Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1906-05-30
TWO DECISIONS
BY COMMISSION
RATES REDUCED AND TACIL.
TIES COMMANDED.
LAND GIFTS NOT FAVORED
State Railroad Board Looks WITH
Disfavor Upon Practice of RequIr-
ing Free Real Estate in Exchange
for Adequate Freight and Passen-
ger Facilities.

The railroad rate commission yes
terday issued two decisions of COM
plants brought by citizens against
railroad companies for Inadequate
service and for unreasonable rates,
Both decisions were in favor Of the
plaintiffs.
The Medford Fruit Package Co, OF
Medford, Taylor county, secures an
order against the Wisconsin Central,
Northwestern and Milwaukee roads,
requiring that the rate charged for
freight on berry boxes set up and
Grated shall be the same as that
charged on ''nested" boxes. This or
der is to stand until September l, so
as to cover the present season which
is about to open. The commission
declares that the entire classification
of rates on fruit packase3 is in need
of careful revision, and invites the
railroads to file a revised schedule OF
rates for approval not later than Sep
TENDER l.
The rate commission looks with dis
favor on the practice of railroads
holding up localities for gifts of land
in exchange for providing adequate
facilities. John B. Gruber & Co., OF
Catawba, Price county, was success
full in a complaint that the Minneapo-
lis, St. Paul & Sault Ste Marie road
refused to maintain adequate freight
and passenger accommodations at
that place This firm and other cit
liens desired that adequate facilities
be provided at Catawba, and began
negotiations with the company with
that end in view. The company
agreed to make Improvements if the
citizens would give free to the COM
pany a piece Of land. The citizens
tried to do this, hut some owners de-
manded remuneration for their land
and the company, as stated in a let
ter called the deal off, the com
pany would not allow the Gruber firm
even to build a warehouse convenient
ly to the tracks. Complaint was
made to the state railroad commits
sion and the company then signified
its willingness to do something in
the spring if the proceedings were
not pressed. The company failed to
carry out its promise and the matter
came to a hearing. The plaintiffs
substantiated their claims and the
commission found as matters of fact
that the facilities provided at Cataw-
ba were inadequate FOR a town Of it's
size both as to passenger traffic and
freight. An order was therefore is
sued requiring the company to con
struct a suitable depot, described in
the order. and to provide requisite
sidetracks and shipping platforms.
The depot" now at Catawba is an
old boarding car. Private parties
have a shipping platform for the use
Of which they levy upon shippers.
The commission orders that the com
pany provide these facilities without
charge to the shippers and patrons.
The company informed the citizens
that the demand was so valuable to
the place and immaterial to the com
pany, 50 taat the free gift Of the land
was a fair proposition, and that the
usual rule Of railroads in such cases
was to ask much more land than in
the present case 0quired. The rail-
roads did nos strenuously resist the
demand of the fruit package company
in the Medford case.