Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1907-08-15

they can hardly fail to attract atten-
ton. In other cases, again, they are
comparatively small and less notice
able. Examples of the latter sort are
most frequent in the eastern part of
the state AS the tariffs in Illinois and
Iowa are uniform for all sections,
these variations in Wisconsin indi-
cate that the tariffs in the three states
have not been built up on the same
principles.
THE interstate rates on livestock
are, on the whole, considerably higher
in Wisconsin than in the two states
named. The question is, are these
differences warranted by the con-
ditions which Obtain in these states
Is there anything about the traffic
density, operating conditions or the
situation generally that justifes high
er charges in this state?
The testimony and facts presenta5
by the respondent railway companies
we're mostly directed toward showing
that the livestock traffic IN Wisconsin
Was relatively more costly than in
the other states named aad that the
cost of handling this traffic was a
great deal higher than the cost of
pandIing most other kinds of traffic.
The main reasons are as follows
The livestock traffic in Wisconsin is
lighter than in other states named:
the cost of coal is greater in WisCon-
Nn; the livestock traffic in Wiscon-
in is largely of pickup character,
the grades in Wisconsin are somewhat
heavier than in Iowa; the tonnage Of
livestock that can be loaded into a
car S relatively small; the cars en-.
gageC in this traffic must in most
eases be returned empty: the matcri
ii 1"r bedding is partly furnished by
the roads and they also have, to bear
the expense of cleaning the cars;
the livestock traffic requires the main
tenance of stock yards, pens, loading
chutes, pumps and sidetracks: the
claims for damages are relatively
larger than for other classes of traffic
the stock trains must be moved at a
nigh rate of speed; the man in
charge of livestock shipments must
be passed free of charge"
The commission takes I'D each or
these eleven claims and discusses
them eXhaustiyely. The commission
presents a table showing the number
of carloads of livestock received from
d1ffernt states in the north and west
at the Union Stock Yards in Chicago
during the years 1903, 1904 and 1908
and says:
From the preceding statement 1t
appears that Iowa furnished more
livestock for the union stock yards
thany any of the other states. Illinois
is second in order and Wisconsin
third. The shipments from Iowa and
Illinois were exceedingly iarge. They
were out of proportion to the live
stock which was raised in those states
The shipments from Colorado, Idaho,
-,ebraska, Kansas and some other
states would on the other hand seem
to be almost abnormally small, much
smaller in fact than might be expected
under the circumstances. The reasons
for this were not given in the testi-
mony" but may perhaps be found 1T
the circumstances under which live
stock is often fed or fattened before
it is finally marketed. Is is well
known, for instance, that large num-
| bers of livestock are annually shipped
into Iowa and other states for this
purpose, and then when fattened re,
| shipped to Chicago. 1t is quite prob
| able that shipments of this character
in the records of the union stock
yards, are credited to the states from
which they were made. If this Is
! the case then it also follows that the
figures for Iowa and Illinois in the
table given includes not only the
| stock actually raised in these states
and shipped into Chicago, but also the
stock which was simply stopped In
these states for fattening and then
reshipped into that market"
The coal supply of the roads," the
commission says, may be slightly
more costly IN Wisconsin than fol-
| Jul II oOSo uOL oGSm GudL III
can be higher for Wisconsin than for
the lines as a whole Wnen all the
facts are taken into consideration II
appears that the question of the COST
of coal is not very important one
in this case"
1t does not seem likely" the com
mission says, that a greater proper
ton Of the livestock traffic in this
state is Of a pickup character thar
is one case for Iowa and Illinois,
AS to the claims regarding heavier
grades in Wisconsin, tonnage, ship
ping facilities, cleaning cars, speed o.
trains and transportation of care
takers for SICK the commission con
Guides that 4ila they have an i'm
portant bearing on the cost of trans
porting livestock they are not of SUI
ticient Importance to materially affec
the rate per 100 pounds on this elias,
of freight
After di~cusEtng at length the sub
JecL Of intra-state rates the commits
rs sion concludes that the greater pro
portion of the livestock rates in Wis
consin are yielding more than fat
return upon a reasonable valuation o
the properties involved. In arriving
at these conclusions every rate in The