Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1908-11-21
RAILROAD RATES.

u gentleman from +ltGuNtIz VII rom otiSt
rates, we suggested that this ques-
ton, as every other, has two sides ana
that both sides must be considered by
anyone who wants to form a just estl-
mate as to the real merits OF the cons
troversy. Anent this article, Mr.. W..
S. Mccarthy, secretary of the Com
mercial Club Traffic bureau, favors
the News with the following com
munication:
1.-THE freight, for instance, 10 Sacra
mento is the freight to San Francisco
with the rate from san Francisco TO
Sacramento added If you will take
the trouble to Investigate you Will find
that, all the transcontnental rates III
effect to San Francisco apply to Sac
ramento, without any addition. Sacra-
mento is Il Pacific Coast terminal. (See
Trans Continental Freight Bureau
West Bound Tariff No. 1--G).
Further along you say: 1T is not
many years since a ticket to the Mis-
souri, River from here, which now
costs $4,000, was more than double that
amount, Freight rates have been
lowered proportionately. don't know
what you consider many years, but to
the writer's knowledge the ticket rate
between Missouri River and Utah for
the past twenty years has not exceeded
$4,000, and the rour1 trip rates for
Eastern points every. summer for years
past have been one fare plus $500. or
to the Missouri River 5000, to Chicago
$44 80. During the past summer (note
the decline), they were, to the Mis-
souri, River $4,000, to Chicago $1,000,
q decline In the purchasers bank ac-
count OF $500 in one ase--$10.50 In the
other-and added to this the purchaser,
at the points where 1t was necessary to
have his ticket validated, paid 25c per
ticket for the protection of the railroad
company against the ticket scalrer.
whom, with the assistance of the public
servants, they several years ago drove
out Of business.
4. Freight rates have been lowered
proportionately.' Let us see. Ten
years ago the tariff rate on pipe from
Pittsburg to Utah common points was
Gle per cwt., but the actual rate paid .
by all shippers averaged about roc.
Today we pay s1.12, another decline Qn
the shippers bank accounD of 42c per
cwt. or $16S,O0 on Il minimum car.
In 1898 the tariff rate on wool, all
rail, Utah common points to Boston,
was $500 per cwt., and it was actually
charged for from that figure down to
about S1,3o, probably averaging s1.50
cline of &c per cwt.. or $l260O per
minimum car and these are by no
means the only Instances that might be
cited. i s
Railroads will call your attention
to the sweeping CD reductions made
in November, 1906, when class rates
now applying to Utah common points
were put in effect, first class from Chi
cago being lowered from 1910 to 500
mr. in fol la
but will neglect to tell you that the
lower scale was for years applied on
freight hauled through Salt Lake TO
Butte while the tariff to Salt Lake re-
at the higher figure. tbs Cor
is IT'D fair to presume that this con-
dition was due to that patient bearer
of railroad burdens water competi-
tion?''
..1'he Commercial Club Traffic Blu
reau, under whose auspices Mr. George
j. Kindel delivered the address which
brought out your editorial expression,
was formed after most careful consid-
GRAFTON by u committee composed of
business men familiar with existing
rate conditions; men who have time
and time again heard the other side
for each manufacturer jobbcr. retailer
and consumer from every railroad and
In our efforts to obtain 1t we feel that
we are entitled to the loyal support of
every citizen of the community and OF
every newspaper
We are indebted to Mr.. Mccarthy for
calling attention to the fact that Sac
is terminal point, and that
the rule OF the rate to the coast plus
1t is from the coast and back
to the inland point, consequently, does
not apply to that city. We regret the
But it does not affect the
general argument. Tho rule by which
the rates are determined Is, according
to our information, as stated by the
News" in the article referred to.
Concerning the passenger rates, it is
only necessary to say, in justification Of
our former statement, that the fare to
Missouri river was at one time $3.50;
then it was reduced to $4,000; then to
$4,000; then to $500, and now 1t is
$4,000. The fare to Denver was, at one
time, $500; now it is s17.75. To Chi
cage the fare used to be sll5.00; now it
is $500. To Portland the fare was
$3.50; now it is s27. And so on.
AS TO freight, It is probably true that
the rates on some commodities have
been raised, as our correspondents
figures show, but the general tendency
has been downward, as stated in the
News" Freight rates. taken as a
whole, are lower today than they were
some years ago. The tariff on pipe
from Ptttsburg to Utah, given by Mr..
Mccarthy as an illustration OF higher
rates, is hardly fair. We are advised
that the old rate of 81 cents was based
on IL cents Pittsburg district to Chi
cage plus specially low rate Of 50
cents. granted by the railroads. In the
nature of donation towards the cree
ton Of the famous Salt Lake Copper
Company's plant, and which plant was
erected largely by public subscription,
ana for which, If eve remember cor
rectly, the City council made an APP
Precipitation. Subsequently the rate was
advanced to the normal basis.
we understand. If this is cor
rect the illustration is not well
chosen. Nor is 1t pertinent to make
q comparison between secret, and
unlawful, rates that may have
been granted in. past years. as com
pared with the legally published rates
prevailing today.
We have not taken sides in this con-
troversy. If any reasonable measure can
be suggested by which lower freight
rates can be obtained for the benefit