Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1906-04-19
OPENS RATE
INQUIRY
Secretary Houser
Makes Formal
Complaint
Attacks Omaha And
Northwestern
COMPANIES
Says Freight Rates in
Wisconsin Are In
reasonable

Secretary of State Walter L. Houser
has formally opened before the state
railroad rate commission the ques-
ton of railroad freight rates in Wis
consin. Yesterday he filed a COM
plant with the commission against
the Northwestern and Omaha roads,
alleging that the rates charged by
these companies for carrying freight
in this state are excessive and unlaw-
full, that they are far above the rates
charged for similar service in the
state of Illinois and ought to be the
subject of an order of the commission
requiring the companies to lower
them. He alleges that the rates are
unlawful for the reason that the laws
of Wisconsin forbid the charging OF
higher rates tain reasonable. He
further alleges that these excessive
and unlawful" rates work a great hard
ship to the public.
He asks the commission to take the
necessary steps to notify the com
panies of this complaint, make prop
er investigation of the facts and grant
the relief to the complainant and other
citizens of the state as prayed for.
The complaint is drawn in the indi-
vidual and not the official capacity of
Mr.. HOuser. He represents that he
is and for over 80 years has been a
citizen, resident and freeholder OF the
state of Wisconsin, and is at the pres
ent time and for many years last past
has been engaged, among other things,
in the business of farming, horse
breeding, stock raising and dairying
in the city of Mondovi, in the county
of Buffalo in said state;
THAT the defendants are each cor
porations, duly created, organized and
existing pursuant to the laws OF the
state of Wisconsin and are engaged
in the business of conducting and op-
Grating, within said state and else
where, railroads for the carriage cf
persons and things, for hire, as public
carriers, and are duly licensed and
authorized so to do within said state
by the laws thereof"
Then follows a detailed description
of the routes of railroad maintained
and operated by the two defendant
corporations. The two together are
alleged to operate some $500 miles
of road in this state.
Milwaukee Chief Market.
And complainant further alleg as
that the city of Milwaukee contains
$4,000 inhabitants, and is the chief
manufacturing and commercial cen.
ter, the chief market within the said
state of Wisconsin, for the sale of
products produced and dealt in by
complainant and hereinbetore Sc:
forth;
And complainant further alleges
that the only facilities for transporta
ton by rail, afforded complainant, in
the shipments necessary to be made
by him in the conducting and carry
ing on of his business, as hereinbefore
stated, are from the city of Mondovi,
by means of the line of road of the
said Omaha company, from Fairchiid
to Mondovi, that the distance from
the city of Mondovi to the city of Mil.
waukee, by the lines of the said de.
PENDANTS, is, substantially, 270 miles;
that the rates and fares charged by
the said defendants, the Omaha COM
pany, for transporting commodities 10
and from said city of Mondovi, to said
city of Milwaukee, by its own lines.
i'm connection with the lines of said
Northwestern line, computed and
stated in cents per 100 pounds are as
follows:
No. = xu:.~&s.;.