The Kalispell bee. [volume] (Kalispell, Mont.) 1900-192?, 1903-01-13
WHO STAND IN awe OF jim HILL
And Deprecate Any nvous Legislation Lest the Great
Northern Pull Up Its Tracks in Revengeful Rage.
That "Fair Rate" in All Its Ruinous
Ran1ifcations

exorbitant; carloads of pc .atoes have
been permitted to perish for want of
equitable freight rates and our wheat
and lumber industries have anguish
ed for the same reasons. One mer
chant told me yesterday that he
would have shipped ten cars of pota-
toes from this point last fall if an
equitable rate could have been e.
cured. The great bulk of our fruit
supply comes from Washington
points and we find that heretofore
the rate on apples from those points
to Kalispell has been sixty cents per
hundred while the rate on the same
commodities from the same points to
Chicago was only siXty-three cents
making it possible for the Chicago
consumer to purchase Washington
fruit cheaper than we can after we
have added our local inspection cost;
the same fruit was shipped from
these Washington points to the Gulf
at rate Of sixty-f1ve cents.
In theory railroad rates are adj
justed on an equitable basis from the
companies viewpoint. Crstalized
into we'll known saying, it is
charge what the traffic will stand"
in other words when by reason of
combinations and traffic agreements.
: monopoly or isolation of the given
field of railroad operations it is pos
! sible for a single company or COM
bnation of companies to control the
| rates, the producer and shipper are
to be permitted to make a living but
are not to be the benefciaries of ex-
t cessive' profits. This is a species of
| paternalism peculiar to railroad com
: panies and exercised solely for the
+ benefit of the officials and stockhold
G ers. For instancc---If the shippers OF
d wheat from Flathead valley can make
e a living by shipping wheat at sixty
It cent rate that rate will prevail. II
l. however, that rate will result in ex
e cessive profit to the shipper higher
6 rate will be fixed so as to keep the
shipper in proper state of humility
l. On the other hand, If the shipper can
e not make a living at the sirty-cen1
rate then the rate will be reduced tC
4 fifty cents, forty cents or thirty cents
t. always having in view the main pro
n position that the shipper is to make
1t living but not profit. Re-stated
T. the theory is this: The railroads
is must and will have tonnage, and thu
H. profits, if any must go to the com
n pany. If it can procure traffic a
e. eighty cents per hundred that rat
Of will be charged; if there is no incen
IT. tive to ship at a higher rate thai
Id thirty cents, then the company find
to it to it's interest to reduce the rat
re to those figures. The result is tina
De those communities which are at tn
mercy of single company or con
h. bination of companies must make II
n, the losses. speculative or actua
vs. which such company or combinatio
en- Of companies suffer in territorie
ID where there is competition.
H. This is what in railroad parlanc
err is termed giving rates, fair rates,
a. &C. AS will be seen, the fairness
ge simply in the name.
in There is not merchant in Kali
b. pell. venture the assertion. or
80. heavy shipper of wheat, flour
ny lumber, who cannot cite numberles
so instances where this system has o.
ty Grated harshly and unjustly 8
Id against the shipping interests Of tn
We county. The inQuiring individual
Id who will take the time to intervie
We our leading shippers along this lir
MS will be astonished at the fund OF i
ial formation he will gather touchin
this beautiful fair rate system.
Jet Now, a we'll ordered railroad cor
Ike mission could, in number OF way
in relieve the individual shipper fro
or this oppression. BY means or l
Id facilities for gathering informatio
he it would be enabled from time
time to recommend wholesome legi
ire lation: within limits, it could reg
act late and control rates, in cases
an oyercharges and oppressive condu
of could compel restitution and in
of variety of ways accomplish mut
of good for the people of the state.
or Under present conditions the int
lat vidual shipper must submit to
ity kinds of oppressive and arbitrary e
Use actions, whereas. if the state we
1t provided with a railroad commissit
the operating under wise and we'll b:
mi anced laws he would not be relegat'
ing to the always doubtful and general
ed, fruitless remedy of taking the ms
be ter up" with station agents. superb
md tendents, assistant superintendent
ear and general superintendent ad inf
Lhe itum, but these matters would
a taken up and adjusted by the CO.
or mission at a minimum Of expen
zen and annoyance to the individual al