The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1905-04-18
TUESDAY, APRIL 18, 1905
THE FARMER WOULD SUFFER

TIE TAhmEh WOOLO our En-
1t was brought out very clearly in
an interesting special report from
Washington, published in Mondays
Clio b e, that the farmer has an i'm
mense and important interest in pros
pective railroad legislation by con-
gress, and that it may lie in the op-
posite direction from what has been
popularity supposed. 1t is pointed out
that if the making of railroad rates on
interstate commerce is turned over di-
rectly to the interstate commerce
commission, and thus becomes an ad-
Junct of federal authority, the result
of this must work out in a strict dis
lance tariff.
Under the constitution no preference
can be given to ports of one state over
those of another. A port" technically
speaking, is not a seaport and does not
need to be situated on any water, but
is merely designated by the govern
ment itself as place of official trade
entry and recognition. Such ports ex-
1st in all states of the Union save one;
and between them traffic rates, if under
federal control, must be established on
uniform basis. There would appear
to be no such basis Of uniformity ex-
cept the measure distance. This would
necessitate a distance tariff.
Now, the worst sufferer in the coun-
try from a straight distance tariff
would be the farmer. It is supposed
by the ill-informed, for instance, that
a low freight rate between Chicago
and New York is of interest chiefly to
those two cities and the great mer
camille and importing concerns that
furnish big bulk Of traffic Yet their
Interest is mere bagateIle compared
with that of the farm producer. who
furnishes the vast bulk of freight car
rled by all railroads, and into whose
freight rates the trunk line charge en-
ters as a factor The freight maid from
the wheat field to the point where the
consumer is found counts in fixing the
market price of grain. A low through
rate is thus of the greatest importance
to the farmer
The raiser of farm produce does not
care an iota in what direction his nrod-
uce goes or to whom it NAV he finally
destined. It is all one to him whether
1t is carried to New York and across
the Atlantic to Liverpool for British
consumption, or whether it goes south
TO the gulf to be carried thence to
other destinations, or whether if finds
exit from the Pacific coast to feed tbe
millions of Asia. What he wants is
the highest sum that it will bring: and
his best customer is the one connected
with him by the lowest freight rate
Inc lowering of through rates. thera-
fore, under the strenuous competition
of great railway systems, benefits the
farmer most of all; and anything which
should Interfere with this minimum
through rate would be felt by him i'm
mediately in the decreased market nrice
of his grain. This is what is going TO
happen if ever the distance tariff nrin-
ciple shall be applied.
A distance tariff practically el;r,,-
mates the element of competition. II
puts charges on mileage basis; and
those most distant from a given mar
ket are at the greatest disadvantage in
comparison with those who are nearer.
Ii the government controls, there can
be no discrimination. Every city in the
country would be clamoring first for
It's rights and second for some adyan-