The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1888-04-04

transportation companies when economi-
cally conducted.
The growth and development of the
productive industries Of Montana, as a
whole, depend more upon cheap trans
portatlon than upon any one external
agency. Have we secured in the past the
low freight rates that our natural advan-
tages entitle us to? I believe not. Shall
we secure in the future such rates? That
depends upon ourselves and not upon the
transportation companies.
In this paper I wish to discuss the
transportation question purely from the
standpoint of producer and consumer,
and have no wish to censure in any way
acts of our transportation companies.
For those old pioneers who began twenty
five years ago to ply the old Missouri with
their stern wheelers; for that great en-
terprise which five years ago finished a
second Pacific road, and for that ability
and push which last summer gave US a
new outlet to the east, [ have nothing but
COInuGAuduLOn
main they have recognized the fact that
they must give reasonable rates to secure
the development of the country, but |
firmly believe that if they are forced to
still lower rates they will increase
their business to point which will make
it still more profitable The locomotive
of to-day will haul twice the load, while
the car has twice the capacity Of those
used few years ago. It requires not
over half as much fuel or labor to haul a
pound Of freight to-day that it did ten
years ago.
Let us look little into the history Of
rates on the Missouri river and see where
we have missed and are still missing our
great opportunity. Twenty two years
ago, in 1866 the steamer Deer Lodge got
a load at s15 hundred pounds from ST..
Louis to Fort Benton. Other boats the
same year got $40. In 1868 the price was
s6 per hundred ponnds; in 1901, the
price was reduced to So; from 1872 to 1876
it was 50; from 1876 to 1879, $1.75. Al
though some freight was brought upf from
St. Louis during this period as low as IS
cents per hundred. In 1880-81, the lowest
notch was reached, when freight was
brought from Chicago and ST. Louis at
the regular rate of S1.25 per hundred. Up
to this time there were competing lines
and Independent boats on the river, and
we received the full benefit Of competi-
tion. Competition, however, began to
weaken in 1882 and entirely ceased in 1888
In 1882 the rate from Chicago was S140,
and in 1888 $1.5O. In 188485 the rate was
SLIGO, while in 1886 it was put up to $1.70.
These rates are all for freight without
classification.
Last season the boat line, practically a
branch Of the Northern Pacific railroad,
made classified rate for the first time.
In the early fall the Manitoba reached us
and gave a rate on 1st class freight of
$17O, and on the lowest class of SO cents
from St. Paul. This was in about the
ratio Of 81 unclassifed. Add to this Is
cents, and we have $1.15 from Chicago
against s1.25, the rate for 1880-81. Hence
it may be said that on the advent of the
Manitoba we received ten cent lower
rate than any before given.
Now let us look at that down river rate
which has interested us more than any
other. In 1877 and in '78 the rate on wool
Fort Benton to Boston, was SLIGO. From
1879 to 1882, it was $1.75 In 1883, 50; in
1884, $190; in 1885, s197; in 1886, $2.O5;
in 1887, $2.10.
It was sad day for all of Montana
when patronage to competing lines of
steamers on the Missouri was withdrawn.
The cost to our productive industries can
hardly be calculated of allowing the river
business to 60 over entirely to one line Of
boats operated in connection with great
and thereby leaving Us entire
" in the hands Of that road. The intro
duction of railroad increased our tariff
rates when it should have decreased them.
We have no one to thank for this but our
0SCs
and was taken to Boston for $1.60-that
is at less than two per cent Of its value.
In 1887 it was worth from tic. to 20c., and
it cost S21O to take it to Boston-that is
over ten per cent of what it was worth.
Out of every 500 that we get by the sale
Of our wool we have to pay over SO to
get it to market. Had boats been run
ming to the Northwestern and Milwaukee
roads, as they should have been, and rates
on wool held even where they were, Mon
tana wool growers would have saved in
the last five years in freight money on
wool alone s125,OOO. Many of US would
have saved from 800 to 5000 in clear cash
each year during that period
Recollect that this matter OF freight |
rates affects primarily the producer, and
only indirectly the balance Of the commu-
aity. A merchant told me recently that |