The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1905-03-03

for a fixed mileage, the railroads
agreeing that n0 other cars shall be
used for The purpose. The Armour COM
pany furnishes the refrigeration, for
which il makes specific charge. The
result is good service and an adequate
car supply, bit an enormous increase ia
refrigeration charges"
The commission then rectes the
fact that the refrigeration charge per
car from Michigan to Boston has been
Increased by this monopoly from $40
70 SIS per car, from Michigan to Du-
buque from SO to S37. so per car, and
from Michigan to Duluth from $3.50
to S+5 per car.
A glance at the above figures shows
what vast sum of money Michigan
fruit growers are wrongfully COM
PEELED TO contribute to the Golfers OF
this constituencies and grasping mo-
nopoly. The average increase in re-
frigeration charges according TO these
official figures is S33.3 80 per car. 1t is
not TO be presumed that prior to the
Armour monopoly, cars were iced at a
loss, so the increased cost may be
reasonably taken as the sum which
the shipper is unjustly compelled to
pay into tile treasury of the Armour
car trust. In reasonably fair fruit
year there will be in Van Buren, county
alone not less than 1000 carloads of
fruit to be hauled over the different
railways, probably a greater number,
and this represents a loss of 500, 600
to the fruit growers of the county.
Not long since a representative of
the car trust appeared before con-
gressional committee and represented
that Armour had voluntarily reduced
the icing charges on his cars. Volun-
tary reduction indeed Don't you be-
lieve it. The man lied There has
been no voluntary reduction and there
never will be. If the charges are ever
reduced it will be a compulsory reduc-
ton and not voluntary one. The
way the fruit grower is being held up
by these vampire trusts is worse than
highway robbery. When the footpad
meets you and demands your money
or your life, you have at least the
chance of making fight for your per-
son and money, but when the Armour
car trust holds you up you have no
show whatever. All you can do is to
pay its price or let your fruit rot on
the trees or vines. / remember at the
breaking out of the civil war, the rebel
leaders said ''let MS alone, that is all we
ask of the North, but the trusts not
only say 'let us alone,' but they also
say ''let us prey'-on the producer,
What will the traffic bear? is all they
care to know, and they at once pro-
coed to advance rates until they can
put all the profits, except bare sub
sistence, and often hardly that, into
their own Golfers that are already filled
to bursting with their ill-gotten gains.
There is absolutely no remedy for
this matter short of congressional leg
islation along the line suggested by
the commission and recommended by
President Roosevelt. The railroads
will oppose such legislation most
strenuously, the Armour company
will fight it and back up the fight
with its millions which have been,
very largely, taken from the people
by means that would put highway
man TO shame. There is going TO be
a battle, and il remains to be seen
which is the stronger, the people III
conjunction with their president, who
has most heartily espoused their
cause, or the railroads and the car
trust. Are these latter servants or
masters? Do the people own the cor
porations or do the corporations own
the people? Is the creature greater
than the creator? Time will tell.
The Esch-Townsend bill which has
passed the house of representatives,
the senate, not this session at least,
is step in the right directions; but
that bill dies when congress dies on
the 4th day of next month and moth
ing has been gained, except to show
that the president and the house are
on our side, and that it will only be
after the most strenuous fight in the
American house of lords that we shall
succeed in obtaining any relief from
this corporate oppression, if indeed
we succeed at all.
What are you going to do about it,
you tillers of the soil, you patrons of
husbandry, you horticulturists and
fruitgrowers? The least you can do
is to write to your senators and con-
gressmen urging them to press this
matter. No matter if letters come to
them like snowflakes in winter storm, !
send them along; let them know what
you want, yea what you demand at
their hands.
Under the system by which United |
States senators are chosen, and owing
to the length of their terms, it is a
difficult matter to change its person
nell but it can be done in time and if
the present senate shall refuse TO
grant the needed relief, the American |
people, if they have to do so, will find |
a way to make a change that will &C
complish what they demand as a mat
ter of simple justice and right. To
do this may take time, it will take
time, but let us remember that al |
though the mills of the gods grind |
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