The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-08-23

Merchants-ln Railway Circles.
Very rarely is a story written but it
has a sequel.
1t will be rendered that as far back
as the middle or latter part of last
May, The Herald published am account
of the Rio Grarlde Western and Union
Pacific railroads withdrawing the APP
plication of Salt Lake freight rates
from Ogden and on subsequent days
the Ogden and Salt Lake papers all de-
voted great deal of space in giving
the details of the withdrawal, the Og-
den merchants objections to it and the
railroads Justification OF their act.
The facts of the story We're published
in fun at that time and need not be re-
peated here but briefly. They were
these: The Southern Pacific had dis
crIminated against Salt Lake by pub
fishing such low tariffs from San Fran
cisco to Ogden that the jobbeTs off that
city were enabled to undersell the Salt
Lake merchants, and to protect the
latter the Rio Grande Western and
Union Pacific withdrew the application
OF Salt Lake conon point rates from
Ogden to put the merchants of the two
places on something like an equal basis
for southern Utah business.
Rate matters had become generally
unsettled among carriers OF Utah bust
ness, which condition was still further
aggravated by these later complica-
lions, and to adjust them, conference
of the traffic managers of railroads in
terested in Utah traffic was called,
which was held at Denver, and at
Which new rate basis was established,
viz, the eastern lines from Chicago
and the Missouri river, VS.. the South
ern Pacific company from San Fran
cisco, to Utah, which meant that the
Southern Pacific was to be entitled to
make rates from San Francisco to
Utah on a basis of 70 per cent of the
rates named by eastern lines from
Chicago and the Missouri river
When that basis was established it
was expected by many that freight
rates would remain stable for some
time to come, but those who have be-
come acquainted with the whole situ-
alton since the Southern Pacific COM
menced publishing those silent"
tariffs to Ogden, Until the time Messrs.
Stubs and Smurr "buncoed" the east
ern managers into the idea. that rates
from San Francisco should be 70 per
cent of those from the Missouri river,
knew that rates could not remain as
arranged ait the Denver conference.
And now comes the sequel.
The new rate basis and the low trans
continental rates via, the Sunset route,
still make it poSSiIole-and it is so
operated-rhat many commodities
could be distributed from San Francis
co which had previously come To Utah
direct from the east, for instance the
manufacturers of Ciark's cotton have
houses established in various large
ciTies, among them one AIT Sam Fran
cisco. To the latter all supplies were
shipped over the Sunset Route. If an
order were received from Utah it would
be filled from San Francisco, no mat
ter where the order was sent. This is
but one of a great many instances that
could be cited.
The roads from Chicago and the Mis-
souri, river were poweTleSs to help
themselves, for If they dropped rates
from the Missouri river to meet the
emergency, down would go the rates
from San Francico on the basis of the
Southern Pacific company's little rs
per cent arrangement.
Thus matters stood for some time.
while the San Francisco johber cut
into the business of the Utah merchant
or compelled him to either buy from
San Francisco or, buying in the east,
to ship across the continent to San
Francisco by the Sunset Route and
back by 'ths Central Pacific if he would
avail himself of the lower rate. The
Utah Jolbbers' association felt that
there was not only a shocking incon-
gruity in Utah merchants being forced
to avail themselves of one of these4ex-
pedients, but that they were being
done a great injustice, and decided to
take steps to bring about a different
condition of affairs. Accordingly, S.
II. Love, secretary of the association,
was sent east some days ago to see
what could be done with the Sea-
board Colorado Utah association. Mr.
Love laid the situation before the Of
ficers of the association and labored
with them for two weeks, but his plea
for greater justice fell on deaf ears.
He finally resorted to another expedi-
emit, and by dint of much rustling sue
ceeded in effecting an agreement
whereby the freig'hts could be shipped
from the Atlantic seaboaTd to Utah via
the Mallory Steamship line to Calves
TOM in connection with the Gulf Colo
RADIO and Santa Fe, Colorado Midland
and Rio Grarde Western, ait the same
rates that apply from Chicago and the
Missouri river to Utah. The combi1-
a1On cut loose from the seabOaTd as
ISOLATION, gave the required ten days
notice and published the tariff, and in
far less time than it had taken Mr.
Love to effect the agreement, all the
lines represented in the seaboard asso-
citation fell IN and the association
authorized the tariff which is now i'm
effect on all the lines, and which COW
eTs all the articles and commodities
by the San Francisco combina-
ton.
The following tables, which mention
but a few OF the more than $50 articles
comprised in the new tariff, will serve
TO show the benefits that will accrue to
Utah jobbeTs as the result of Mr.
Loves mission. The tables show a
comparison of the new and old rates
by wafer and rail lines and those now
in effect by ell rail- lines, from the At
lantic seaboard to Utah common
points. The first table shows the rates
on less than carload shipments: