New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1911-01-25
The Distance Tariff Law.

The Distance Tariff Law.
It is to be hoped that the distance
tariff bill introduced by Senator
eastman OF Owatonna will be adopted
by the present legislature and become
3 law. The bill is on exact copy OF
the Iowa distance tariff law which has
been in effect for twenty-five years. In
that state tariff is issued by the
state railway commission in which all
commodities are classified anu the
rate given according to distance.
Any man who can read may turn to
this book aud find out just what II
will cost him to move any article OF
merchandise to or from any point
within the state, when he has learned
the mileage, Turl to the list OF COM
moditles, find the classification OF the
one you want, then the freight rate on
that classification and the distance 1t
is to be moved, and you can figure
what the cost OF transportation will be
Now, if any one want to know some
thing about freight and rates under
our Minnesota condition he goes to an
agent who has great heap OF special
orders, regular tariff sheets, special
tariff sheets and Lord knows what
else. After while he can figure it
out for you. You couldn't do 1t your.
self.
The distance tariff bill by Senator
eastman provides for equal railroad
rates based on mileage and service
rendered. It's chief object is to pre-
vent discrimination in localities and
give all sections o; this state square
deal. This bill does not authorize
rates. It leaves with the railroad
and warehouse commission the right
to fix maximum rates, and does not
prevent the railroads from lowering
their rates. The measure requires
charges for transporting both passen-
gers and freight on all lines in Mime
sofa to be based on distance and the
class of commodity carried-requirins
the tariff for movement in one part OF
the state to be as low as the tariff for
a similar movement in another
Senator eastman makes the fol-
lowing comparison between rates In
Iowa under the distance tariff law
and the Minnesota rates: For moving
lumber from Owatonna to St. Paul
distance of sixty-eight miles, you pay
cents per loo. Under the distance
tariff in Iowa, the charge is So cents.
You can ship lumber 200 miles IN
Iowa for s.4 cents-just two-tenth OF
per cent cheaper than it costs to ship
it sixty eight miles in Minnesota. 1t
costs cent to ship wheat the sixty
eight miles between my home and here
and for 9.s cents you can ship it 200
miles in Iowa. 1t costs cents to
ship wheat from Owatonna to st. Paul
and yet you can ship it on up to
Duluth, distance OF 1863 miles, for
cents. Is that square? It costs 81. 40
a ton to ship coal from Duluth to my
home, and vet you can ship Illinois
coal-a distance of more than 500
miles at precisely the same rate. Do
you call that square?
"You've got big packing plant
here in St. Paul to which we'd like to
send our cattle and hogs, and yet it
cost US II cents per hundred to get
our stock to it. The railroads charge |
us S26. 40 for moving a 22,OOO-pound
car from Owatonna here, distance OF
slxty.eight miles. And yet you can
mo We the same car from St. Panl to
Duluth, assistance of 1913 or 1859 miles,
for SIG ADJUST 81 cheaper. Do you
call that square? Don't you see the
need of distance tariff to prevent
against some districts
of this state?
Manufacturers don't come to St.
Paul or Minneapolis or Duluth out OF
their own choice. Taxes are higher
in the cities. Labor Is higher. Pro-
perry costs more. And yet freight
rates are lower. If this distance tariff
act becomes law, there'll be an