The Butte inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1901-1912, 1903-09-09
RAILROADS MAY
SLAP At MON TANA
MEMBERS OF THE ST. LOUIS FAIR
COMMISSION ARE MUCH
WORRIED.
QUESTION OF FREIGHT RATES
Traffic Managers Not Ready to Promise
Any Concessions for
This State.

tana commission of the Louisiana Pur-
chase exposition will meet in Butte Fri
day to open the bids for the construction
OF the Montana building at the St. .ouis
fair.
1t is expected nearly all of the members
OF the committee, and perhaps other mem
bers OF the commission, will be present.
as the meeting will be one of the most
important TO be held this year.
The commission anticipates there will
be several bids, indicating competition
and the prospect of the state getting a
good bargain.
AS to Freight Charges.
Another subject of no little importance
to be considered will be that Of freight
charges on exhibits to be sent to St.
Louis. and favors from the railroads in
the way of transportation for the different
persons designated to secure the agricul-
tural, mining and other exhibits.
These concessions have been secured
from the railroads in the past and in
view OF the moderate appropriation the
state made for the fair the commission
IS naturally anxious to pay out as little
money as is absolutely necessary for rail-
road fares and freight charges.
The news from the state OF Washing
ton that the Great Northern, Burlington
and Northern Pacific roads have declined
to grant the Worlds fair commission of
that state any concessions in the way of
reduced freight charges on exhibits to and
from ST. Louis has set the Montana COM
mission to thinking and wondering where
Montana is going to get off.
Montanans Are Alarmed.
1f =. AZ.
cold shoulder it is feared Montana may
also get similar treatment.
Unless the railroads make some sort Of
reductions in freight charges to and from
st. Louis the Montana commission will
have to exercise no little economy in
making both ends meet
So far the railroads are said to have
fought shy of committing themselves OH
the matter.
Three of the roads, the Northern Pa
cifc, the Burlington and the Great North
ern. have not shown disposition to
make any concession to the commission.
The Oregon Short Line and Union Pa
cifc, on the contrary, are reported to have
intimated concessions could be expected
from the Hartman system.
The position taken by the Burlington
is said to be that that road has already
made large cash donation to the St.
Louis fair and the road does not con-
slider il could be expected to do anything
more.
Are Not Enthusiastic.
The traffic managers Of the Northern
Pacific and the Great Northern have not
responded enthusiastically to overtures re-
ceived, asking for concessions.
The management of these roads may
see light however, and make some sort
of reduction. The fair commission is
still hopeful OF successfully negotiating
arrangements of favorable nature with
the railroads.
While, of course, very little will be
shipped to St. Louis this year. excepting
the apples and other fall fruits to be
shipped in few weeks and placed in cold
storage, the commission feels that it is
time to know just what it can expect from
the railroads.
At the time of the Worlds fair at
Chicago the railroads were liberal with
the Montana commission.
The general custom with railroads has
been to charge the full rate for shipping
the exhibits to the fair and to bring them
back free. As many OF the exhibits are
usually not returned this system has not
proved to be much of a drain OH the rail-
roads.
Railroads Are Benefited.
The argument advanced by the members
is that the railroads are generally largely
benefited by any advertisement that the
states may derive from their exhibits at
these worlds fairs, since the people who
come to ihc state in response to such adj
vertising have to patronize the railroads.
They settle along the lines of the rail
roads and help develop the country con-
tiguous thereto.
The action OF the three railroads named
in regard to shipping Washington ex-
hibits to St. Louis is said to have been
influenced by the pronounced anti-rail-
road legislation apparent in that state.
There has been no such legislation in
Montana. The efforts to enact railroad
commission bill at the last session of the
Montana legislature failed.
The bill proposed did not appear to
have many sympathizers in the legislature.
Many Concessions Made.
The railroads have made number of
concessions in the way Of passenger
rates, while the taxes Of the railroads had
been materially increased and the legis-
lators apparently did not consider the
time ripe for railroad legislation.
Some OF the members of the Montana
commissions are said to have been in
correspondence with officers of the rail-
roads and they may have replies of an
encouraging nature to lay before the meet
ing day after tomorrow that will settle
matter at present in grave doubt.