Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1907-08-14

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 thai 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 obtap in states.
Is there anything about the traffic
density, operating conditions or the
situation generally that justifies high
er charges in this state?
The testimony and facts presented
by the respondent railway companies
Eere mostly directed toward showing
that the livestock traffic IN Wisconsin
vas relatively more costly than in
the other states named aud that the
cost of handling this traffic was a
great deal higher than the cosr of
handling 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-
>n; the livestock traffic in Wiscon-
in is largely of a pickup character,
the grades in Wisconsin are somewhat
heavier than in Iowa; the tonnage CT
livestock that can be loaded into a
car is relatively small; the cars ZEN.
gageo in this traffic must in most
cases be returned empty: the matCri
ii 10; 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
high rate of speed; the man In
charge of livestock shipments must
be passed free of charge"
The commission takes up each OF
these eleven claims and discusses
them extensively. The commission
presents table showing the number
of carloads of livestock received from
! differnt states III the north and west
at the Union Stock Yards in Chicago
during the yeas 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 sarge. They
were out of proportion to the live
stock which vas 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 iris were not given in the testi-
mony,. but may perhaps be found In
the circumstances under which live
stock is often fed or fattened before
it is finally marketed. 1t 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. put also the
stock which was simply stopped In
these states Tor fattening ana then
reshipped into that market
The coal supply of the roads," the
commission says, may be slightly
more costly in Wisconsin than for
Illinois, but it does not seem that it
can be higher for Wisconsin than for
,, the lines as whole. Wnen all the
facts are taken into consideration 1t
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 greater proper.
ton of the livestock traffic IN this
, state is of pickup character than
is cne case for Iowa and Illinois"
AS to the claims regarding heavier
grades in Wisconsin, tonnage, ship
, ping facilities, cleaning cars, speed OF
trains and transportation of care
takers for stock, the commission con.
: Guides that while they have an i'm
portant bearing on the cost Of trans
porting livestock they are not of sur
ficient Importance to materially affect
the rate per 100 pounds on this class
of freight
After discussing at length the sub
ject of intra-state rates the commits
sion concludes that the greater pro
portion of the livestock rates in Wis
consin are yielding more than fair
return upon reasonable valuation OF
the properties involved. In arriving
at these conclusions every rate in the