The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1905-07-26
WEDNESDAY, JULY rs, 1906.
RAILROAD RATE CONUNDRCMS.


regulating railroad rates, is still is.
suing bulletins and sending them to
the newspapers. This railroad litera-
ture is very cleverly written, and is
designed to convince the reader tn at
the power to regulate railroad rates
should be exercised only by the own.
ers Of railroad property. 1t is claimed
that a tribunal of federal officials
would not be competent to make deci-
sions that would be fair and just to
both the public and the railroads, and
that the latter-although az interested
party-should be permitted to make
any rates they may prefer.
One of these bulletins, recently is.
sued by the railroad press bureau,
quotes from the records of the inter.
state commerce commission to prove
there is no popular demand for gov.
ernment regulation of railroad rates.
These records show that during the
eighteen years the commission has
been in existence, it has received only
10 formal complaints against the
railroads. This exhibit is presented
by the railroad Interests, as proof that
there is no general dissatisfaction over
railroad rates; with millions of tran.
sactions daily in the transportation
business, only 10 formal complaints
of alleged injustice have been made in
eighteen years.
That is the railroad view of the sit
u%ation, but the shippers could tell a
different story. 1t should not be in.
ferred thatIthe 10 shippers who made
complaint to the interstate
commission are the only ones who be.
lieved they were the victims of rail.
road injustice aud oppression. The
latter numbered probably hundreds of
thousands, and they had a more GER
tain and ready method of relief than
making complaint to the interstate
commission. The merchant who knows
he is being charged an exorbitant or
unjust freight rate usually makes his
kick in private, and then proceeds to
reimburse himself by adding the
freight charge to the cost of his goods,
and having it paid by the consumer.
Why should the average merchant
make public protest against unfair or
excessive freight rates, when the con.
sumer is compelled to foot the bill:
And the consumer, it may be- re.
marked, seldom has any definite
knowledge Of the amount OF freight he
is required to pay on the goods he
buys from the merchant.
There has been no attempt in these
railroad bulletins TO explain how the
system OF rate making is arranged, or
upon what basis the charges are cal.
colated. Why is the charge for a
haul Of 1900 miles sometimes greater
than for a haul of 1000 miles on the
same railroad system? Why are rates
on western railroads more than three
times as high as rates on eastern roads,
for a haul OF practically the same dis
lance:
a local firm recently received a 800.
pound shipment from Boston. The
transportation charges on the shipment
were: Boston to St. Paul about 400
miles s6.4s: st Paul to For, Benton
llO4O miles $l4.22. Is the cost OF
transportation on western roads so
great as to justify such high rates?
A. a recent meeting Of fruit growers
in the state Of Washington, one of the
speakers said Washington fruit can
be shipped to New York at q lower
rate than to Butte, Montana. The
rate to New York, according to this
authority, is IS cents for u hundred
boxes or eau OF berries, while the
charge for q similar shipment to Butte
is Sl.lO. II these figures are correct,
what is the explanation?
Another illustration of peculiar
freight rates is given by Congress-
man Townsend, of Michigan, to this
effect: 1t Is possible to ship 100 pounds
OF cotton goods from Chicago to Bos-
ton at $l.25. a shipment of the same
from Chicago to Salt Lake City costs
$3.50. A shipper would be saving
money by sending his goods from
Boston to San Francisco and then %
Salt Lake City. He could do it cheap.
er.
In view of the peculiar methods OF
railroad rate making experts, it is not
at all remarkable that those who pay
the freight should be in favor OF Great.
ing an impartial tribunal that would
give all interests a square deal.
BILLINGS, July 2O.-As a result of