The independent. [volume] (Lincoln, Neb.) 1902-1907, 1905-03-09
LINCOLN, NEB., MARCH 9, 1905.


goods all being fifth class according
to the standard set by classification
sheets and going TO the same point, we
would think the freight bill would be
alike for each car But we find the car
of stoves to be $148.80, the iron pipe
$1OS and the sugar 500. And to make
confusion more confounding in exam
lining the sugar tariffs we find sugar is
hauled 1900 miles and more for much
less rate than is this 700 mile haul, all
owing to agreements made between Mr..
Spreckles of California and Mr.. Have
meyer of New York in cOllusion with
the expert" railway rate makers Both
these captains of industry pay TWO
cents for a postage stamp as we'll as
does the tramp private in the rear
ranks of industry. In like manner
should the freight stamp be paid for
at uniform and exact rate by the high
and low. We will show before we fin
ish that a scent freight stamp will
move every 100 pounds of any COM
modify any distance in our nation, al
lowing the roads all the gross revenue
and a greater net revenue, than they
now get.
But we will now continue our car of
stoves. The rate, Chicago to Ponca,
0. T., is $156, and on the one stove, So.
To Perry, O. IT,, it is $17280 and that
rate becomes blanket on down the
line through Saltwater, Mulhall, Guth-
rie, Oklahoma City and 800 miles, Chi
cago to Percell. To Ardmore and Mar
rietta, o. T., the rate is $3.50. Soon as
we cross the Red river into Texas, we
find the blanket" rate on interstate
commerce. is extensively used. They
have what are called "Texas common
points" located over territory ex-
ceeding 400 miles by 500 miles in ex-
tent, large or small towns taking the
same rate. In other words, the roads
find that the blanket" or smothered
postal rate is the only practical rate
to produce revenue, and at the same
time avoid rate war; The wholesale or
distributing points also find that they
can do business in competition with
each other with the same rate in force
to them as that which is in force to
their competitor 500 miles further from
4 Lnolf source Ol supply.
Did the roads have the wisdom and
conception of duty due the public un-
der their exercise of delegated rights
of eminent domain they would put in
a national postal rate, each locality
sharing in the general average, which
would reduce freight charges to rea-
sonable basis, putting the business of
rail transportation on the high plain
to which it belongs.
Texarkana, Paris, Honey Grove,
Sherman, Gainesville, West to Quanah,
in north Texas, take rate of $1,000
on our car of stoves and in the one
stove, $3.50. These same rates govern
if we ship to Marshall, Long View,
Dallas, Fort Worth, Weatherford, and
west to Big Springs, In north central
Texas, and that is true aiso with Luf-
kin, Palestine, Millano, Temple to San
Angelo, also Austin, and all rail to
Huston, Galveston and Beaumont and
to San Antonio, 1883 miles from Chi
cago.
This uniformity of interstate rates
in Texas is brought about by compro-
mise and agreement between southwest
lines from Chicago, st. Louis, Cincin-
natl and other Ohio river gateways,
south lines from Kansas City and the
cross lines from New York, from the
east, and from New Orleans, La. There
are about 275 towns in western Texas
that are known as "differential points
laying outside the competitive condi-
tions, where the roads get higher than
common point" rates Amarillo and
Dalhart are such differential points
and the rate on our car of stoves to
either point from Chicago is $211.2(
and on the one stove, $500. The "dif
ferentiaI' runs from 2 cents to 8
cents per 100 pounds on first class il
addition to common point rate, ant
: grading down to. from 1 cent to Il
cents on II (the lowest class rate) az
cording TO the location from common
, point territory. Pecas, Texas, OH ent
of the Wellington. Kansas. Santa II
\ line, 1415 miles from Chicago, takes 6
rate of $685., To El Paso, 1,630 miles
| from Chicago, the rate is $223..0
From Texas across the Rio Grande
river there are three 'sgateways" into