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Show Makes Voluntary Reduction in Freight Rates on Grain. CUT WILL SAVE SOME FIVE CENTS A HUNDRED Reduction Will Become General, Gen-eral, as Other Roads Must Meet It. ST. PAUL, Aug. ID.-Just as tho movement move-ment of tho grain crop Is about to begin the Great Northern railroad today announced an-nounced a sweeping reduction in grain rates throughout it3 eastern territory, extending ex-tending to tho boundary of Montana. Thrco years ago tho road made important reductions In tho western section. The new rates, It is claimed, will add millions to the potential resources of tho farmers of the Northwest. The reduction. Is not made, it is claimed, In pursuance of any pressure, but as a voluntary act and, in the words of ah official, a profit sharing policy of tho road between the railroad and the tillers of tho soli of the Northwest, North-west, that has been fundamental In tho management of tho Great Northern." Five Cents a Hundred. This reduction of rates ranges from o cents per hundred pounds from tho most distant points to a half-cent from points nearest tho Twin Cities and tho head of navigation on the Great Lakes. From Wllllston, N. D.. distant from tho head of tho Great Lakes 61C miles, tho reduction reduc-tion 13 5 cents per hundred pounds. On tho Granvlllo branch, the Towner branch, tho lino from Rugy to Antler, tho branch from York to Heme, on tho Lakota branch to Sarles, the rates are cut 3 cents per hundred. This covers an Immense Im-mense stretch of country, much of It recently re-cently brought under cultivation in North Dakota. From North Dakota Points. From MInot, X. D., to tho head of the lakes, from Grand Forks, Fargo and Hlllsboro. N. D., on tho Hanna line, run-.nlng run-.nlng north from Larlmore, tho Neche lino and tho St. Vincent line, tho reduction Is 2 cents per hundred. On tho St. Johns line, running from Church's Ferry, and the Walhalla line. It Is 2& cents, and from Larlmore It Is lVb cents per hundred. Similarly In South Dakota thero Is a reduction of 4 cents per hundred from Huron, 2 cents from Aberdeen and Yankton Yank-ton and corresponding reductions from ether points to the Twin Cities. In Minnesota the new rates show similar concessions. Effect "Will Be General. "Tho meaning of theso reductions to the farmers of tho Northwest Is something some-thing more than the winning of a battlo or tho signing of some advantageous commorclal treaty." said a prominent railroad official. "It affects the entire grain product of the Northwest, for the same rates have been mot by the Northern North-ern Pacific and must bo met by every .other line doing business in tho aamo territory and tributary to It. You cannot tell how far a movement like this will reach. It will mean a savins: of more than 200,000.000 bushels to tho ordinary markets. This foots up from S2.000.000 to 3.000.000 that will remalnin tho pockets of the farmers, of which the Great Northern will contribute at least one-half. one-half. 2To Increase of Rates. "This movement Is not only voluntary, but the revenuo thus remitted cannot bo made good from any other source. There can bo, and Is intended to be, no Increases In-creases of rates elsewhere to correspond. Moreover, It Is made In the face of the fact that in tho three years that have elapsed since the last reduction of rates was made tho pay of employees In the various departments of the system has been materially advanced, adding that much to the cost of operation." |