The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1913-11-07
Benlidji Interested

Shall Bemidji and every other com
munity in the Northwest have a pro-
portionate share in the benefit of
the cheap water transportation Of
fered by the Great Lakes?
The question Was asked of the In
terstate Commerce Commission by
the Commercial Club of Duluth. The
Commission answered in the affir-
NATIVE, but it's ruling has not yet
gone into effect and will not until
those who have benefited by the un-
fair rate conditions of the past
have exhausted every effort to pre-
vent their correction.
-Four years ago .le Commercial club
of Duluth surveyed the transporta,.
ton situation in the Northwest. It
saw that the Twin Cities has stepped
in while Duluth was sleeping and had
transferred the commercial Head of
the Lakes from it's geographical po-
sition to the Twin Cities, $50 miles
inland. The club found that no other
community had been extended the
same benefit of proximity to the lake
waterway. In fact, the indications
were that the Twin Cities had con-
stituted themselves, with the aid of
the rail roads, the sole beneficiaries
of cheap water transportation made
possible by the Great Lakes.
For the last three years Duluth
has been engaged in a fight to right
that condition. The Twin Cities have
bitterly opposed the city at the Head
of the Lakes. Other communities in
the Northwest, which studded the
situation, Joined on the side of Du-
luth. Represented at the various
hearings of Duluth's case where
Sioux City, Ia, and several towns in
Southern Minnesota, including Owa-
tonna, Mankato, Rochester,, Austin,
Albert Lea, Faribault, Hastings and
Waseca. Senator Ahomas E. CASH
man, Of Owatonna, appeared before
the Interstate Commerce at Washing
ton, and made a plea on the Duluth
side of the case
The formal decision of the Inter-
state Commerce was handed down
last June. 1t held that Duluth should
have the same rates as Chicago on
general merchandise from the East;
that the Twin Cities should be de-
prlVed OF some of the special pri-
vileges obtained by manipulation of
rates at the expense of other COM
munities, and that other commune
ties should be given some of the
benefits which had been withheld
from them for years.
The Twin Cities naturally aren't
satisfied with the decision. They
have asked that the case be reopen
ed. They have the effective date Of
the decision advanced from Oct. Is
to Dec. 1, and they hope to force Du-
iuth through another long and ex-
pensive fight to hold the advantage
gwen IN the decision. Duluth people
believe that the rehearing will not
be granted, for the Commission con-
sidered the evidence in the case four
teen months after the final argu-
ment before announcing a decision.
The contest involves only the So
called packages freight, or general
merchandise, rates. Lake rates on
bulk commodities, -grain, ore, coal
and lumber, are a mere fraction of
the rail rates on the same com
modities. The margin in general
merchandise rates is vastly smaller,
but still, sufficient to give the water
route an advantage over the all rail
route. The fact that the margin is
not crater is accounted for by the fact
that the package freight boats are
owned by the railroads with which
they are supposed to compete. That
is a condition Duluth is also fight
ing.
'Bemidji is vitality interested in the
final outcome of the case. Duluth has
assumed the burden of fighting for
the whole Northwest in the hope Of
increasing traffic through that port.
The Duluth Commercial Club takes
the position that the Northwest must
grow for Duluth to grow, and it is
up to Duluth to held. Regarding the
situation, as it affects communities
In the Northwest outside Of Duluth