Devils Lake inter-ocean and Devils Lake free press. (Devils Lake, Ramsey County, N.D.) 1905-1909, 1907-08-16
RATES AND TARIFFS
Paper Read Before Commercial
League of Duluth q"

an address delivered before a
Injecting of the Commercial
league of Duluth, by the Hon.
Thomas E. eastman, member of
the Minneapolis state senate, re-
lating to railroad rates and tar
ifs. Mr.. eastman was the au-
thor of high tariff freight bill
introduced at the last session of
the Minnesota legislature:
"Mr. Chairman and Gentle
men:
"Some people think that the
issue of freight rates is an issue
between the railroads and the
shippers and that the public gen.
orally have no interest except as
a sort of a referee. This is a mar
row view. The freight rate
question is both political and
commercial and effects everyone.
In it's broad sense the railroad
question is the most important
one we have to deal with at the
present time. Like the railroads
themselves, the railroad ques-
ton seems to run every where
and into everything.
"1f you take up the trust ques-
ton you will find it's roots in the
railway system. You will learn
that some of the worst trusts,
like the Standard Oil, were made
possible by railroad discounts
and rebates and you will con-
clude that the trust evil can new
er be destroyed until you have
brought the railroads under your
control.
"The tariff question is closely
connected with the railroads.
The protection Of tariff on any
commodity is often rendered of
no value by discrimination in
rates of transportation. To IL
lustrate: there is a tariff duty
of 81 per ton on hay shipped in
to the United States. This duty
is supposed to protect the farm
ers of the west from competition
from the Canadian farmer in
selling his hay in the east, but
the railroads destroy their pro-
lection of the tariff by giving the
Canadian farmer better
freight rate, so that in spite of
the tariff, he can: successfully
compete in New York and New
England with the hay produc-
ers of the middle west.
1T would be possible to give a
great many other instances
where the protection intended
by tariffs are neutralized by
railroads in their freight rates
but it is not necessary to cite in
stances for any one who will
carefully study the railroad
question will see that it must of
necessity take in nearly every
other public question with which
the people have to deal.
"Our whole system of life, So
ciety as it is organized, is very
dependent upon the ease and
readiness with which people can
60 from place to place and ex-
change their products with one
another.
1--WE all agree with the propo-
sition that men have a right to
own the land they work and the
homes they live in. Private own
ership of property is essential
to human happiness as society is
at present organized, but while
we have the right to own the
land we work and live upon, the
highways and roads from one
mans property to another's, and
from place to place, must, of ne
cessity, belong to the public at
large. If this were not the case
men could not travel about with
freedom and could not exchange
the products Of the toll of other
men. Public ownership and con-
troll of the public highways are
just as essential to our civiliza-
ton as private ownership of
property and this has always
been so recognized by every civ
ilized country.
when the government was
founded, our forefathers recog-
nized the Importance of a ma
tional government controlling
the great public highways of the
country to such an extent that il
would make a constitutional
provision that congress should
have control of all commerce
from one state to another
ut is no longer questioned .by
anyone that the business Of