Commissioner Osborn, in reply. OFFICE OF RAILROAD COMMISSIONERS, DEAR SIR:-Yours of the 17th is at haud. In reply I would state that several cases similar to your own, have been presented to the Board of Commissioners and referred to the Attorney-General for consideration. Without doubt some decided action will be taken very soon to remedy such abuses as you complain of. Truly, yours, J. L. BUSH, Esq., Doylestown. J. H. OSBORN, P. S. Your particular case will also be referred to the AttorneyGeneral. J. H. O. Complaint.-J. L. Rood to Commissioner Osborn. MONROE, WIS., May 31, 1875. DEAR SIR:-I received your letter duly. I have just received a car of shingles from Oshkosh. The C. M. & St. P. Railway have charged nine dollars and eighty cents for the last thirty-five miles, being the distance from Janesville to Monroe, and would not receive the car at Janesville at all, unless the freight was pre-paid. I want to ship several cars of lumber, and would like to know if there is any way by which I can get lumber shipped at the legal rate, and not be compelled to pay an excess on every car I ship. Yours, very truly, J. H. OSBORN, Railroad Commissioner. J. L. ROOD. Commissioner Osborn, in reply. OFFICE OF RAILROAD COMMISSIONERS, MADISON, June 4, 1875. DEAR SIR: Yours of May 31, I found awaiting my return to the office. Since last writing you I have been to the several railroad stations of Oshkosh, Fond du Lac, and Janesville, and questioned the respective agents at those places upon the points raised in your letter. There is no doubt that the station-agents only follow the instructions received from the general office, and that their instructions are in direct violation of the law. The continued absence of the Attorney-General prevents the presentation of the subject for his consideration and action; but the earliest opportunity will be embraced to do so. Very truly, yours, J. L. ROOD, Monroe. J. H. OSBORN, Commissioner. Hon. A. Scott Sloan to W. G. Swan, OFFICE OF ATTORNEY-GENERAL, DEAR SIR:-Complaints are made that you are disregarding the provisions of the "Potter-law" so-called, by charging $8 for the first twenty-five miles on lumber which has come to you from another road, and which has already paid $8 for the first twenty-five miles on such other road; and that you charge $5 for a fractional part of the second twenty-five miles. If these complaints are well founded, legal proceedings will be commenced to restrain your company from making such illegal charges; and your attention is called to them, that you may make any explanation you desire, and correct the practice in the future. Your immediate attention is requested. Yours, truly, A. SCOTT SLOAN, Attorney-General. W. G. Swan to Hon. Scott Sloan, in reply. OFFICE OF WEST WISCONSIN R. R. Co., HUDSON, WIS., June 10, 1875. DEAR SIR: I am in receipt of your favor of the 9th inst., wherein you say that "complaints are made that you are disregarding the provisions of the "Potter-law," so-called, by charging $8 for the first twenty-five miles on lumber, which has come to you from another road, and which has already paid $8 for the first twenty-five miles on such road, and that you charge $5 for a fractional part of the second twenty-five miles." You conclude by saying "that if such charges are true, legal proceedings will be commenced to restrain this company from making such illegal charges," &c. In reply, I beg to say that our rates were made to conform strictly to those prescribed by the so-called "Potter-law," nearly a year ago; and that I supposed they were giving entire satisfaction to our immediate patrons, as well as to the general public. At any rate, no complaint has, as yet, been made to me or to any subordinate officer of the road so far as I know, and I am at a loss, in absence of special suggestions from you, to know to what particular rates objection has been made. Will you kindly furnish to me by early mail, a full statement of the facts upon which the complaints referred to by you, are based, together with the names of the complainants, in order that I may give to the subject my personal and immediate attention. I was in hopes that we might by fairly conducting the business of the company, meet the good will and confidence of all having business dealings with us, and so be relieved from any small and unreasonable persecutions from all sources. I assure you that this company sincerely desires to avoid all legal entanglements with the people, or the State authorities, and shall await your further communication, with a view to their taking such action as this company's interests and the merits of the premises may seem to require. Very respectfully, yours, W. G. SWAN, Gen'l Supt. Hon. A. Scott Sloan to D. M. Kelly. OFFICE OF ATTORNEY-GENERAL, DEAR SIR:-Complaints are being received at the office of the Railroad Commissioners and at this office, that the Green Bay & Minnesota Railway Company, is not complying with the acts of the legislature of this State, known as the "Potter-law;" that when freight is shipped on your road, which will pass over another road to reach its destination, pre-payment is demanded at rates higher than authorized by said law, viz: That your company demands $8 per car (lumber) for the first 25 miles, and also $8 per car for the first 25 miles over the other road, and that you refuse to receive and forward freight, unless payment is made at such rates. If these complaints are well founded, it will be our duty to commence proceedings for the enforcement of the law. Your attention is called to them, in the hope that the company will correct the wrong, and save us the necessity of legal proceedings. Will you please advise me at your convenience what course your company intend to pursue in regard to the "Potter-law." Yours, truly, A. SCOTT SLOAN, Attorney-General. D. M. KELLY, Esq., General Manager. D. M. Kelly, to A. Scott Sloan, in reply. OFFICE OF G. B. & MINN. R. R. Co., DEAR SIR: I have your esteemed favor of the 9th inst., and have to answer as follows: Early in May we received information from the Chicago & Northwestern Railway Company that they would not receive freight from us at the eastern terminus of our road, destined for points on the Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul Railway, or other connecting lines, unless the charges of that company (the C. & N. W. R'y,) were pre-paid, and also that on such freight, so destined, that company would not pay us our charges on the receipt of the freight, and, accordingly, seeing no other way to secure to us our charges, and to insure the taking of the freight from us by the C. & N. W. R'y, we notified our agents regarding the requirements of the C. & N. W. R'y Co., and requested them to say to shippers that to insure delivery of freight to destination, it was necessary that charges should be pre-paid. About the same time we also received a communication from the C. & N. W. R'y Co., which we construed to mean that that company would receive no more freight from us, at our eastern terminus, destined to points on its road, unless its charges were pre paid, and that it would not pay to us our charges on delivery of freight to it, and, accordingly, we felt obliged to notify our agents, as in the former instance. Subsequently, however, we were notified by the C. & N. W. R'y Co., that it would pay our charges, and would take freight without pre-payment of its charges, and, accordingly, our agents were notified not to ask for or advise pre-payment on freight destined to points on the C. & N. W. R'y. The condition of affairs at the present time is this: On freight originating at stations on our road, and going over the Chicago & N. W. R'y, to points of destination on the Chi., Mil. & St. P. R'y, the C. & N. W. R'y Co. requires pre-payment of its charges as a precedent to taking of the freight from us, and therefore, not only to secure our charges, but to insure the taking of the freight by the C. & N. W. R'y, we are obliged to advise shippers to pre-pay charges up to the point where a delivery is made by the C. & N. W. R'y Co. to the C., M. & St. P. R'y Co. On freight originating at stations on our road and destined to points on the C. & N. W. R'y, no pre-payment is required and advised, as at present such freight is taken from us by the C. & N. W. R'y Co. without any pre-payment of freight on our part, and our charges are promptly settled. I am advised that the action of the C. & N. W. R'y Co. regarding freight destined to points on the C. M. & St. P. R'y is made necessary by the refusal of the latter Co. to receive such freight subject to any charges. The action of this Co. in regard to freight destined for points on the C, & N. W. R'y and the C. M. & St. P. R'y, has been dictated simply by a desire to protect itself in its business, and to take such a course as seemed right and proper, under the circumstances, for the interest of the shippers, and not with any intention or disposi tion to violate the laws of this State. If the connecting R. R. Co. refuses to receive freight from us, unless its charges are pre-paid, and also refuses to pay us our charges, I can see no other way left open to continue our business, and to protect the interests of our shippers in securing a certain and prompt delivery of freight to destination, than to advise the prepayment of charges. If the C. & N. W. R'y Co. is willing to take freight from us, and |