The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1911-02-17

tariff, while lower than the Mime
sofa and Illinois distance tariffs,
helps the Iowa jobbers much as the
benefit of the local rate is made up
in interstate business
Mr.. Currier said that he did not
think that the straight Iowa law
would work out well in Minnesota,
and that Senator eastman was rather
bull-headed and would not take sug-
rier explained what is meant by
joint rates. What is desired is to
get rate from Lake Superior that
will be about the same as the twin
cities get.
Stated Committees Position.
Judge Cray thought that Senator
eastman was honestly working to
complish something for the good Of
Southern Minnesota, but his bill is
very much involved and difficult to
figure out. He felt that the bill has
not been studied as one going be-
fore the legislator ought to have
been. He did not think that the bill
would help Mankato in the matters
where the city wants relief. The
Great Northern could haul coal from
Duluth to ST. Paul for so cents a
ton, while the Omaha road could
charge a dollar ton for the hauling
it to Mankato. eve think that there
are determinations in favor of the
lnp nj
and we do not think that the bill
remedies this" said the committee
chairman.
AL. KrOst presented letters from
Attorney Simpson and from former
Attorney General T.. r. Young to
the Minnesota railway and ware
house commission, to the effect that
the passage of the eastman bill
would cause great deal of trouble
for the legal department of the
state, which is now involved i'm inn
portant litigation that has cost large
sums. After the principles at stake
are settled, it will be time enough
to enact further legislation. There
proposed rates under the bill One
suit should be finished before an
other is begun.
Senator Works said that as "A mat
ter of course new rates would mean
new litigation. Whether the, rates
would be higher or lower it would
be hard to say now.
Handicap Mankato industries.
Mr.. Krost said that under the dis.
lance tariff law the rate on stone
to the twin cities from Mankato
would be doubled, and TO Winona
the rate would be tripled The pres
ent commodity rate is three cents.
Mr.. Currier did not think that
there was reason to believe that the
rate would be higher, if the persenl
rate was fair one.
Mr.. Krost said that the cost OF
operating railroads is greater in
Minnesota than i'm Iowa. Coal costs
forty per cent more. i'm this state, for
one thing.
George M. Palmer said that if the
eastman bill became law the rail.
road would adopt the Minnesota dis
lance tariff rates, which would raise
the rate on grain from one to three
and four cents a 100 pounds.
Mr.. KrOst said that the Great
Western road would be unable to
handle freight between Mankato and
the twin cities.
Great Western Would Suffer.
w. l.. Hixon explained why the
eastman bill would not work out
as expected by it's friends. If the
railroads were to be tied hand and
foot to a mileage proposition they
could not help out the local stone
and other industries From the
standpoint of Mankato and Southern
Minnesota the passage of the Cash.
man bill in its present form would
be bad thing. The railroads now
take care of the industries along
their lines against those on com
peting lines. The Great Western
road has been Godsend to Man.
kato. but under distance tariff law
1T could be no business between
Mankato and the twin cities. This
state would be confined to the pres.
ent maximum distance tariff, and the
lower rates in Iowa would not be
secured. so far as anybody can pre-
dict. There ought to be commits.
sion appointed to look into the mat
ter, and if we get right coal rates
we will be all right as we are.
Mr.. Pay said that under the Cash
man bill his business would have
to pay twice the rates that his com.
petitors do.
Mr.. HixOn said that the Iowa law
is working a hardship on the cement
industry there. The Hannibal, Mo-.
factories are getting the business.
George Pass said that the only
way to succeed is to have relatively
high local rates. SO as to have
cheaper rates for long hauls. 1t
costs 20 cents to ship barrel OF
lime from Mankato to Window, and
the same rate to Omaha. which is
all right. Any bill that brings this
principle about is good thing, and
any bill that does not do IL is a
bad thing.