, 1904-05-03
PROTEST
BY SARATOGA VALLEY STOCK AS
ISOLATION AGAINST RAIL
ROAD METHODS.
Large and Interesting Meeting Held at
Encampment Saturday. When Set
Of Resolutions Was Unanimously
Passed-Demand that Passenger
Fares Be Reduced to Three Cents.

EnCampment, Wyo., April ~, l9O4.
To the Editor of The Republican.
Enclosed you will find copy of reso-
buttons unanimously passed by the
Saratoga Valley Stock association at
its meeting today, in the city hall here.
which was attended and participated
in by the citizens of Encampment.
The meeting was largely attended and
was interesting, having been called to
discuss railroad rates and service.
Comparisons of railroad rates We're
made as, for instance. "a cents per 100
pounds on crockery from Liverpool.
S1.2i per 100 pounds from Denver to
Walcott. | hope you will find space to
publish these resolutions and COM
ment on them editorially so as to help
the good cause along. The officers OF
the association are w. E. Sears, presi-
dent: |. NJ. CONFESS. treasurer and W.
E. TiltOn, secretary. Yours truely
L. NJ. CONFESS
Whereas. 1t is well known hat in
the past ten years. by means of i'm
provements in roadbed and rolling
stock. the railroads now haul trains of
twice to three times the former o.
nage with one engine and crew, which,
with the increase in the mount of
freight and passengers, has enabled
them to transport both at probably 40
per cent less cost to themselves; and
Whereas. Instead OF reducing
rates. they have increased them by
changes of classification and various
other devices. such as weighing cars
of live stock and refusing return
passes to shippers; and
Whereas, While able by reason
of better roadbed and equipment.
to furnish better and faster service
than ever before. yet on the contrary,
never has the speed of live stock
trains been so needlessly slow, caus-
ing a loss Of probably at least 500
per car to shippers in the past two
years. in addition to cost and losses
from i~nexcusable failure and delay in
furnishing cars; and
Whereas. The railroad rates of the
Union Pacific in this state are
so exorbitantly high that in the words
of President Hill, of the Great North
ern, IF we applied Union Pacific rates
to the Great Northern, it would cost
the northwest 5000. 900 per year.
and
Whereas, The tax assessment
of the Union Pacific is 80 900 per mile,
while it is charging us rates proper
4 tNrptal, htrI rrDt.r1 20 Nny tApnc
on s15O,OO0 to 100000 per mile,
Resolved, That the time has come
when we demand that passenger fares
within this state be reduced from five
cents to three cents per mile and that
the exorbitant local freight rates be
at least cut in two;
Resolved. That the present railroad
valuation and the coal tax valuation
are an injustice to the tax payers OF
this state;
Resolved, That the undue influence
exercised on our state and county and
Legislative officers, by means of passes,
can only be met by a constitutional
souri,, whereby railroads are compelled
to furnish free transportation to state
and county officers during their term
of office;
Resolved, That this question Of rail
road rates and determinations is the
greatest issue before us, completely
o~vershadowing in importance all other
political issues; that every harmful
trust in this country. from the Stan
dard oil to the Beef trust, has been
created and enabled to destroy its
Legitimate rivals by preferential rates
and secret rebates of railroads:
Resolved, That the powers of the
interstate commerce commission must
be enlarged and increased, and that
the penalty for violation of it's orders
should be Imprisonment, together with
a fine consisting of a percentage of the
gross earnings Of the criminal corpor-
alton;
Resolved, That We demand such
action by the state and county officers
and members of the legislature, and es-
pecially by our members in congress,
as will remedy these evils;
Resolved, That We pledge ourselves,
without regard to party. to rebuke and
defeat at the polls, with our ballots, all
such public officers as shall be false
or n~eglectful OF their public trust and
duty in this matter.