, 1875-09-11
Freight Charges.

The farmers and shippers Of this valley are
greatly excited over the advance made in the
rate for shipping grain, and are busy devising
means 10 eircumvent what they deem great
wrong. The prevailing idea is to fall back
upon tesmiDg to Wallula, bu. this at best is
an Intellectual remedy. The difficulty about
teams is, that they cannot move the grain
crop with sufficient rapidity to meet the re-
qnirernents of shippers; and even this diff
Guilty was overcome, it is known that when
ever large amount of freight is to be moved,
the teamsters are almost sure to advance the;g
price. This has been the experience in the
past, and we have no right to expect diff
ferent result iu the future.
That the rate demanded by the valley rail
road is enormous, Is evidenced by th, fact
that it costs Is cents 20 move a busbel OF
wheat from this town to the steamboat land
ing, distance of 30rmiles For the same
charge the steamboats, and railroads on the
Columbia River take wheat to Portland, q
distance of 200 miles, and using three differ
ent steamboats, and two railroad lines. At
J the rate charged on the River, ton of wheat
ought to he moved from this point TO the
steamboats, side at cost Of 81 80; but in
stead of that We have rate that including
freight and charges foots up Sc ton. With
this tariff OF charges. it costs $l2 a ton 70
move wheat from this valley to tide-water.
This figure for freight alone, saying nothing
about sacks, commissions, &c, the whole
swelling the Outlay upon every bushel o.
wheat shipped to Il foreign market to the
neighborhood of 55 cents.
Thus taxed and tied up, it = impossible ior
our farmers 10 live. For years they have
labored and struggled under adverse circum-
| stances, hoping all the time that with the IN
auguration of the railroad relief would fol-
low and the markets of the world be opened
to their roducts. Never giving way TO de-
srair, they worked nobly, and now when the
time has come when they hoped 20 reaiis Sc
their expectations, they find that the railroad
/ affords them no relief whatever.
In this position of affairs, the question that
comes home to every man is-hOw can the evil
! be rcInedied? /? The first movement that sug-
gests itself is 20 call meeting of the farmers
and shippers, to consider the situation. i
/ free interchange Of opinion could then be
( had, aud committee appointed to confer
with the chiefs of the railroad. \ confer
ence in which fhe railroad Is represented Oh
the one side, and the producers ON the other,
might be the means of bringing about au I'M
derstanding mutually satisfactory TO all par.
/ ties At least it is worth while to try the
experiment and then if that fails, the par
( ties in interest can fall back upon the leg;sia-
/ ture and seeare The passage Of Il law reguiat-
( ing freights and fares upon all lines of trans
! portation operating within the limits Of this
, territory. This should be the dernier resort,
/ but If all other means of relief fail, then The
/ law should he applied much On the principle
! that the surgeon uses the knife. This valley
Is too grand in It's outlines, too rich It lis re-
sources to br given over TO solitude, and catch
! ing this inspiration il Is Tor the farmers and
( shippers 10 devise such means a. Viii unshacs-
le tr 4de aud fix th- rate Of frei;hts ~ figures
! that will leave the producer something TO re-
ward him for his outlay OF time and labUr-