The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-11-23
PrOhibitive Rate Announced by the
Southern Pacific.
MUST SEEK NEW MARKET
S. P. PRACTICALLY REFUSES TO
HAUL IT.
Tariff to San Francisco Is Advanced
From 81 to $3.50 Per Ton, Which
Fixes the Utah Price of Wheat at
25 Cents Per Bushel, Ten Cents
Less Than Price of Potatoes.

Many are the hearts that will be
the LIST of December, for the royal fiat
has just gone out from the office of
the Southern Pacific that the tariff on
wheat in carloads from Ogden to San
Francisco is TO be practically doubled
a. that time. Heretofore the rate has
been constant at 90 cents a hundred,
or 81 ton for carload lots delivered at
tidewater in San Francisco and COM
mon center California points. Now
the Southern Pacific people say there
Is no profit at that low figure, and
have accordingly advanced the tariff
from 81 a ton to $3.50 a ton. They
bring forth a host of arguments to
sustain their position.
They say that the 81 rate was estab-
lished three or four years ago when
wheat was selling at so cents a hun
dred delivered in sacks at San Fran
cisco; the rate has been maintained
steadily since that time, regardless Of
the fact that the local price of the
cereal has at times advanced far be-
yond the price of 1895. and the farmers
have been rolling in wealth in conse-
quence thereof.
Argument No. says that there is a
general movement on the part of rail-
roads throughout the land to wipe out
iuS u DOliSTSOfIlt SIIldllr
They have been waiting for years for
the Opportunity, and now that the wave
az prosperity has engulfed everything
and swamped the railroads with the
greatest influx of freight of all kinds,
they are compelled to discriminate
against low tariffs in order to make
some sort of Roadway with the, other
higher priced commodities that are
awaiting shipment at all freight depots
and incidentally make hay while the
sun shines.
Argument No. says that the South
ern Pacific has more business than it
knows what 10 do with. Their cars are
all in commission and groaning under
the heaviest burdens they have ever
known; their deDots are stacked with
goods awaiting shipment; the consign
eeS and consignors are impatient, and,
in fact, the freight department of the
road is so congested with goods class
flied under high tariffs that a Dracti-
cally prohibitige tariff had to be placed
upon something, and the something
turns out to be wheat. There is no
money in it these days. and the South
eTn Pacific company is not hustling
around the country for its health.
The fiat has knocked the pins from
under the local wheat market. and at
Logan it is now worth 10 cents less per
bushel than potatoes. A tremendous
slump is bound to occur as soon as the
order goes into effect, if it is not dis
counted before that time. 1t costs 10
cents per hundred to transport wheat
from Logan to Ogden, and with present
prices the dealers there say they viii
not be able to give more than "a cents
per bushel for wheat deliv sy5d at the
cars. This slump, coupled VITA the poor
crops this season, will bring disaster
TO some Of the farmers who have obli-
cations TO meet. The big advance in
rates may catch some of the people Tho
are under contract 10 deliver wheat in
San Francisco. mapping. and Involve
them in no end of financial difficulties
Unless the Utah farmers are able L
find an outlet by way of Portland. il
looks as if they would be left with :,
wheat crop on their hands and no mar
ket