Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1907-02-14
. WHAT They SAY /

R. L. Hardy: If our legislators
would have devoted the same amount,
of time and energy to laws pertaining
to matters. OF freight rates, over
weights and a law which would COM
pei railway company, after having
received consignment at one point
for transportation to another, to trans
port and deliver same within a reason
able time, which they have to the
two-cent rate and anti-pass bills, i am
inclined to believe they would have
accomplished more for the general
public.
However, of course, I do not desire
to be understood as finding fault with
any member of either house, on the
other hand, taking them as a whole, I
doubt if our state has ever been as
intelligently represented. Our legisla-
tors are simply the agents of our peo-
pie and our people, or at least some of
our people, are responsible for nearly
every bill introduced. So far as any
material benefit to us is concerned
by a two-cent rate, L fail to see it.
The general public does not travel to
any great extent, and the travelling
public, when they get two-cent rate,
haven't got any more than they now
have except at present one is COM
PEELED to invest SIS in mileage in
advance. This matter could be: better
adjusted by a law to compel the
three northwest roads to adopt the
interchangeable system, the same as
! most of the roads east, of the Missouri
and west of Chicago, except the
GIN, N. P. and 500 now have. BY this
system one can purchase tickets at
straight three-cents on any road and
if one uses 1000 miles or more in any
one year he is entitled to a rebate of
one cent per mile. A plan similar to
the above would accomplish results
satisfactory to the travelling public
and would not cause the railway COM
panies to withdraw ,homeseekers and
harvest-hands rates. However,, it is
not the, matter of cheap passenger
rates that concerns the general public
most The paramount issue being the
transportation by freight of raw and
finished materials. Anyone W no is in
a position to know will tell you rail-
way companies do not make great
amount of money from the passenger
traffic. It is in the freight department
where the money is made. do not
contend that a railway company
should be placed by law or otherwise
, in position whereby they can not
make good round profit. They and
every other corporation, firm or indi-
vidual should be accorded this privil-
Eege. But do contend that we should
/ have. a law which works. both ways, or
lin other words a law which will com.
pei common carrier to deliver any
! consignment of freight delivered to
! them at one point to be delivered or
/ transported to another, within a rea-
sonable time or pay the shipper any
: loss occasioned by the delay thereof,
unless the delay be occasioned by the
act of God or the public enemy. AS
/ the law, now stands may ship a car
of flax to Duluth and the railway com
pany may delay same for days or even
weeks, the market drops and the only
recourse I have is the consolation re-
ceived by having the railway com
pany say they are sorry, while on the
other hand may ship car of coal
from Duluth to Bismarck and if i fail
to unload the same within 48 hours,
F., the railway company compels me to
pay demurrage or penalty. There
are many other matters pertaining
to the handling of freight which it
would be we'll to look into, such as
over weights and wrong classified
lions.
So far as an anti-pass law is con
cerned fail to see where it cuts any
figure. It would be hard for me to
believe that any law maker would
be SO foolish as to let such a small
matter as pass, during his term Of
Office, (and they all know that rail-