Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1903-01-22

position to the enactment of a rate
would arrest all further construction
within the state, stop improvements,
injure manufacturing, prejudice agri-
cultural development, seriously harm
business interests, and generally re-
tard the progress of the state Iowa
has been held up as warning exam
pie to deter other states from adopt
ing similar law, and it has been de-
clared that she has suffered through
all the years under rate law that has
greatly interfered with the growth of
her manufacturing interests. Yet dur
ing period of twenty years the an
nual increase in the value of the cap
ital invested in agriculture and man
ufactures amounted to S32 100000 for
Wisconsin and over S59,000,000 for
Iowa. 1t should not be overlooked
that these are the actual increases
only. but they are very significant.
Iowa leads Wisconsin in the average
yearly increase by almost two to one.
The industrial progress of Iowa GER
tainly cannot be said to be retarded
since the railroad commission was es-
tablished in that state. On the con-
trary, her development seems to have
been specially promoted, and that this
should be the case is only reasonable
in view of the special advantages with
which she has been favored in the
matter of transportation charges,-ad-
vantages of which the industries of
Wisconsin have had the great misfor-
tune to be deprived because of the
failure to secure legislation which
would have placed Wisconsin upon an
equal footing with Iowa.
consin is very marked, equaling about
u per cent.
Instead of being injured by railway
commission, the industries of Iowa
are being greatly benefited This
could not well be otherwise. Trans
portation charges are tax upon pro-
duction and the productive industries
of any state must suffer greatly when
that state is subjected to oppressive
transportation rates in marketing the
output of its industries. This must al
ways be so when shippers of one state
must sell their products in q market in
competition with shippers of other
states enjoying more favorable rates.
The claim that reasonable transpor-
tation rates could embarrass produc-
tive enterprise and arrest develop
ment in any state ought never TO have
been given credence and ought never
to have been advanced.
The magnitude of wrong Wisconsin
is suffering but enlsIges with investi-
cation and reflection. Added to her
wonderfully varied resources Wiscon-
sin had another natural advantage
over Iowa. She has more than 800
| miles of lake shore with fine natural
harbors along her entire eastern and
northern boundaries. With rate law
/ such as that under which Iowa has ex-
| celled her. she could have established
| just and reasonable rates that would
| have carried every ton of her produce
to the lake shore where it could have
the benefit of the cheaper rates of
water transportation on it's way to
market.
The only rates which are subject to
regulation by the state commission OF
Iowa are those affecting state COM
merce. While Wisconsin would, of
course. be subject TO the same consti-
tutional restrictions, she could estab-
| lish reasonable rates between stations
wholly within the state that would en-
able agricultural and manufactured
products to reach the lake shore, and
thence if reshipped they could ulti-
mately find way to market under con-
dItions that would greatly benefit pro-
ducerS. In the same manner mer-
chants and manufacturers and dealers
in coal could transport by rail at rea-
sonable rates supplies from the lake
shore to consumers in every part OF
the state. Milwaukee, Manitowoc, and
other lake shore sbi ping points would
then become the gre, centers of COM
merce and trade which natural condi-
tons would have made them. But
WITH the railroads arbitrarily estab-
fishing rates without any control by
law, they can so fix charges over diff
ferent lines as to force the products of
the state 200 or 300 miles further to
market, when, under reasonable and
natural conditions, the railroad trans
portation would not upon the average
exceed fifty to seventy-fve miles.
A struggle to escape in so far as
possible the oppressive exactions of
the railroads in Wisconsin has very
largely massed manufacturing upon
the east side of the state. The manu-
facturers have seen the Importance of
establishing themselves where they
could secure the lower rates of water
transportation, or more reasonable
railroad rates reduced by the force OF
competition with lake freights. That
more than 20 per cent. of the capital
invested in manufacturing in Wiscon-
sin should be located in but nineteen
of her seventy-two counties is an i'm
portant fact in itself. That those nine
teen counties should be counties Dor
dering on Lakes Michigan and Super
ior is very significant in its bearing
upon this whole question. Except for