The Ordway new era., 1906-10-26
COLORADO Rates
WILL BE PRosED BY COMMERCE.
COMMISSION.
ON MERCHANTS COMPLAINT


Eastern Freight Rates Cheaper to
Utah Than to colorado-UWjust
Discrimination Charged.
Washington.-The Interstate Com
merce Commission Monday served the
Denver & Rio Grande. Colorado Md.
land. Santa Fe. Burlington. Rock Is.
land, Northwestern, Colorado d
Southern, Missouri Pacific and Union
Pacific railroads with a complaint hled
against them by the Merchants Trafh0
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 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.
willie. 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 otnef
points in Utah.
For instance, the rate per hundred
pounds on paper shipped from Chi
cago to Leadville is 31.20; to Glenwood
Springs, $3.50; to Grand junction.
81. 80; while the rate to Salt Lake II
only $l.O3. In like manner the rate on
beer from Chicago is 95 cents to Lead.
Vile; 81 to Glenwood Springs, and
S1.O5 to Grand Junction. as against ~
| cents to Salt Lake. The alcohol rate
from Chicago is S1.95 TO Leadville;
32.12 to Glenwood: $2.25 to Grand
junction. and only $1.S5 TO Salt Lake
and other points in Utah.
On electrical machinery the rate
from Chicago Is $1.42 to Leadviiie:
s1.62 to Glenwood: $1.b5 to Grand
Junction, and only $1.40 to Utah p0lntA
There Is like differences on agricuh
hundred from Chicago to Lcadville:
S1.5O to Glenwood. and $1.53 to Grand
junction, against rate Of only $1.3s
to Salt Lake and other Utah points.
These and many other figures are SET
forth at length. together with tables
| showing discrimination in favor o1
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 Associn.
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 800 to 500
miles greater than the distance from
the same shipping points 70 LeadvMie.
Glenwood Springs and Grand Juno
ton.
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 it's great power. has been able
to exact from railroads due 0bserv-
ance of the interstate commerce law.
and in many cases the rate on oil 10
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 the same as the rate
charged from Chicago and east to
Ieadville, Glenwood Springs and
Grand Junction.
Summing up its complaint the Traf-
ic association declares that the rail-
roads are exacting unjust and unrea-
sonable rates from dealers in Colorado
cities, and 1t 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.