Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1906-08-04
RATES
INJURE
OREGON
Emlgrants Decline TO Come
Because Freight Rates
Are Too High

man, formerly from the east. who
recently returned to scenes of earlier
years and brought out to the Pacific
coast about 80 old friends. was ask
ed to state what is the greatest difi.
Guilty In trying to induce eastern
people to come to Oregon to live.
Without hesitation, he replied:
Two hundred dollars"
1.-TWO hundred dollars-why. and
what for?"
For bringing a carload of what
appears to be junk from st. Paul or
Missouri river territory to Portland.
why the railroad companies charge
SO much Is a problem too deem for
me. only know that they are charg-
ing too much. and that the charge
makes hundred of middle west peo-
pie hesitate and postpone after you
have talked to them and practically
won them to Oregon.
THE farmer who would come to
Oregon can sell his land in the mid
die west for all it is worth, but he
can't get much for his old machin-
cry, and his household goods. II
he sacrifices these hs must invest a
considerable sum of money in new
things when he gets to his new loca-
ton. He prefers to bring the stuff
along, for it will serve his needs.
He also has perhaps, half a dozen
fine-bred cows and two or three
splendid teams of draft horses. I'm
der the existing metods of the rail-
roads, it is practically out of the
question for him to bring the live
stock. When he finally concludes to
leave it and bring his household stuff
he finds that he must pay 5000 for a
car for the latter. 1t is just about
double the amount that should be
charged"
Considering the enormous need for
men, and particularly farmers, to de-
velop Oregon and the whole Pacific
northwest, it would be assumed that
the railroad companies would place
the lowest proportionate charge on
the homeseeker's freight destined
from the middle west to the Pacific
coast. 1t is found, however, that
a charge of 5000 is made for a car,
and that this is surrounded with
many restrictions that many times
interfere with the bringing of the
average household and the trade
machinery or farm equipment of its
head. In addition, each member of
the family pays fare, and by the
time the ordinary family of five or
six persons gets to Oregon with the
outfit the railroads have
collected aggregate tariffs of nearly
S400. After the farmer has figured
out all this in advance of a decision
to move, he in most cases concludes
that it will not pay him to emigrate
to Oregon.
The same car that he is offered, at
$500 to bring his secondhand goods
west has just been hauled east with
a load of new goods for 1920 to
$3.50. This is the rate for a car
lot of new lumber from Portland to
81. Paul and Omaha. The men who
are striving to get immigration to
Oregon wonder why the railroad
should haul a load of
lumber out of the country for 80
per cent less freight charge than
hey will haul in an able-bodied
When IL Is considered
hat the lumber, once out, is OF no
urther benefit or concern to the
abroad, while every settler brought
nto Oregon is a direct benefit for
he railroad company, the mystery
# the present system of freight rates
,ecome unexplainable from any COM
nonsense standpoint.