Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1907-08-15
BIG REDUCTION ORDERED BY
COMMISSION
AT TER AN INVESTIGATION
Examination of Questions Raised by
w. /. Houser's Complaint Con-
cIudes With Directions for New
Tariffs From 20 to % Per Cent
Lower Than Present Charges.
Madison. Aug. s.

sin was ordered by the state railroad
rate commission in decision an
nounced yesterday. The recently re-
signed commissioner, John Barnes,
acted Oh this matter and signed the
decision, but it was not announced to
the public until yesterday.
Rates are reduced from almost
every point i'll the state to Milwaukee,
and the largest reductions are from
places in the western and northwest
ern parts of the state. The commiss-
ION found that rates from places near
Milwaukee and III the southern part
Of the state were not particularly ex-
cessiye or discriminate
The action of the commission was
primarily based upon 2 formal com
plant flied more than a year ago by
Walter L. Houser of Mondovi, thea
secretary of state, who also field the
the first formal complaint charging
excessive passenger rates. However,
before tie commission had far adVanc-
proceeding, it was deemed best to
not limit he investigation to the
oates involved in the Houser COM
plant, but take in the general sub
ject of livestock rates all over the
state.
Rank discrimination was found by
the commission in the rates charged
Wisconsin shippers as compared with
the rates charged the shippers of
livestock in Iowa and Illinois, and al
though the defendant railroad com
panies being the Omaha, Northwest
ern, Milwaukee and Wisconsin Cent
raj, made representations to the
effect that conditions were vastly diff
erent in Wisconsin from what they
were in Illinois and Iowa, and that
the cost of the service was much
greater in Wisconsin and this was
warrant for the apparent higher rates,
the commission gave eacn representa-
ton full hearing and examination, and
finally concluded that different yrin-
ciples" were adopted by the railroad
rate-makers in fixing and determin-
ing the charges to be assessed
again Wisconsin livestock than the
principles used to calculate the
charges on shipments in Iowa ana
illinois. Therefore the final conclu-
sion Of the commission, after a dis
cussion making this decision one of
the largest ever issued by the Wiscon-
sin commission, is that the rates
must be greatly reduced.
The action of the commission was
not only based upon the discrimina-
ton found to exist against Wisconsin
in comparison with Iowa and Illinois,
but was based more securely upon
the actual cost of the service render
ed, upon the value of the properties
invested, and making the calculation
with every doubt resolved in favor OF
the corporations and using the liberal
interest rate of ten percent.
The commission explains that il
deemed it necessary to make a gener
al investigation OIL the rates in Wis
cons1n and not connne itself to the
rates specifically complained of by
Mr.. Houser-fron Mondovi to Milwau
! kee-so that NO mal-adjustment Of
| rates might result. Extensive tables
are set forth in the decision, SHOWING
uniformly higher rates in Wisconsin
| than in either Illinois or Iowa for the
| same kind of shipments and same
| distances. These excuses of rates
| for Wisconsin over those in Illinois
and Iowa were larger as the distances
! from Milwaukee were greater. In
some cases, usually from places neal
Milwaukee, the Wisconsin rates were
slightly lower tnan those in the othel
! two states compared. Discussing
| these tables the commission says:
While the tables explain them
selves few illustrations of wha
they show may be given. From Ell
roy to Mcmillan there are IL sta
| tons. The average rate on horse:
from these stations to Milwaukee i.
1855 cents per 100 pounds. The
average rate for Wisconsin for thi,
group is thus a great deal higher thar
| those for substantially like groups il
the other states. similar situation
is found for cattle, hogs and sheer
for this group. What has been founC
to be true for the group in question
is also true for every group in tn,
| table. The comparisons for this roat
(the Omaha) include the rates 70
105 stations and are fairly represer
! tative of the situation.
The table for the Northwestern
| road is still more comprehensive. |
includes comparisons for 343 ste
lions in Wisconsin. The Illinois an
| Iowa rates for short distances ar,
often higher than the Wisconsin
rates. The effect of this i
clearly shown in the first group Il
the table, where for an average dis
lance of q miles Wisconsin has tn,
lowest average rate. For the secont
group in order, or for the II stations
located between Sheboygan ant
PEBBLES, with al average distance z
Milwaukee of Y miles, this situation
Is reversed except for sheao, III.
rates on which are often lower II
Wisconsin than in the othsr two
states.
Inc greater proportion of tn,
1 livestock In Uvicoor-4~ -.,;.,..l =