Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1907-08-15

PEBBLES, with an average distance 20
Milwaukee of y miles, this situation
Is reversed except for sheeo, The
rates on which are often lower IN
Wisconsin than in the 9th IT two
states.
The greater proportion of the
Testock in Wisconsin IS raised in
tie southern half OF thu state. al
Though some OF the coI4I..'s farth>r
north in the western part of the state
are also fairly good sto,k producers.
Fxct III for the shorter distances aud
in some cases for sheep, the Wiscon-
SIN rates are generally found TO be
the highest. In a great many instances
these differences are so large that
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
nave not been built up on the same
principles.
The intrastate 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 justifies high
er charges in this state? .....
The testimony and facts presented
by the respondent rail way companies
we're 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 cost of
handling most other kinds of traffic.
The main reasons are as follows.
he livestock traffic in Wisconsin is
lighter than in other states named:
the cost of coal is greater in Wiscon-
S'n; the livestock traffic in WiscoI-
in is largely of pickup character,
the grades in Wisconsin are somewhat
heavier than in Iowa; the tonnage CT
livestock that can be loaded into a
ca" IS relatively small; the cars en-.
g;geo in this traffic must in most
cas"s be returned empty: the rlatcri
ii l"f 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 of
these eleven claims and discusses
them exhaustively. The commission
presents table showing the number
OF carloads of livestock received from
dlffernt 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 large. 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 In
the circumstances under which live
stock is often fed or fattened before
1t is finally marketed. 1t is we'll
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 for 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 1t
can be higher for Wisconsin than for
the lines as a whole. Wnen all the
facts are taken into consideration il
appears that the question of the COST
of coal is not a very important one
in this case"
1t does not seem likely" the COM
rniccioa GIVE