The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1904-03-01
FAvoRs RAILROAD CONSOLIDATION.
Reasons From Experience Show Merger
Would Benefit the Public.

Would Benefit the Public.
To the Editor of The Globe:
1t would seem from what one reads and
hears about the famous merger case that
a majority of the people of Minnesota.
irrespective of party would be pleased
condemned the action Of the Northern
Pacific and Great Northern railroads as
unlawful and as against the interest of
the people. Now, with all respect for the
awaited decision of said court, I will
with your permission endeavor to state
in as few words as possible why do not
belong to them who fear that this mer-
ger, or even the amalgamation of the
two roads and the bringing of them I'M
der one administration, would be a dam
age to the people at large. I rather am
of the opinion that such would be a
mighty advance in the right direction
and greatly in the interest of the peo-
pie, providing said railroads came under
more strict supervision of the govern
ment of the state represented by the
railroad and warehouse commission. The
enmity now existing between the differ
ent railroads is in no way productive to
the convenience and neither to the finan-
cial interest of them that have to make
use Of the railroads. / will give few
instances as proof of the appropriateness
and the sore Inconvenience of the pres
ent so-called competitive system of our
Minnesota and Dakota railroads; and also
why 1 think that this system rather pre-
vents than induces our railroads to
build new roads or to extend them. The
so-ca1led motor line runs from Minneap-
oils to Hutchinson since many years, but
there it stops, although rich farming
country of more than thirty miles square
lies ahead of said road, in which territory
there are many farmers living between
fifteen and twenty miles from any rail-
road. The Milwaukee built a short line
from Glencoe to Hutchinson and now,
since many year, the two roads stop
there; the one facing. west and the other
further west in my field l will go north
into yours And so the inhabitants of
that territory are the dupes of railroad
competition. I surely believe that those
with at least one railroad had not both
railroads stood at Hutchinson like two
bulldogs to prevent each other. AS it
is at Hutchinson, so is it, I feel sure, at
many other places in Minnesota.
Further the Great Northern and the
Milwaukee cross each others lines, for
instance, at Granite Falls. The people
on the Milwaukee line, east and west,
could get their fuel (wood and coaD from
81 to 50 per cord or per ton cheaper if
there was a at Granite Falls, and the
Great Northern cars could run on the Mil
waukee but the competing roads do n not t,t
the people along the Milwaukee road are
each year for many thousand dol
lars damaged. This is the result of so
better were these roads in one hand. under
wise administration. If one has to use
two competing roads it costs the ship
per quite little. 1 shipped in the fall of
1901 three carloads over the Milwaukee
to Harlem in North Dakota, a distance of
211 miles, for $50 per car. In the spring
of 1902 1 shipped three carloads to
Moselle, NJ D., distance of 1872 miles, of,
which thirty miles has to go over the 500
road. and I had to pay $50 per car. Be-
cause I had to use two competing
roa Is I had to pay about SIS per car
extra.
me to go quite often to Rolla, N. D.
leave here on the Milwaukee, about TWEEN
ty miles from the nearest Great Northern
railroad station. If / would go on the
Milwaukee to Granite would come there
when the Great Northern passenger had
lust gone The regulations seem by both
roads to be made as to make it the most
announcement to stop over from the one
road to the other. And SO, am assured.
is done everywhere where two competing
roads cross each other. This would
surely not be done il the railroads had
one interest One could then go from here
with the Milwaukee to Fargo, and there
take the Great Northern, which cannot
now be done except witt. much delay,
examples / have mentioned could many
times be multiplied all over the United
States. and particularly over Minnesota
and the Dakotas. Therefore am in favor
of merging all the Western roads under
one administration but under the super,
vision of the government as to freight and
passenger rates and the laying Of ne"
'1 Renville, Mimi. Feb. rs, 1904.