The Elbert County tribune., 1906-10-25
WILL BE PRoBED BY COMMERCE
COMMISSION.
ON MERCHANTS COMPLAINT
Eight Railroads Summoned to Answer
Eastern Freight Rates Cheaper to
Utah Than to coiorado-UnIust
Discrimination Charged.

.
washington.-Th Interstate Com
merce Commission Monday served the
Denver & Rio Grande. Colorado Mid
land, Santa Fe. Burlington. Rock Is
land. Northwestern, Colorado &
Southern, Missouri Pacific and Union
Pacific railroads with complaint filed
against them by the Merchants Traffic
Association of Colorado charging viola
ton of interstate commerce laws, in
that these roads exact higher rates on
certain classes of freight shipped from
eastern points to points in Colorado
than from some eastern points to
points in Utah.
The railroads are given twenty days
in which to make answer. When the
answers are received the Interstate
Commerce Commission will probably
order hearing before making a ruling
In particular the Merchants Traf-
fc Association charges that the roads
named exact higher rates from Chicago
named exact higher rates from Chi
cago, st. Louis and Kansas City for
transportation of merchandise to Lead
vile, Glenwood Springs and Grand
Junction and intermediate points than
are charged on the same classes OF
merchandise shipped from those same
points to Salt Lake, Ogden and other
points in Utah.
For instance. the rate per hundred
pounds on paper shipped from Chi
cago to Leadville is S120; to Glenwood
Springs. $1.30; to Grand Junction,
s1.3O; while the rate to Salt Lake is
only LOB. In like manner the rate on
beer from Chicago is 95 cents to Lead
Vile; 81 to Glenwood Springs, and
$1.05 to Grand Junction, as against rs
cents to Salt Lake. The alcohol rate
from Chicago is s1.95 to Leadville;
s2.12 to Glenwood: s2.25 to Grand
Junction and only $1.S5 to Salt Lake
! and other points in Utah.
On electrical machinery the rate
from Chicago is SLAP to Leadville; !;
s152 to Glenwood; s1.55 to Grand
junction, and only s1.40 to Utah points.
There is like differences on agricul-
tural implements which pay s1.40 per
| hundred from Chicago to Leadville /;
so to Glenwood and $1.53 to Grand
Junction, against rate of only $l.3S
to Salt Lake and other Utah points.
These and many other figures are set
forth at length. together with tables
showing discrimination in favor OF
| Salt Lake and other Utah points on
similar classes of freight from Peoria,
| Mississippi river points, st. Paul and
Minneapolis and Missouri river points,
as well as from St Louis and Kansas
City. The Merchants Traffic Associa'
tion calls attention to the fact that the
distance from Chicago and other east.
ern points to Salt Lake, Ogden and
other points in Utah is 300 to 500
miles greater than the distance from
| the same shipping points to Leadville,
| Glenwood Springs and Grand juno.
| tion.
While the railroads named are
| charging more for the short haul than
| for the long haul on the commodities
| named, the complaint says there Is no
such discrimination of oil, petroleum
and oil products, which are controlled
| by the Standard Oil Company.
The Standard Oil Company, by rea-
| son of its great power, has been able
| to exact from railroads due observ-
ance of the interstate commerce law
| and in many cases the rate on oil is
| less for the short haul than for the
long. Figures submitted show that the
rate on oil and oil products from Chi
| cago to Salt Lake and other Utah
points is exactly lnS same dS the iale
| charged from Chicago and east to
Leadville, Glenwood Springs and
| Grand Junction.
Summing up its complaint the Traf-
! fic association declares that the rail
roads are exacting unjust and unrea.
| sonable rates from dealers in Colorado
cities, and it therefore asks that rail
| road companies be requested to an
swer the complaint and after the due
investigation requests the Interstate
| Commerce Commission to issue an or
| der requiring that these unfair rates
| be set aside and that just rates be sub
| stituted.