Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1903-01-21


Il. $1621S,1s4 S2i 1868, $40 S5,145, l36 S514,5i4
can effect organization for securing favor
able concessions from the railroads Such
advantages In rates are more easily within
the reach OF some than of other manu-
! latturers' ana are never secured upon agri
cultural products.
The same indefensihle rule controls with
respect to determinations In favor of Inti-
/ vlduals. There are in Wisconsin today.
! as in every state in the Union where the
| railroad companies are flee 10 fix rates at
| WILL large numbers of individual shippers
ana favored companies who secure special
rates ana thereby build up great fortunes
at the expense and upon the iSlures OF
| ether rivals and competitors in business.
/ No more potent cause exists today in ehe
! Hphuiidtng of trusts and combinations than
| the tendency TO centrali2e business In tho
hands of a few through favoritism he
slowed by the railroads. These special CON
cessions and rates 20 shippers do not np-
penr In the freight bills, hut are directly
made through n system Of rebates The
effect of this Is well stated by a writer OF
qnote as follows
THE city in whose favor discrimination
Is practiced becomes the big fish and at
once begins the process Of swallowing the
trade aud population of it's unfortunate
neghboring cities: and the Individual
tradesman who receives rebates quickly de-
yours those who do not
ITO Judge correctly Of the effective dis
ordinations requires the possession OF GER
tain commercial information. For example.
| II should he known that whN, corn ia
worth % cents per bushel IN the Chicago
market, at the railway station west of the
Missouri river L would be worth from 10
| TO 10 cents, the difference between its
| value In the fax West and In Chicago be-
Ing made up of cost OF transportation the
expense of buying and selling and profit
! for the middle man. clean profit over
all expenses of one-half OF a cent per
bushel Is a satisfactory profit TO the middle
man, and guaranteed rate of transporta-
fnfN OF ArFG Al N GfsNaa
| Of cent per bushe less than any osher
| middle man can get. viii give the uanN
| possessing II monopoly Of The business OF
| handling corn in the district covered w
so IN the coal trade 10 cents per ton fl
| a satisfactory miners profit and n perma-
nently guaranteed Discrimination in bls IA
| vor In rates of ) cents per toa would be
sufficient In the hands Of competent man
| 10 create monopoly and drive All other
! miners out of business
"A IKE profit from the same source Of 3
cents per barrel Of -four would pay the
shareholders In one OF the great milling
corporations at Minneapolis satisfactory
dividends, and give it monopoly IL IL
cared to increase Its plant sufficiently"
Effect of Secret Rebates.
IN these days of enormous business trans.
actions the fraction of per cent. is suf-
hcient advantage to create monopoly. Ii
matters not whether the per cent be se~
cured through freight discrimination or
! otherwise. the result Is the same and will
! continue to Obj in SO long as secret re-
bates are permit Cd
As stated to the Senate and House of
| Representatives In the report Of the inter-
! stnte commerce commission for 1901. re-
! speeding the effect OF secret rebates to the
| few large packing houses handling the meat
! products Of the country.
The effect Is, however to give these
large packers an enormous advantage of
! their smaller competitors y 10 are located
| at other intermediate points Already these
| competitors have in the main ceased 10
| exist We find In these disclosures a preg-
Lam ANtEkafs f4.auE e
| secret concessions Cfe tending to build nm
| great trusts aud monOpolies at the ex-
pense Of the smaller Independent operator"
The remedy for this eyii cannot be found
I In state legislation alone. nor In independ-
ent congressional legislation, but II will
/ come with that enlargement of the mowers
| Of the Interstate commerce commission
| which will secure to them authority to
! regulate transportation rates with respect
| to Interstate commerce and the establish
ment OF state commissions likewise en-
powered to regulate transportation charges
| with respect 20 state commerce..
The duty which cOnfronts this I.egisla-
| ture respecting this phase Of railroad iegis
| latioa Is two-fold. First to enact a law
| creating q state railway commission with
| full authority to act In the premises, and
| second, to SO advise the representatives of
! Wisconsin In the United States Senate and
| House Of Representatives by memorial, and
| u such other way as may tend TO Impress
| them with this Importance, that the busi-
| ness Interests Of Wisconsin demand that
! the oH-repeated appeal OF the Interstate
commerce commission. supported as 1t has
been by the messages Of the President, for
authority To regulate rates and prevent dis
ordinations should b" promptly given TO
! the Interstate commerce commission.
Protect Shipping Interests.
| Upon the necessity of the establishment
! OF commission to Protect the shipping
interests Of Wisconsin. yhere would seem
| 10 be no need of argument Vie rates In
Themselves make the demand stronger than
any form Of words can express II. IL must
come, and il ought TO he the care OF those
charged with the responsibility OF making
the law that Wisconsin should not be com
PEELED to travel over the same ground, by
the same devious aud eircuitous route
winch the resisting railroad companies have
cUnpeIlrd other states TO take. We should
10 this, IS IN all other matters, secure the
benefits and advantages aecruing from the
ripe experience OF other states and step
ont abreast of those enjoying benefits de
rived from many years OF experience. Ana
II ia anF respect IL IL possible for use 10
improve up0n the legislation Of any state by
combining tho best factors, or improving
upon the systems Of all, 1t is our duty
so to do
BY providing that the commissioner Of
railroads elected under the existing law
shall be a member Of n state commission.
and that at the expiration Of his present
term of office the elective member OF the
commission shall be elected for term or
six years and hy further providing thht
the two remaining members Of the board
shan be appointiye officers, appointed ~
the executive, subject 70 confirmation Dy
the Senate the terms Of the two appointed
commissioners TO expire in two and four
yenrs respectively. and thereafter thar
their successors shall he appointed Tor
terms of six years paCh. would give 70 tue
state "A commission TO fix rates combining
the elective and appointlyc features, In sup
port Of which the strongest reasons can be
urged
Il would scarcely be possible for the law
making power OF the state under represen'
fsuve form Of government to be more
strongly obligated than IS the law-making
power If Wisconsin 10 write uHOn the stat
ute books at this session Of the Legislature
the necessary laws TO secure the payment
Of taxes in fun due from the railroad cor
I0FatiuBS Of this state The railroad com
panlPs have las their own opposition made
legislation for the establishment OF a COM
mission TO regulate transportation rates
necessary couPgnltant OF tax legislation.
and added 70 this, Investigation Of existing
transportation charges In Wisconsin have
disclosed conditions making the appointment
Of a commission 70 regulate railroad rates
40 Imperative necessity In the interests o.
the whole commonwealth, That these con.
ditions have eXstedN Ms IL cannot be doubt
ed that they have. throughout many years
buf s-fvugthess and makes more 'resistlal.
the demands for prompt action 10 Rccor
auce with the dictates OF absolute t1sti9'
and fair dealing as between these corpof-
tons and the people. II is not q Case whese