The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1905-05-23

ed BY secret rebates
p; Well. there are diacrimina-
tions. The published rates are fixed
so one locality has the best OF a. 4
man In a little place can't compete
with a man in ono Of the big cities
like Chicago BECAUSE the railroads
charge him a third moro Tor haul
ing his freight the same distance.
r.. Hut IL the rate 20 the man IN
the small place cxtortionasof ia It
unfair tn aseH9
p No. X Is reasonable enough.
Y u we're not FOR the terribly cheap
ratio that the roads give the man
doing business ia the hig city,
r.; Th0n you kick because the
little man can't compete with the
big fellow IN Chicago. You want
tho railroads 20 give Just a. good
ratea 10 tho little fellow IS 70 the
man with the wholesale lotAf
r; 1 want the man IN the small
town 70 have a show Tor his white
alley. There Is no reason why he
should be- wiped OF the map Just
because the reads find Il more con
yenicnt 90 do their business al ter
mlnals and with long hanls and un-
broken carloads.
r.. Then you would havo rates
based on diatances
Ps Possibly. l would have the
element of distance enter IN. 90 such
an extent at least that 10 woald not
be possible for roads 10 charge loss
Tor a ionE haul than Tor a short ona.
And that's what they DO nov. IL
certainly iunt right 10 charge more
Tor the part than for the whole.
r.; All right Now suppose We
changed 90 scheme OF rates based
Just 90 distance. how DO you sup
pose Il would workf
P.:They have that PLAZA N Ger
mAny-have had Il for nearly 20
years. and I guess Il has worked all
right.
n; hut has ~ Was Just con-
ing 10 that. Let as make a eompari-
son. railroads leading into New
York city have made q special rate
On milk-what We call a group rate
by Which the farmer who livea >
miles from the city can send In his
milk a. cheap as the farmer who
lives 90 miles. Now in that rate the
distance Is ignored. But IN Ger
many tho railroads leading into
Berlin have To mako the ratio &C.
eordink 20 the distance. The farm.
rr living ut a distance must pay !
higher rate on his milk. What II
/ the consequence One firm IN Der.
lin stables 1900 cows within tbs
city limlta. Ia that a. good az ths
New York plan'
p Well. that mar apply In that
way Just % the commodity OF milk
r.: Well. take the commodity Of
grain All eastern Germany is a
grain raising country. All western
Germany IL grain consuming
+ country. The people In the west
wAnt the grain In the east. But yery
little grain II raised Ia the eastern
section. and practically AL % II
moves In a most round about Wal
BY water. The result IL an unde.
Veioped condition OF the eaNtcFn
grain region. and a higher price on
grain. not % mention a great los
Of traffic 10 the roads. And all be-.
cause Of the distance basis of rates
p: Why doesn't the government
F commission which makes Gsrmaa
rates reduce fhsmf
r.: Because the little grain rats.
er In sosth Germany holierM Thcy
have got In Germany what you PEG.
pie are elAmoring for. The condI.
tons are exactly reversed from
ours. and the little farmer IN south
Germany corresponds 20 the present
kicker IN Fort Dodge. Ia. Danville
Va. and Cannon Falls. MINI.
r.: Then you contend that The
big development OF the country Il
held in check By the effort 70 pro
tect the little fellow or the small
localityg
r.: That ta Just the point. And
/ contend that an effort TO hold rail.
road rates 20 a distance basis. Il
that effort had been made right
after the civil war. would have kept
our great west from ever having
been settled or developed. The
opening up Of the western grain
/ FIafIa - -