The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1908-02-19
WEDNESDAY, FEB. 10, 1908.
WHY THE PEOPLE LOVE THE
RAILROADS.

RAIIROAOS.
The regulation of railroad f fairs
by legislative en- actment appears to
be resented by the corporations az
1ected. They contend that interference
with their business by congress and
state legislatures is unjust and in
furious, and will operate against the
best welfare of the public as we'll as
themselves.
The necessity for such regulation,
however, was brought about by the
failure OF the railroads to properly
perform their duties as common car
riers. There would not have been a
popular demand for railway legisla.
ton If efficient service at q reasonable
rate, and q square deal for all ship
pers and communities, had been given
by the transportation companies. The
creation Of the interstate commerce
commission ONE twenty years ago
was made necessary by the railways
disregarding their obligations to the
public, and subsequent Legislation
was required by conditions that de.
veloped from time to time.
The purpose Of all these legislative
en- actments has been to secure fair
treatment for all parties concerned
fair treatment for every shipper and
fair treatment for the railroads. The
latter should not object to a PROPOSE.
ton that contemplates only fairness
in their business transactions with the
public. There is no just cause for
complaint on the part of these cor.
porations against any law that re.
quires them to abstain from extortion,
and to render the services they are
under obligations to perform.
It is to the interest of both the rail
roads and the people that friendly re.
lations be cultivated at all times, and
when these conditions do not exist the
hostility is generally due to unjust
exactions or unsatisfactory service at
the hands of the railway corporation.
The people love the railroads to the
degree encouraged by the treatment
received from them.
An instance of unfair treatment sui.
fered by the people of Montana in re.
gard to passenger fares to the east,
hereafter the rate to St. Paul will be
cut to conform with the charges au-
thoriZed by the rate laws of North
Dakota and Minnesota. The maxi
mum rate in North Dakota is - cents
per mile, and in Minnesota two cents
per mile, but the Montana traveller in
passing through those states has been
paying practically three cents per
mile for the entire distance. His fel.
low passengers who boarded the train
en- route through North Dakota and
Minnesota paid less per mile for their
trip than was exacted from the man
who started east from Montana. The
removal Of this discrimination is a
confession that IL was unjust and I'm.
warranted.
Many residents of northern Mon
tana were affected by the recent raise
in rates upon grain shipments to Min.
ueapolis, the charge being increased
to As cents a hundred. The increase
caused a reduction in the price paid
to the producers, and in response to
numerous protests it is announced
that the former ate OF 40 cents will be
charged after March ,. The attempt
to extort additional tribute from the
grain dealers and producers Of north.
ern Montana did not increase their af'
fiction for the railroad.
In explaining their method OF fixing
freight rates, the railroad authorities
state hat distance is not the deter.
mining factor. The main motive in
fixing \ rate is to encourage the move
ment of freight, and to secure as much
profit as the traffic will bear. Ii
other words, the railroad idea is t.
absorb as much as possible of tn,
difference between the cost of produc
ton and the value Of the product il
the market to which it is shipped
TIE unrestrained exercise of thi
power to fix rates would keep the pro
Queer in a condition Of servitude, tn
transportation companies ~securin,
the profits of his labor, and his low
for the railroads would naturally lac
the fervor that is alleged to be S,
desirable.