The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1904-01-15

( oe enc0ura gine enterprise and promot-
+ ing its possibilities for economic rea-
sons, the Justification Tor It's cGnttnu-
ance long ago departed. The fnfant
/ packing industries, BY their own thrift
( and the faVor5ug influences cited to
eentralize supplies, became giants OF
trade with amazing CELEBRITY; and with
+ their approach 70 this pre-eminence %
/ power ard control superior concern for
I their welfare might well have ceased
lin justice TO the producing and eOHsuH-
+ ing public
/ Some Action Necessary.
But the favoritism stiH continues,
and it is because of the increasingly
apparent and costly character Of the
advantages the railways give the pack
/ err over shippers, and their growing dis
/ regard of the welfare Of stockmen and
their industry ia every way as lately
/ evidenced by careless service. anti
qua ted equipment. advancing rates and
Withdrawn privileges, that I invite the
members of this association, and all
stockmen, to move soon and vigorously
for their own protection, nay, preser-
walton.
THE double haul argument Of the
[ packers has always successfully ap-
( pealed to railway management for low
through rates between the ranges and
Z
/ located their manufactures, while no
amount Of solicitation by stockmen or
interested committees has been sufiici-
entity forceful TO remove the disDrOpor-
tiOnate charges eXacJed for intermedi-
ate hauis, or live stock movement IN
other than market directions.
Small Hopes for Shippers.
Before the days Of consolidation and
n
ally secured for live stock interests,
concessions and privileges at times and
places where they were essential to
its temporary progress. With appear
ance Of interest pooling traffic associ-
atoms, however, and the operation Of
their cOmpetition-killing agreements,
there remains small hope that stock
men will ever again enlist the active
sympathy Of railway management in
the welfare Of their business The
agreed policy Of managers now ap-
pears to rest upon the theory that the
tribute Of $ per calf and so cents per
lamb. which they have levied, can be
made an item Of clear profit TO the
transportation companies under the re-
duction Of expenses which consolidation
and merger methods insure; and their
plain intention appears to be 10 pro-
coed with its collection regardless Of
4
preme indifference as to it's effect upon
the business in which they are en-
gagged.
Rates Advancing.
These tendencies are all plainly OBJ
servabIe in the general advance Of
rates which has taken place within the
past two years, under the plea of the
railway people that they desired to
change the basis of assessing charges
from dollars and cents per car to cents
per hundred pounds. AS d result of
this expert juggling. stockmen have
found that not withstaBdiBg the dis
chalmers Of the traffic men that rates
would be advanced, their shipments
during last season, when made under
the new plan, cost them more money
considerably than they had previously
paid: and this in the face Of a bad
market and continuously declining
| prices.
THE tendencies are further disclosed
in the discOntinuanCe Of the feeding
and transit rates under an agreement
by all the rail companies. The latter
rates while in force benefited the pro-
ducers and shippers without consider
able disadvantage to others concerned,
/ including the railway companies, ex~
cepting only the packers and interested
/ operators at the markets They We're
Discontinued and the privileges they
carried We're lost to shippers at the So
licitation of the influence stated
Some Figures Given.
"As another evidence of the sympa-
thetic regard entertained for interests
Of the latter class. attention is invited
10 rates from the western states where
the river tariff from the ranges makes
$40 the charge for a 36-fOOt car. If
the consignment goes through to its
/ CestinatiOn-Omaha or Kansas City
thirty cattle walk out Of a car, say at
a cost to their owner. for trans
portation 1000 miles. Of $3.50 each. This
would be on a basis of S - cents per
car per mile for the journey. Had the
same shipment been stopped at Salt
Lake for sale by it's owner, he would
have been compelled TO pay. under pre-
vailing rates, fully 80 per cent Of the
through rate for a four or i've hundred
mile haul; or 1928 per head for each
( animal in the shipment. The latter
( charge would be on a basis of 20 cents
per car per mile, made by the same
company which accepted 10 cents per
car per mile as compensation for the
same service on through business. And
a similar discrimination is practiced
against Denver and every other inter
mediate point by every railway where
a shipper may find il TO MS advantage.
from time TO time. TO sell all or part Of
his consignment.
Prices Depressed.
This Discrimination piles 40 receipts
at the big selling places where advan-
tage may be taken of the presence OF
excessive supplies 10 depTess prices,
temporarily 0ftenest. but frequently for
long PERIODS. If consumers benefited
under this practice 90 the extent that
producers are injured. the packers and
railways response bic for il might justi-
fy its continuance in spite Of complain
iuss, Observation has established con-
Clusively, however. that the cheapened
supplies laid in during the market
gluts are used chiefly to break down
prices Of live stock on the hoof at the
big selling places and also at points
remote from those centers where local
siaughterers deal directly with pro-
GuceTs at times. and thus interrupt the
flow of shipments to places where the
big fellows get a crack at them. And
q