Rocky Ford enterprise., 1904-09-23
Live Stock Freight Rates.

The hearing nt Denver before the In
terstatc Commerce Commission In the
matter OF live stock rates In the West
was concluded September 18th. as far
us the evidence OF the stockmen Is con.
,ccFncd. The commission has contin-
ued the case to Chicago In November
when the railroads viii put In their
evidence In rcbuttal. by agreement
between the attorneys. the whole mat
ter Will ic carried on under the Texas
Cattle RalsrTs' case.
Commissioner Prouty was greatly
satisfied with tho result OF the hear.
In. and took occasion to compliment
Attorney Cowan upon the class OF Wit
ncSscs he presented and the little du'
pilca:lon made in the testimony. Mr.
a. j.. de RIcqlCs OF the American Live
Stock and Loan Company made s'ai
wines for the cattlcmcn and covered
the ground In the most complete man
ncr as TO the movement from the
southwest to the northwest ranges.
Even the railroad men were pleased
with the hearing. as Il brought out
many important matters and as tho
witnesses were all reliable and rcspor'
slblc cattle and sheep EhIppcrs. thcr.
was no attempt to bring out other
than the actual facts. and these were
brought out In the most conservative
manner.
The cat;icmca's testimony summed
up. goes to show that the railroads are
generally giving poor service. That
they are handling live stock on trains
with dead freight and that tac time
conKumod In reaching destination ls NC
much greater thnn :, used TO be that
shippers suffer n heavy loss In con
sequence. They have shown that
where the rates have been changed
from car lot rates to cents per hun
drcd pounds. the effect has been to In
crease the amount paid by the cattle
men for the movement OF their cattle
and In sheep shipments the amount l.
Invariably greater. They have shown
that where rates have been advanced.
1, was done by the railroads with tho
alleged excuse that the cattle busl'
ness was prosperous and that they
were entitled to sonic of the prosperity
and II this position is maintained by
the railroads. then the catlcmcn
think that when cattle conditions arc
not prosperous ms at present, then the
railroads should reduce their charges.
IL was shown that the present rates
charged are the highest they have
ever been and that In many instances
the railroads take rs per cent. OF the
value OF the animals shipped as their
share for the service performed.
The railroads. on the other hand. by
their testimony. indicate thn, they will
plead that the twcn,y.eirht hour law
is largely responsible for the poor ser.
vice rendered. ms II compels them to
unload and thus DELAY shipments. The
railroads will also claim that the cents
per hundred pound rate ls the only
fair method Of charging. They will
try to show that the old rates were
made In competition against the trail
and were unduly low and that t5cy sTc
entitled to receive more money for the
service they perform.
The commission has indicated thai
Il considers the minimum weight usei
as basis for the cents per hundred
pounds. is in some instances too low
and Il Is probable that more Testimony
will be taken on this point. Unless she
railroads can show that they aio en-.
titled to more money for their service
the commission may oricr that the
minimum weight upon which the cents
per hundred pound rate is figureo. he
increased. In this case. stock ship
pers will be entitled to recover the ca.
cess freight they have paid for several
years.
The testimony Of Mr.. A. z. dc Ric-
ules showed substantial increases In
the rates and Determinations on the
part OF the railroad in the movement
from the Southwest to the Northwest.
The increase in rates from the ANA.
riua group to the Belle Fourche group
in South Dakota, were as follows. ac.
coiding to the rates paid by Mr.. de
u i,,taa ft, tho yaara N mod.
1897 per car load 1000
1898 per car load. $500
1899 per car load. $500
1900 per car load. 9l.5O
1901 per car load d.............. al.h1
1902 per car load d....... $50