The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1905-02-15
WEDNESDAY, FEB. Is, 1905.
UNJUST RAILROAD RATES.

mission bill, it will be a great disap.
pointnent to the people of Montana.
The regulation of railroad rates has
become a recognized necessity through
out the country: congress is respond
ing to the popular demand by enact.
ing a law that applies to Interstate
traffic. and it is proper that Montana
and other states protect their citizens
against unjust charges for transporta.
ton between local points.
In the state of Washington this sub.
ject is receiving attention in the legis-
lative assembly, which was instructed
by the people to create a railroad com.
mission with power to fix, regulate
and control freight and passenger
rates" The conditions in Montana
require that a railroad commission in
this state have similar authority, for
without this power a railroad com
mission would be of little benefit.
The proposition Q create railroad
commission is opposed by the trans
POI companies ~ VuVtOuS
reasons, but if there is To be a com
mission of any kind they would pre-.
fer one that Is as pOwerless and inef-
ticient as possible. In the state of
Washington the railroad lobbyists
suggest that the proposed commission
shall not change rates except upon
the complaint of a shipper, who shall
prove that the existing rate is ex-
orbitant. This would sometimes be
difficult to demonstrate by necessary
evidence, and would also be expensive
to the complaining shipper, and the
plan proposed is TO give the commits
sion power to change any rate and re-
quire the railroad to prove that the
charge fixed by the commission is un.
reasonable.
In Section 5 Article Nv of their
state constitution, the people Of Mon.
tana declared that all railroads shall
be public highways and subject to
legislative control, and "the legisla-
tive assembly shall have the power TO
regulate and control by law the rates
of charges fOrthe transportation of pas
sengers and freight from one point to
another in this state.' This power
has not been exercised by former leg
islative assemblies, and from various
parts of Montana come reports of up
parent unjust discrimination and
arbitrary rates charged by transpor.
tatiOn companies. Some of these
examples have beer recited by the
River Press on a former occasion, but
Q repetition at this time may assist in
calling attention to the evil for which
q remedy is demanded.
\ merchant in Butte can ship 100
pounds of first class freight to Fort
Benton for % cents, but if Il resident
of Fort Benton wishes to ship the
same weight of the same class of
goods to Butte, over exactly the same
piece of track, the charge is 81 .49.
From Helena to Fort Benton, a dis.
lance of Ill miles, the rate on first
NlOsS iltISlIu 10 VIZ CStlS tcI W l)ouutSs
while the rate from Fort Benton to
Helena on the same shipment would
be % cents. \ piece of machinery
was recently sent from this city to
Helena for repairs. the freight charges
being s.. -. 1t was returned from
Helena on the same track at II charge
of SOS,
The first class freight rate from
Chinook to Butte is Sl.65 per 100
pounds, while from Butte to Chinook
it Is Sl.l4. \ shipmen, of leo pounds,
tir,t-class, from Helena t O Chinook is
charged 81 cents, but if a resident of
Chinook ships the same weight of the
same class of goods to Helena the
freight charge is $l.45.
The distance from L.ethbridge to
Fort Benton is about 25o miles, and
the freight charges on coal brought
here from that point are $50 per ton.
From Lethbridge to Helena the dis
lance is about 800 miles, bat the rate
on coal is $2.75 per ton, Or 80 cents
less than the charge for the shorter
haul to Fort Benton. The rate on
coal shipped from Lethbridge to Butte
is 1926, the same as to Fort Benton,
although the distance is about l5O
miles greater. From Lethbridge to
Great Falls, a distance Of 200 miles,
the rate is $500 per ton, but if the
~-N--l -... a. RN
to this point an additional charge OF
1925 is made.
According to q Helena newspaper,
a carload of lumber shipped from that
city to Malta, a distance Of sos miles,
is charged at the rate of IS cents per
cwt., while lumber can be sent from
Duluth to Malta, $50 miles, at 56 cents
per cwt. The rate on lumber from
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