Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1905-09-01

BISMARCK DAILY TRisuNE.
country, and they are not BY any means the
kind of barbarians that many people would
think they are. They are an intelligent PEG.
pie, and they are very good farmers. But
we have. got the transportation that they
can't compete with. We have got transporta-
ton in this country that is the lowest in
the world. In Great Britain the average
price paid for the transportation Of ton Of
freight for distance of a hundred miles is
$2.2s. In the United States it is re cents.
In Russian it is about $I.75. We have got
the advantage, notwithstanding we have got
great many people who tell us all to stand
pat. Now whoever wants to stand pat, let
him. But the man who is on the soil in
North Dakota-he hasn't any interest in, it.
His stuff is sold in the markets of the world.
There is no word or sentence in the legis-
lation OF the country that throws the
slightest protection to him. The man from
Manitoba can't send his wheat in here with.
out paying "a duty. But that wheat goes to
Liverpool and completes with every bushel
| u j
came into North Dakota, and possibly a
little more. So that everything that you use,
everything that you buy you have got to buy
where you can find it, not in the cheapest
market; but when you come to sell you have
got to sell in the lowest market. You are
forced to take what you can get il you sell
your surplus. Now, whatever portion Of the
country, may be interested in keeping that
wall, might say a Chinese wall, around
the commerce Of the country, North Dakota
isn't interested in anything of the sort You
take our government as government we all
love-the best government x we think, that
the: world has ever seen--but today we find
Australia and other British colonies supply.
ing the Philippine islands with their agricul.
tural products. We find in matters Of trans
Portat1on II tramp ship will come in and
carry from New York or Philadelphia or
baltimore at the same rate that we will carry
from Chicago to the Philippines or Manila,
the government will pay the freight from
Chicago to New York and give ii to them and
send it that way. Now that is the sort of help
that we get to build up our business But,
notwithstanding, we have been able to do
something.
Reduction In Rates.
It has been said that railroad rates in the
United States have not declined in twenty.
hye years. Ii I took the record OF our ow,
road for twenty-five years. The record
shows from the official reports. Of the rail-.
way and warehouse commission that in IS
years our reduction has gone from SO ss a
ton hundred miles to 70 cents, and the re.
duction in dollars and cents amounts to $676, 4
oo0, 900. Now s676 900 900 is an average
for the time OF $27, 900, 1000 year. Last
year, the. year closing on the s0th Of June
last, if we had got the rate of ab years
ago we would have had paid US Ss7, 900 900
more than we collected. Now you have got
something out of that. And there isn't any.
where in the world a parallel to- it And I
am glad We are able to do it We do il be.
cause we think we have got our dividends.
We can earn our dividend very easy and not
make any particular progress But what If
We stopped. You will stop If we stopped
improving your rates will remain stationery
Everything that we can do that will bring
more tonnage here on which we lay little
burden on every ton helps you that much. II
doesn't change our income. Our Z per cent
remains the same Now there is one idea
that want to call your attention to. "A
great many people are agitating the ques.
5tion of government reduction of rates. Do
you suppose that any government reduction
OF rates would ever have approached q tenth
part OF the reduction you have had in e5
years Let me say that it could not Be.
cause the government Of the United States
must be under the constitution of the United
States, and the interstate commerce clause Of
the constitution provides that there shall be
no discrimination between places, between
one community or one district or one state
and md another That drives government rate
absolutely to a distance tariff, q proportion
ate distance tariff. And you in North Da.5
kota, 1900 miles from the Atlantic and
1,7oo or 1890 miles from the Pacific, and
2. 500 miles from the ocean or the Gulf Of
Mexico, your freights would have to 90
back, because distance tariff would double
your present rate On any rate that could be
made. Do not be misled before a thing of
that importance is decided Investigate il
and see whether have told you what is
correct have never meant to tell YOU any.
thing that didn't know to be true, If 1
ever made statement as fact l never
.madc one with more certainty and positive.
ness that do that statement today Now,
we have great deal to do. We have sto
take care of thousands and tens Of thous-
ands Of employees, for they are all 10 be
thought Of. Their wages and their wages
are probably about n per cent higher than
they were twenty-five years ago. We are
glad 70 be able to pay it. We pay it Ii
comes out OF your freight. There is an.
other thing. Sometimes people in the co ,n.1
try feel when they get before "a jury and
get a4railroad up on question of damages
Of person or property or something Of that
kind-they think if they can only stick a
railroad company they would be serving the
Almighty. Now just want to say that
every dollar Of that s paid by yourselves
When we pay il il is charged to the expense.
We have nowhere else to charge IL Just
let US be fair. All we want is fair treat
5ment. We don't want to cheat 4 man WHO
is damaged, but we don't want the man who
is damaged TO come in and through us put
in q bill that has no merit in it that you
have got to pay The same thing IF YOU raise