The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1906-01-25

distance of twenty-nlnc III, r,,sro removed
ponIdsr had nourished. and pc @ aSNy yrorn
there wero not other eltleS S,,eanG Indc-
cxtortIonate rates. H1Ve tnouts5 in the
nendcnt roads formerly operateo it thsee
y 99S,,oIann,,nt Of the country; TO-DAY I
ro{Iroads nre under the contIoI a ~
giant systema. The rate on nc "a tho
live stock had been inEre@Ioo inSiv @5ovlng an un-
ust tnx of 81, 000 900, after tne sSe,Ine
oral advance OF rates on c'i, h,t theso
thorc were Wholesale disAsteIS' lin the
were nothing as cornpnIcu
vicious discriminatory rates
Jensen Cites Authority
Mr.. Jensen cited the case OF tho Colo ,'ios
rado Fuel and Iron company WhiTm r1tn die.
rorccd to closn dowE because OF ratc dls-
but was suoScquentlS
vlyed when some railroad sPIIS IT, cited
took stock In the concern, Gan An
az an Illustration the case OF a Sth ~ ~,
tonic contractor who 9eCurcd th" -
tracts, and the railroads toiScE c.I,o mn
freight rates so that he had 70 siF' tin
The contracts and go out or business. -
admitted that freight rates OF the S." =, he
ard OH company are the lowest IN the
world. The railroads lose money IN it',o, .a,
ing goods for the beef trust tne +apIo
cotton and grain shippers by the iinPos,
tion Of cxtortionatc rates The coultS
can not change classincntions, nor Gun Gun
they settle disputes In dinerential F"'os'
or anything that is legislative
Commissions Can Be Trusted.
Tho speaker held that an effective rem
edy must be provided; that II was SriIs rhs
a waste OF time TO try the courts me
question Is past them. There Is one lCe
lcaI step TO take. We can rust IN tnc
commission to cure the evils InVesusa
tIon shows that commissions tne "oIlo
over arc the only effective way by "hlcn
TO establish railroad rates. The Gcnerhl
Traffic association empowered mon 10 So
tie disputes between the railroads, II tley
could settle disputes between inc rall-
roads why cannot men enectlNeiy Sct'Ie
disputes between railroads and the peo-
pie?
Mr. Jensen cited the case where the Spo-
kane manufacturers had to close down
because Seattle was given cheaper rates
and concluded with the assertion that ols.
criminatory rates are at the bottom OF
the trust and II the commission had pow
cr to fix rates II would obliterate the en-
tire evil.
The next speaker for tho negative was
George o. Fairweather lie sold II mlgniI
have been true that they had to maui
freight to Boulder, but he called attention
to the fact that Boulder has enjoyed pros,
perity and the rates have been reduced
without the Interference OF the Govern
ment He thought that the debate hinged
on the question OF eNtortionate rates. he
claimed that the profits of the railroads
were far less eNtortionatc than they had
been from any other corporation, and the
cost OF operation and construction OF rail-
roads had greatly Increased. He held that
his opponents had not met the question
OF unconsttutionality He also held that
their measure was ineffective. and that II
did not touch rebates OF discrimination
between localities
Rates Would Be Unjust.
The power asked for was general rate
fixing II the commission were given that
power. he claimed II would mean that in
terstate rates would be unjust all over
hn ,sr1F 10 81 TOD nj. NO
regulation of the freight rate on grain,
which had to be adapted to the location
OF the various markets and the various
railroads handling II. He said that the
question Of rate-txing, In all It's ramifca-
tions, was one which affected the whole
country Last year 10000 tariffs were
filed with the railroads; there are now
over 2,OpO, coo tariffs and IL Is almost I'M
possible to begin TO analyze these charges.
The power TO Ak rates was an enormous
task In country SO large as ours, and
so vast that IL would be almost superhu
man. No article Is rated independently.
IL is necessary ITO consider the whole bus
incss OF the carrier. Every particular and
special thing OF every commercial and
Industrial operation In the whole country
are factors that enter into the problem
OF ratemaklng. is this a task which
any board of commissioners can wisely
undertaken" he asked.
The railroads employ 500o traffic experts
Railroad economists Will tell you rate
making rs not q matter OF scientific prin-
ciples. The influences affecting freight
traffic are so enormous and conflicting
and so constantly changing, that only
higher skill can fix reasonable rates for
all. He closed with the assertion that the
proposal OF the Affirmative was imprac-
ticable and impossible.
Trying to Make Fair Rates.
Daniel Alexander. the last speaker for
the U. OF u, admitted that railroad men
are trying to make fair rates. but they
are not infalli6le and make mistakes. He
contended that neither the courts nor the
commission as at present constituted can
handle the question. AS to the practica-
bility of the remedy. why should n COM
road men TO fix rates, he asked Tho
commission as at present constituted was
composed of railroad men, and railroad
lawyers. or the fifteen men appointed TO
the commission, twelve had been LAWYERS
The commission never had power to FIX
the rates, but they supposed they had and
exercised 1t, The commission settled cases
against the Milwaukee road and MANY
others. and their authority was not oues.
toned until 81. and during the precedine
ten years the commission was not cues.
toned In its right to AK future rates,
Commercial Conditions Harmonious
During these ten years commercial con-
dltions were more harmonious than they
SO successful have State commissinrc
oeen That seven out of eight have boon
given this rate-dxng power The scheme
Is practicable because IL has national
support. 1t is supported by the Nationai
Government and all industrial associs
tions. 1t is the duty OF the Government
to correct all abuses. The remedy is aIso
an enective one, On the question Of cor
stitutionalty there was as much nntbor-
ity fcf IL as there was against II Prnsi
dent Roosevelt and Attorney -GeneraI
Knox said II was constitutional ana :,
hundred judges OF the courts supported
that contention.
Argued for Absolute Rate
Hugh P. Remington was the last sne,L
er for the Coloradoans. He contended
that the Ctahns argued for an ahsoI,,tn
rate and that had been repcatedIW AZ
clded against by the courts He hold tbe,
the remedy was q dangerous one ha
cause there are certain beneflciaJ 70.
existing under present Conditions u,%toS
make 1t impossible. These rates hnSa
been tho making OF the great Wost ~
rates have now gone back to their for-oan 30.
status. and the industries still survIra
Iney are the greatest foes of mononoi,,
IL was also unsafe. because 1t wns imnnSS
Ing autocratlc power In q political hpSs.
and the court cannot review tho daciSios'
Inc contention of tho Affirmative W
that the commission was TO he iu5s,s -
Jury legislature. marshal and cyorytGisS'
lie also contended that the acts ot rs
commission would lead To sectionoI,sn'e 'te
ana the remedy DroDnSe6 b,.