Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1907-01-12
SOME FIGURES
IN FREIGHT RATES
Coming Hearing in Spokane Mon
day Develops Some interest
ing Food for Thought.
WATER VS.. ALL-RAlL TARIFFS.
Salt Lake Shippers VIII Probably ."
Up and Take Notice Whcn
Case Comes Up,

The case of Spokane ct al against Tue
Northern Pacific and other roads comes
up for hearing Monday. This case Is
In itself hearing to be connuctea w
the interstata commerce commission v"
freight affairs. Spokane is DEMANDING
lower freight rates from its railroaus-
the Northern Pacific, Great Northern
Rio Grande. Oregon Short Line. Union
Pacific, Oregon Railroad and Naviga-
ton and all lines and allied lines maui
ing freight to Spokane. The city wants
rate somewhat In proportion 70 the
terminal" rates being maintained W
these and all transcontinental raiiroaas'
II IL said the interstate commerce com
mission once ruled that Spokane is en-
titled to a rate which shall be 30 per
cent of the terminal rate; Tor m
stance, IL the rate per 100 pounds on
some class of freight to portland from
the east were $l.00, Spokane is en-,
titled to an So cent per hundred
hound rate Instead OF enjoying this
the city Is now paying more freight
than the cities further away from the
supply centers. AS an example, tne
rate per 100 pounds on a carload lot OF
plumbers earthenware TO Spokane. is
s2.1S from river points; the rate TO
Seattle or any coast city on the same
consignment is s1.40. difference OF
10 cents per 100 pounds. As the
average car Will carry 10000 pounds
of freight 1t can be seen that the dlf-
ference In the freight bills paid by
the Spokane consignees and the coast
town consignaes are greatly dincrent.
on carload OF earthenware the Spo-
kane consignees pay $3.50 more on
freight than his fellow-dealer In Seat
tie or Portland although the latter is
further from the points Of supply The
rate on paint per 100 pounds TO Spo-
kane from New York Is $1.63; to cities
on the coast 1t Is 90 cents; difference
of SO cents. Structural steel from
Pittsburg to Spokane cost S1,23 per
100 pounds in freight charges, to
coast towns the rate is IS cents.
WATER COMPETITION.
The difference In rates looks ex-
orbitant but water competition must
be considered. Traffic men of trans
continental railroads can talk by the
day to convince shipper that the
perfectly Just and square. They
will explain at great length
and with much earnestness that
Portland. Seattle and other coast
towns get lower freight rates
than Spokane, although nearer the
river supply centers, because OF water
competition. An unprecedented view OF
( the rate question compels the thinker
to realize that water competition Is
strong OH the Pacific coast. Much busi-
ness Is passing constantly from New
York and Atlantic ports, down around
I the Horn and up TO the Pacific ports.
Yet the question has been raised for
years past by interior cities why their
rates should not be In proportion TO
terminal" rates. Spokane has taken
the first step towards probing the mat
ter in an effort to reach final con-
clusion, solution and decision and has
called the Interstate commerce commits
sion to aid In the hearing. The suit,
as 1t is called for dignity's sake, is the
first one to be brought UP under the
long and short haul section of the new
railroad bill.
SALT LAKE INTERESTED.
Salt Lake is especially interested In
the coming suit and eager to hear Its
result as II is worse off than Spokane
In freight rate matters. Agricultural
| implements, for instance are carried to
San Francisco from Chicago under a
rate of Sl.25 per hundred pounds while
| the rate to Salt Lake is 81 49, The rate
| to San Francisco on hand implements
| from points of supply Is also $1.25 per
hundred pounds; IT Is sl.741k cents to
SAT- Lake. Tne SAT- Lake consiBnse,
merchant or Jobber, has been unable
and is unable to wage war against
| the railroads In an effort to secure lower
freight rates for one, unavoidable, inn
portant, and rnin-th flesh reason.
| This can be explained best by figures.
The rate, for instance. on paints to
| Salt Lake from Cleveland is 50, 09h per
hundred pounds; It Is but LIS to the
| coast, and the rate from San Francisco
or other cities on the coast to Salt Lake
is 81 81 per hundred pounds. Thus a
merchant In San Francisco can bring
| paint to his warehouses there and send
| II back to this city at a cost 301a cents
below the freight cost of bringing II di-
rect to Salt Lake. Column after col
| umn of similar examples can be worked
out with the aid OF tariffs. Salt Lake
| received Montana rates some time ago.
| A prominent traffic man employed by
n large western supply firm said the
railroads made the overdue reduction
10 keep the lid down for awhile-to
| hush the squeal OF western consignees"
| II Spokane wins her suit. similar hear
| lngs may be expected, and there is no
| little attention being paid the coming
| hearing in Salt Lake. Further freight
| rate reductions may be made before the
| canal is completed,