Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1905-05-18

lOl CdCu Oh tue seven years. nee
are also attached copies OF letters and
tclegrams showing communications
between shippers and the railroads on
the subject of rebates. The nam =
are omitted in the report, lhough it Is
understood that these are known To
the commissioler ANA are a art OF the
records of his office.
Amounts Not Reported.
The total OF $9,Iag,9&3 80 WithaciI
by the various roads from their repor 5
Of the gross earnings during the la t
seven years is made up of various
items, tabulated by the commissioners
as follows:
Wrongfully deducted from the gross
earnings:
Repayments to shippers $5.077 1927
Repaymcnts on passenger
lralnc .....,... ...,.... S1266l.7O
Expense of operating ho
tells ....,..... ......, l60O.96
Amounts not reported which are
a part of the gross earnings:
Car mileage (credit bal
ance) .,.......... 49,. 91GSOO.19
Switching charges collect
ed ..... ............. 1,9S6,3il.22
Storage, domurrage, etc. 165,364 90
Rental of tracks and
terminals ...,.. ...,. 645,S03 81
Total .,......... $9,739, 1913 IS
The report then takes up at length
tho IpntbplC fo1Inu-,,1 Ia. m, ,,,o1,
giving rebates TO shippers Amon2
other things the commissioner says
Rebate Methods.
1T has been the custom of many
railway companies operating in Wis
consin to pay out each year large
sums of money on vouchers which are
designated as commissions to ship
pers. In most instances the compa-
MES paying out these sums have de
Quoted the amount so paid from their
report of gross earnings to the state
treasurer. There can be little ques
tion that these reductions are wrong
and that the state is entitled 10 its
percentage on the amounts so deduct
ed. Where this course has been fol
lowed by the roads the amounts so
deducted have been included in the
tables which form a part of this re-
port. This department regards
these payments as unfair discrmna
tions in favor Of the shippers recoiv
ing them. The beneficaries have
been lumber and coal merchants. pa
per and other manufacturers. refrig
orator car owners and owners of the
so-called industrial lines. The mean
ing of the term industrial line is
probably known TO everyone who
reads this report. II Is generally
but system of sidetracks about the
works Of a large manufacturing com
pany in connection with one or more
main lines of railroads, and is built
for the sole convenience Of the manu-
featuring corporation and used exclu-
sively for the freight OF that corpora
ton. These roads are not in a broad
sense common carriers, and do no
commercial carrying other than indi-
Gated Generally they are organized
and owned by an independent corpor
alton called a railway company, but
the stock of this corporation IS in
yariably owned or controlled by the
parent concern of which 1t is a com
ponent part and the commission or
division of through rate paid 10 this
so-calIed railway is only a rebate In
disguise. The Wisconsin proportion
Of gross earnings has been very ma
teriaIy reduced by commissions paid
t. the officials Of other lines Of rail
ways, prticularly those located In 9th
or states. Parties receiving such pay
ments are designated by their nroper
official title. occupation and addresses
On the vouchers but the receipt for
such commission Is given 10 them In
their individual capacity and not a.
of the railway compa /
mics employing them Many N the |
vouchers for commission ere made to /
he general freight agents. genera
traffic managers and subordinate |
freight officials Of lines outside OF
In such cases thore has
peen no difficulty In ascertainlng To
Fhom the sums we're paid
Some paid ~ / aroa Cbjrrcrr