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

Manufactures In Wisconsin.
Classification. Tributary to Lakes,
capital G invested $3.50 SIS 7oo s2ss S97 500 70 Il
Value Of product $500 SIS az S24s s43 2oe 0s 90
Salaries paid -. s6o,oia,oso s4i,9oi,ao2 COL
That more than 70 per cent. of the capl,
tai invested in manufacturing IN Wisconsin
should he located In but nineteen of her
seventytMo countlEs is an important fact
In itself. That tLose nineteen counties
should be counties bordering ~ Lakes
Michigan and Superiot Is very significant
In Its bearing upon this whole question.
Except for the fact that 10 later affords
them more reasonable trarsl ortatiOn rates,
which Influences to their advantage freight
charges by rail-. these nineteen counties of
fer no better location for manufacturing
plants than most of the other counties OF
the state.
The gathering of nearly three fourths Of
| the manufacturing of the state into but
| little more than onefourth of the counties
| in order to substitute a regulation of raIf.
road rates by wafer competition for the
general railroad rates of the state, Axen
| wholly without any regulation, argues very
strongly for some Interference on the part
of the state for the protection OF its ship
| pers.
1t meets the claim so often advanced BIZ
| the railroads that they have built up the
manufacturing industries in Wisconsin
/ through lndulgences and determinations
and special rates which they could not
have given were rates controlled by Il com
/ mission.
| Commodity rates have doubtless aided to
| reduce somewhat the high rate level, ana
have benefited to whatever extent they
/ have been given the manufacturers fortunate
| enough TO be granted the privilege of shar
/ Ing in them. But an extended examination
viii reveal that as affecting the entire
| manufacturing interests Of the state the
| Importance OF commodity rates has been
! very greatly overestimated. while their spe
/ cial value to those receiving them wholly
| disappears before the fact that the com
! modify rate In Wisconsin means about the
| regular rate in many other states.
/ 1t may be said then that our manufac
| tuners have neither been established or spe
| clally nurtured by the railroads, but thai
| the greater portion Of them nave beer
| driven by high rates to locate where they
| are In measure Independent OF these cor
/ porations. That more than $232. 00@. 0ot
| should be invested In manufacturing plants
| in a few lake shore counties emphasizes In
n most striking way the great Importance
| of reasonable freight rates as an Industrial
| factor. II should, moreover, serve as an
admonltion as well. for industries will soon
/ er or latei go where reasonable rates ca.
/ be had.
Due to Water Competition.
It Is quite apparent that any advantage In
| better rates Which these lake shore counties
| can furnish manufacturing are not E q vol
untary offering of the railroad companies
| but have been wrung from them through
water competition, With reasonable rates
\ generally throughout Wisconsin many an
| Idle water power would be proftablv EN-.
| ployed with all the resulting benefits IL
the locality and the ste.e. "F
/
moved to secure r. ,,"neht Of hc:,er rail-
| road rater =. sulated by water traDsporta
J ..nn the same Is not trne Of agriculture
| This great Industry must pay whatever the
| railroad charges at given station for tho
| transportation OF its products The farm
| lands Of Wisconsin cannot be massed dong
| our great natural Advantages in the past
have aided Wisconsin materially to make
, marked advance under adverse co9nditions
LTt these superior advantages viii not al.
wal q be so abundant. In some lines of
manufacturing a lavish ana waSteful course
pursued respecting raw material has already
operated to make its scarcity a serious
matter.
Beside this competition is increasing
upon every hand. and the time is not far
distant when the margin Of profits may be
reduced. Prudence and foresight should
prompt us 10 place the manufacturing inter
ests Of Wisconsin, upon sound basis.
This can only be done by securing to capt
tai and labor fair and equal chance in the
markets with their competitors from other
states
one of the clements In the cost entering
into every manufactured product Is the
transportation which II must bear be
fore f. is marke. cd small percentage Of
cient under close competition to make the
difference between a margin Of profit ana
actual Loss, l. should he the first care Of
those charged with official responsibility TO
be certain that the manufacturers Of no
other state 90 into the market with any
advantage over the manufacturers Of Wis
eonsu on transportation rates.
The railway interests Of Wisconsin are en-
titled TO every protection according TO man
ufacturing. agriculture, or any other Inter
ests In this state. They are entitled to
reasonable profit upon The capital which
they have Invested IN the railway business
In Wisconsin They are not entitled, and
Ii Is unjust -.er should be permitted, 10
charge the manufacturers, merchants, farm
ers and consumers more In Wisconsin man
they charge for a Ike service In Illinois
and Iowa II Wisconsin Is 10 secure the
high industrial rank to which her superior
natural advantages entltie her she must by
proper, just and constitutional regulation
prevent her capital from being absorbed by
2rasping railroad managers
il is shown that the agricultural and
manufacturing interests Isl iowa have been
greatly benefited by the establishment Of
railway commission controlling rates
That while one Of the greatest financial
panics experienced in n century has oc-
CURED siuce the enactment % that law. tns
progress and prosperity ~ the state Of Iowa
has continued without interruption.
When the law was enacted In that state
Il was denounced "A movement designed
70 contiScate the property Of The railway
corpora lions and as certain to bring de-
woraiizatlon and disaster 70 the railroad
interests Of the state. The law was enact
have beea enforced. tae railroads have been
PROSPEROUS They have continued To eztCnQ
their linz TO earn fair profits. 10 render
That The growth ana expansion NJ the
railroad interests II Io@ra have been com.
nleBsuFHte with tba development and prog
shown by the statistics covering fhe follow
ing period 'Fns same hgures sglEl be given
for Wisconsin throughout. IS they rnay be
useful for HlaNBz comparisons
Comparison Of Earnings.
Table Y shoss the miles of road gross
and not earnings. aHd tons cai led In 1878
aud IN 1850 by the railways in jowa ana
Wisconsin together With the total annual
Increase during that period
II has he . commonly understood that
railroad extension bears some relation to
the conditions Of railroad business Ia any
state. This would b. expected 70 b. espe-
cIaIly true IN d state where II Is claimed
that the business Of tie railroad was de-