Montpelier examiner. [volume] (Montpelier, Idaho) 1895-1937, 1906-04-06
FAVORS RATE BILL
Senator Hepburn Making Fight for
This Important Measure.
OPPOSED TO DISCRIMINATION
He Furnishes the Senate with Rate
Schedules Showing How Roads
Discriminate Against Idaho.

Discriminate Against Idaho.
Senator Hepburn making an
active fight in behalf of the railroad
rate bill, which is now the all i'm
portant question in the senate. Be-
low VIZ publish portion of the sen
ator's speech IN which he called the
attention of the senate to the dis
crlmlnation now practiced by rail-
roads against inland shipping points
and in favor of coast points. This
is matter of great Importance to
the people of Idaho, and the Senator
seems determined that the new rate
bill shall remedy this evil, If pos
sible. In charging the companies
with discriminating on freight rates
the Senator did not deal in general
tiles, but made explicit charges and
backed up his statements by quot
ing the existing freight rates. His
speech, in part, is as follows:
s'The Interstate Commerce Com
mission has not been benefit to
the people of this country. It may
have been benefit to the shippers;
it may have been at times conven-
ience to the transportation COM
panles; but it has not been of any
benefit to the consumers, and they
constitute about ninety per cent of
all the people. 1t has resulted in
accumulating around the margin or
border of this country an undue pro-
portion or share of the wealth of the
country by its discrimination under
the long and short haul clause; by
that ruling which enabled the trans
portation companies to charge the
people in the state which | represent
on this floor the rare to the Pacific
coast plus the local rate back 200
or 500 or even thousand mlles-to
some of our shipping points. Under
the plea that this discrimination was
necessary because Of the enforced
competition between water and rail
navigation the Interstate Commerce
Commission, with its varying per-
Ronality, has construed the laws of
Congress as they were never intend
ed to be construed. Let me
call your attention to what they are
doing under the guise of avoiding
the evils of competition between
water and rail. / could have OBJ
tanned this information perhaps here
IN Washington. wanted it from
the ground. Take hardware. II
country like ours that. is a yer.
large item. 1t amounts to vae
traffic in our country. Sometime
in the equipment of a single mill
will amount to quarter of million
J dollars; there will be train loads q
this material. From Cincinnati an,
common points to our central poin
of shipment the rate is $r.25 pc
hundred, and To the Pacific coast 8
cents. Where is the water compe
tition between Cincinnati and coaf
points. Take canned goods--a a
article Of consumption to yer
large extent. From Chicago to OF
points of shipment the rate Ia sl.Sl
to the coast eb cents. | am merel
calling attention to the matter th,
we may see how the present legisl
ton has operated IN the interpret
tiop that has been placed upon i
Take dry goods. From Chicago ,
Spokane the rate 10 $500 per hu
dred, while from Chicago to tt
coast 1t is 1900 per hundred; {
agricultural implements from Ct
ago TO Spokane the aate Is $i.e
while from Chicago to the coast
.eiS$l.s6. Now take Boise. Viii
the rate on first class freight fro
Chieago to Portland IS s3, the ra
from Chicago to BOISE is $500 p
hundred. There is not even COMP
tstiou there for there Is only o.
transeontinental railroad"
In reply TO q statement by Ser
tor polliyer to the effect that I