The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-07-28
The Railroad and the Public.

The argument presented yesterday
to the traffic managers of the eastern
railroads by Mr.. Bovey Of Minneapo-
lis. in behalf of the millers, Of the
country, contains little that has not
been covered by him in an excellent
manner at previous hearings. But it
is important to have this matter re-
peated from time to time until it
soaks into the consciousness of the
general public that this plea for the
rnillers is really not for the millers
alone, but equally for the farmer, the
merchant, the manufacturer, for
everybody who does business Of any
kind = for the railroads themselves.
The milling industry Is one Of the
most important in the country. It
represents invested capital amounting
to 100000. There is sufficient
milling capacity in this country to alb
sorb our entire wheat product so
that every grain of wheat which
finds a foreign market might under
proper rate conditions be sent abroad
in the shape of flour. Every barrel of
flour manufactured means SO much
which in the milling industry repre-
sents tens Of thousands Of men. This
industry and it's employees are
enormous consumers Of supplies Of all
kinds. Somebody must furnish these
supplies and make a living by doing
So These supplies must have trans
portation. Manifestly, the milling in
dustry is an important part Of the
commercial system Of the country, the
destruction of which would inf1ict
serious damage upon all branches of
activity. .....-. ..
But the destruction Of this industry
4 is exactly what is threatened by the
peculiar attitude of the railroads to-
ward it. Unfortunately, railroad
management is generally controlled
by the mistaken notion that railroad
operation is purely a private business
The railroad manager who takes into
account his relation to the public as
a public servant is not often met with
The suggestion that the railroads
are under obligation, in connec-
ton with this flour situation, tc
take anything into consideration
except the handling Of traffic a
prices which will produce the larg
+ est results to them will probably be
flouted as impractical and visionary
but the fact remains that the railroad
exists first and primarily as a public
servant. There Is no railroad in the
country, and in the nature Of thing:
there could be none, which is no
clothed by the state with the dis
charge Of a great duty to the public
In consideration Of the bestowal upol
it Of extraordinary powers, such a.
that Of eminent domain, it is placed
under obligation to consider publ,
interest in all its operations In prin
ciple, no railroad was ever chartered
for the sole or chief benefit Of indi
vidual owners, and no railroad Is fire.
implies.
1t is true that this fact has seldom
been taken into account; indeed, it ha
been lost sight of by the public itsel
which conferred the extraordinar.
powers. But the public is beginning
to recognize it's true relation to ever
public service corporation and to re
quire of it some measure Of compli
ance with it's obligations.
There may be no way in which tn
millers can compel compliance witt
these obligations at the present time
but that the railroads Of the countr
are morally bound to foster public in