Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1900-04-26
CONTROL OF FREIGHT RATES
Address by Hon. c. A Prouty Be-
fore Trans-Mississippi Congress.
Railroads IL Unrestrained Can Ruin or
Build Up a City-Proper Control
Can Best be Secured by
Trained Commission.

the interstate commerce commission, was
one of the speakers before the Trans
Mississippi congress held at Houston,
Texas, last week. The address is upon
such vital topic and contains so many
valuable points that IL is reproduced.
The Hon. Chas. A. Prouty, OF the Inter-
state Commerce Commission, SPOKE about
Freight Rates" He said in part:
The attention of this nation is to-day
mainly fixed upon its foreign affairs. The
serious and delicate questions for it's solu-
ton relate, however, to Internal matters.
Whoever will contemplate the vast ter
iftorial extent of the United States and
the result OF its internal development for
the last half century must stand convinc-
ed that so long as we continue sound and
healthy within no mistake in foreign pol
icy can seriously or permanently injure
us. The overshadowing problem for the
United States. presented in various phas-
es under various names Is the adjustment
80 TO speak, Of the relations between
wealth and commonwealth; how to put
upon the one hand, some limit to the
greed of riches and to protect, upon the
other hand, the due rights of property.
I'm the solution of this problem no ques-
ton is more important than that Of rail
way transportation, for this question I'M
derlies all others. Few people understand
the enormous consequence in every point
of view, Of the freight rate. Since Jan. /
vast territory directly west of the Missis-
sippi River has nuctuated about three
cents per bushel. Three cents n bushel on
the price of corn means in this territory
from 20 to 10 cents per acre, and this up
on a 3 per cent basis amounts to a diff
ference in value of from 10 to 10 dollars
an acre. What is true Of corn is true Of
every other agricultural product in the
United States, and even more true of
many other products
OF even greater consequence is the
freight rate to the individual business
man. Take the milling industry. Test
mony before the commission shows that
from to cents a barrel is regarded as
fair profit and that much flour is ground
at an even less profit. Here are two mills
where the cost of producing -four is exact
ly the same, but the freight rate in one
case for some reason is made two or three
cents per 100 pounds lower than in other
one mill runs a profit; the other makes
nothing. The same is true to a greater
OF less extent in every department of
business.
The most prominent political and social
question of to-day is the trust. Probably
no one fac~Jr is so potential In the up
pullding and the pcrpetuating of these
great combinations of capital which sue
coed in defying law and public opinion as
discrimination in freight rates Indeed 1t
may be doubted if any trust in the neces-
stiles of life need be greatly feared IL
absolute equality in the freight rate could
be secured.
me freight rates ordain where cities
shall be built and communities maintain
ed. This may be illustrated by the case of
the Colorado Fuel and Iron Company,
which case before the commission some
years ago. That company was located in
Pueblo Colorado. and possessed very ex-
ha tfa
iron. 1t aimed to sell its products mainly
upon the Pacific coast and it's competitor
In that market was Pittsburg and cor
responding territory The rate from
Pittsburg to San Francisco was a trfe
more than one-third the rate from
Pueblo to San Francisco, although the
distance was more than twice as great
from the former as from the latter place
and although the freight passed, or might
pass through the city of Pueblo itself. A
keg of nails was worth two dollars at the
mill. 1t cost the Pittsburg manufacturer
66 cents to transport that keg of nails to
the Pacific coast. while it cost the Fuel
Company 81 to transport IL to the same
point although the distance from Pitts
burgh was more than 300 miles whii>
that from Pueblo was less than 1900 miles,
and the freight from Pittsburgh actually
passed by the doors of the Fuel company.
Manifestly under these conditions there
could be no competition. and unless that
company, having vainly implored the rail-
ways, for relief. could obtain It from some
other source, it would be forced to draw
It's furnaces and discharge its men con-
shutting a pay roll of $1,000 day. That
is strong case, but ii differs in no re-
spect in principle from cases In all parts
of the United States.
The freight rate goes still further 1t
determines not only who shall do business
"A har hus Sbn1 no l,ttt 10
lines upon which our social development
shall proceed.
The tendency to-day is to accumula te
great aggregatiOns OF wealth in the hands
of few people and great aGgregations OF
populations in few centers. Both are in
d measure a menace to the public welfare.
While the growth of our cities is neces-
sary to our national development. and
should be in all proper ways encouraged,
ii Is not without its dangers. The life
of the masses In our great cities is less
pure, their thought less wholesome, their
actions more spasmodic. than that of the
masses in the country. If any great up
heaval overtakes this nation II will orig
mate in the cities.
1.-THE uniform tendency OF the present
condition of rates is to build up the city
at the expense of the country, for the
reason that the rate. the rebate the con-
cession of every sort, is always in favor
Of the city where competition is sharp
and against the country where COMPETE
tion is less and with the result that in
dustries of all kinds are being forced out
of the country and out of the smaller
towns and into the great centerS of ac-
tivity. This is not for the national good
The small individual should enjoy exactly
the same privileges with the great ship
per and the small community ordinarily
the same as the great community.
m h, iIx,ro