The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1885-07-17
LOCAL RAILROAD RATES.


their golden eggs, when wiser policy would
be to favor It. We do this In no unkind
spirit toward these Companies. We wish to
see them make money and prosper, be on
good relations with our people, and make
their money by largely increased business
rather than lettering and obstructing the
legitimate productions, traffic and travel of
the Territory by rates that the country can
not afford. The rates of local passenger fare
established when these roads were first eper-
ated were placed at eight cents per mile.
This, including omnibus fares, left the cost
of travel between neighboring towns about
the same as had been charged by stage COM
panies Qen cents per mile), the railroad dis
tances between points being generally lon
ger than the stage route distances. For
time our people accepted the more rapid
and comfortable method Of railroad transit,
even at the high rate, without complaint at
what was felt then to be excessive charge, Ia
anticipation that with the development of
business on the roads the Companies would
voluntarily scale down. But two or three
years have passed and there has been no re-
dnction In fares. They are excessive, bur-
densome, prevent travel, and are not Justi-
fed by the expenses of maintenance and OPP
Grafton. As representative Of the interests
of the public we have therefore deemed 1t
duty to agitate the subject and press it upon
the attention of the railroad officials until
they give the matter consideration and ac-
cord lower local passenger rates in Montana.
We regard It as our duty, and have been
pleased to see several of our contemporaries
taking the same view and offering cogent
arguments why these rates should be radi-
cally lowered. We hope all will continue
In the work until the result Is accomplished,
for 1t Is inevitable that proper, candid, ear
nest impression of the facts upon the Com
panles will lead to the object sought.
In the outset we conceded that through
passenger and freight rates were generally
reasonably low, and confined our article to
local passenger rates. We notice, however,
that some of our contemporaries dwell upon
the hardship worked by local rates on agri-
cultural products shipped In quantity and
embody that as an element of the argument,
and as grievance that should be redressed.
The complaint is we'll grounded, and 1t may
be as we'll that the entire matter be presented
and urged and relief sought.
In the matter Of passenger rates, we call
attention Of the railroad companies to the
fact of their oppressiveness aud inconsis-
tency. The old stage rate between Deer
Lodge and Butte averaged about 81. 1t
costs now, including bus fares, $4.20. From
Deer Lodge to Helena the coach fare was S.;
present cost, $5.15. From Butte to Helena
the coach fare was So; present cost, $685..
So we are really paying more now for rail-
road transit than we did ten years ago by
coach. A party of three or four can now
travel by carriage with livery team between
these points for considerably less than 1t
costs by rail. This Is preposterous, espe-
cially when the travel has ten times in
creased, as railroad rates are limited by law
In the States TO about one-third what Is
charged here, aud the expenses Of operation
here are but trife more than there. The
instances cited, we believe, are but fair sam
pies of comparative rates all over the Terri
tory. Our people generally cannot afford to
pay these rates. They emily travel when
necessity compels. Money Is not so easily
made as years ago. Wage workers get less ;
the business man sells on closer margins,
and the farmer realizes scarcely half from
his grain crops what he did wnen coaches
and wagon trains made constant high mar.
ket at his door or his nearest town. A de-
creased rate would encourage people to
travel more, and more people to travel. A
very large percentage of travel now made by
private conveyance from remote distances
along the lines of railroad would be diverted
TO the cars If fares were reduced from eight
cents to five cents per mile. The usual ex-
cursion rates are now ga fare and fifth." A
reduction TO five cents q mile would yield
the railroads little more than this and reg
ular trains would be filled like excursion
trains. Our people are nov practically
suarantined at home by high passenger
rates. They are liberal, social, intelligent,
healthy people. Raise the quarantine. En-
courage them to travel for pleasure, and
make rates that they can afford to travel for
moderate business. There is not high
railroad official connected with either the
Uaion Pacific or Northern Pacific Companies
but that wsuld make Rome howl If be had
to pay eight cents q mile for railroad fare.
Put yourselves in our place.
As to local freight rates, there is equal oc.
casion to appeal for revision and reduction.
The advent of the railroads has been very
disastrous to the grain-raising farmers of
Montana. In the days of wagon trains and
coaches there was q constant market ut 2c6
Sc. for oats and barley within easy distance
Of almost every farm In the country. The
high freight rates on -four from the east
made good demand and fair prices for bis
wheat. We were told that the building up
of the mining industry by railroads would
make good local markets In the mining
campo. To some extent this has been real
lied. But the exorbitant local railroad
freights, and the foreign products thrown
into competition with our products, by low
special rates for the latter, have been ruin
GUS to the farmers Of Montana, except those
living within wagon distance Of the markets.
The discrimination is beyond oil reason.
For instance: The Union Pacific Company
has laid oats here from Omaha, 1900 miles,
ct 81 90 per 100 pounds. The present rate
from Drummond to Butte, 70 miles, Is 3s
cents per 100 pounds, and from Bozeman to
Butte, 200 miles, 63 cents per 100 pounds;
from Missoula TO Butte, 40 miles, a cents
per 100 pounds. Until recently, ct least, the
rate from Logan, Utah, TO Butte, $50 miles,
was 40 cents per 100 pounds. Recently grain
was shipped from Cheney, Washington Ter
ritory, 10 Garrison, 800 miles, for 40 cents per
100 pounds, thus giving distant points In
other Territories lower rates than Montana
towns within less than half the distance,
and charging Montana producers, on the
Omaha rate, four or five times as much As
the Nebraska producers. These things are
not right. They are injurious TO the farm
Ing interests OF Montana-interests that d.
reclly and indirectly largely contribute TO
the revenues Of the railroad companies and
-, .hc,la ,,ot hs snhyert al II. such ruinot,a