The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1905-08-23
1.-THE DISTANCE TARIFF"

Someone anonymous sends us a batch
of literature tending to show the wicked
ness of Gov. Cummins as applied to rate
legislation and broad the philanthropy of
railroad managers in their relation to the
people. The DOGGY OF a distance tariff
| is brought up, and President Earring of
the Milwaukee is quoted as telling the
farmers of South Dakota that distance
tariff ''means that SoHth Dakota farmers
must pay ten times more to get his wheat
to market 1ooc miles away than is paid
by the man who is within hundred
miles of the same Market
If President Earling is correctly quoted
he must either be dwelling idiot or he
must think the farmers Of South Dakota
are embeciles
A distance tariff. which no one in fact
proposes, would mean no such thing and
President Earling knows it, The cost of
loading and unloading, OF billing and hand
ling would be the same, there won be
some difference in rate and there should
be, but that it would be anything like ten
| times as much is rankest nonsense.
| We say there should be difference in
rate. Why? The Illinois farmer paws
500 to 1875 per acre for bis land, because
il is near the market. The Iowa farmer
pays from 500 to 100 per acre, in South
Dakota the price is from SIS to 50 per
acre, in Wyoming ii is from SIS TO 30 per
acre Why, because ii is farther from the
market
The present railroad rates have not
wiped out the difference, nor should they.
If Wyoming wheat could be landed in
Chicago as cheaply as Illinois, wheat the
Illinois farmer would be driven from the
market. SO would the Iowa farmer. Pres
ident Earring is further quoted as saying.
The fabric Of American freight rates is
so delicate that a commission OF seven
men sitting at Washington could hardly
cope with such task, -
Therefor the willy head OF the Milwau-
/ kee urges that the rate making power must
be left with the railroad officials who alone
can be depended upon for even handed
E justice. The motto for freight rate max
I ing to-day is and no railroad man can depy
it, to make the rate ju.t as high as the
: traffic will bear
. The people would like to turn the ia.
: bles ana have the rates just as low as the
. railroads will bear. Here is the milk il
q the cocoanut.
S The railroads claim great credit for no
J having killed more industries. They ex
r claim Lo the goose that lays our COLDER
g eggs is not dead We are looking afte,
!, that-We allow enough sustenance TO,
: her to maiutain life and keep On laying
q II is true that we get the eggs-but jus
n look at the goose. That is the railroad
S argument reduced to simple terms.
v The goose however is commencing t,
e see that she is goose and is demapdin,
h some of the golden fruit for herself
a That is why the raiIroads send out a
S nonymous stuff mailed on the cars to avoi.
l. Identification and try their best TO befo,
$ the issue.
: The railroad is not a private institution
e On account Of vast privileges given by tn,
. people, the people have acquired RICH
: and title to supervision in the matter o
e charges.
The present rates are bringing enormou
l. profits to the railroads even on the water
n ed stock on which dividends are paid
IT The time has come for a change. TIL
Il REVIEW is not competent to write the la,
Il but ii has confidence in the Presidep
2 and the Congress and believes that III
e right solution will be found. We do no
II helieue hnMeuer that The oxl.. - L.. :