The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1883-12-14
GOOD FOR LOGAN.

tDlDg 10 20 WOulu Do loI CoIn
munity to refuse to allow railroad
to operate singly in country. The.
ought always to run in pairs o
threes, all lines parallel, no roat
being permitted to enter a towr
that was not touched by another
And while the people are about il
regulating these great developer:
and ciYilizers, they might as wei
provide also that parallel roads
should invariably be owned ant
operated by rival companies, the
chasm between them being so broad
and deep that it could not be bridged
by any pooling arrangement. When
regulations of this kind are in.
augurated towns will indeed De
fortunate if blessed by railroad
facilities. At present it is sometimes
a question if railroad is not in fact
a hindrance to city's growth and
progress.
Cache Valley has long had cause
for complaint because only one rail-
road traverses it, and just now the
complaint is loud and deep. There
are indications that something more
than expressions of discomfort will
come from the county's grievances.
Indeed, something else has been
already evolved. The Union Pacific
company taxes the Logan people
$3.50 and 50 per ton for an ordinary
grade of coal. Now, this is simply
robbery, for the same quality of
coal is sold in this city, by the same
company, at $3.50 per ton, while the
hauling distance is only about
twenty miles in favor Of Salt Lake.
But what makes the matter doubly
outrageous is the fact that only
about half the time is the Logan
market supplied with coal. Even at
these exorbitant prices the people
cannot obtain the fuel. They have
begged and pleaded for relief, but
in vain, and finally, in their desper-
alton, and to protect themselves
have gone beyond the railroad, re-
turning to first principles. We I'M
derstand that the people have ar
ranged with the Denver q Rio
Grande company for supply OF
coal to be delivered at Ogden and
Corinne, whence it will be hauled
by teams 20 Logan, in one instance
ffty-eight miles and in the other
thirty miles. The teams will bring
certain produce to the railroads, a
market having been found for it
along the line of the Denver u Rio
Grande, and carry coal back, thus
being enabled to make fair wages
considering the season, while the
coal remains at its present high
price. The narrow-gauge, OF course
has given liberal terms. 1t is said
that a sufficient number of teams
has b cen secured to supply Logan
with coal, and the market for the
Cache produce is large enough to
keep the teams employed for some
time.
Anybody at all familiar with
railroad management, will at once
say that this arrangement cannot be
maintained. Being crowded by the
mule-power competition the rail-
road will put down the price of ceal
lust low enough to starve the teams
off the road. The disinterested on
locker will say, maintain the :
freighter anyway, and refuse to buy
from the railroad. Revenge and
patriotism would both suggest this
course. but in this world pockets
are potent. a few persons would
pay more to the teamsters than to
the railroad, but the many will buy |
where they can obtain the cheapest.
This is a commercial law which |
will not be nullifed by any moral
sentiment. The Logan teams may |
make a trip or two, when it will be |
found that the market is supplied |
with cheap coal. This is our pre-
diction.
1t is outrageous that community |
should be so imposed upon as to |
make it necessary to protest in the
manner that the Cache people are
doing in hauling their coal IN such
a season and along such roads, by |
the side of railroad track, over
which half-laden trains are daily
running. 1t amounts almost to a
crime on the part of the corporation.
when railroads are guilty Of such