of corn to the acre in
each case Thirty bushels of corn will
weigh approximately 1,SO0 lbs, To
ship these 80 bushels at carload rates
from Union Center to Milwaukee will
cost II cents per 100 lbs. or $l.9o-for
the 30 bushels or the yield from one
acre. To ship 80 bushels the same dis
tance in Iowa costs ST. A, or 81 cents less
than in Wisconsin
Now " hat In the effect of this excess
of freight rate in Wisconsin upon the
value Of the land? As Just said, the
cost df shipment per acre was "a cents
preathr in Wisconsin than in Iowa
This excess. CT 81 cents, is equal to 6
per cent, per annum on 3d. sSiS per
cent? today is regarded rs a fair prUtit
upon capital invested in land. As Uile
value of the land. like the value OF al
other productive capital, is determined
by what it viii produce, it necessarily
follows that the land in Iowa is worth
l$9 per acre more for the purpose OF rais-
ing corn for the market than the land in
Vernon county.
| They have railroad commissions Gre
ated for the purpose of investigating
the question Of rates, and establishing
and fixing the charge that railroads can
make for the transportation OF goods
1t was only after very long and bitter
contention that such laws were enacted
in those states but that they have
proven immensely beneiicialto the ship
pers there can be no doubt. The ones
tion Is How long are Wisconsin ship
pers going TO be content with being
overcharged about 40 per cent upon
the freight they ship over the railroads
To put 1t more directly How long are
tyou farmers who pay this freight, going
| to be content Speaking straight to the
point. Wisconsin needs q railroad com
1 mission, given tue power and authority
II under the law, to regulate and limit the
II charges tina. public service corporations
may impose upon the people. This is
an Issue for settlement In this state. II
! will not down, and IL must be disposed
Of in a way that will preserve 70 the
r,sople theit rights The profits should
be divided. The railroads should have
, their share mo more The producer
should have his Just share and the busi-
ness man, who is in other words the
middle man, should have his share. II
submit TO you, business men and farm
ers. who have such close relations with
, the railroads, who are so dependent up,
, on them and tuey equally dependent
upon you, whose prosperity is your
| rroEnerity this il question that de