Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1908-11-30
j. A. Reeves, General Freight
Agent Of Short Line, En-
tiers Discussion.
TELLS HOW RATES ARE MADE
Great Industries Have Grown Up In
Utah and West Under Present
Conditions,

]. a. Reeves, general freight agent
of the Oregon Short Line railroad, has
forwarded communication to the
News" setting forth the railroads.
side OF the present freight rate discuss
sion Mr.. Reeves handles the subject
In & clear and understanding manner.
representing that the railroads are
business concerns the same as other
institutions. and liable to the same
contingencies and errors as other con-
Germs, but always willing to confer
with shippers and other patrons on any
point at Issue.
This communication was received
Saturday, when mention of II was
made. but too late for publication y,
that time. The News now presents
the letter In full.
Dear Sir-I beg to respectfully sub
nit the following as the railroad side
of the present discussion regarding
freight rates:
The present adjustment of tariffs to,
FROM and within Utah and the inter-
htdntain country generally is the re-
suit of years OF negotiation among
groups of shippers and groups of rail-
roads; beginning when the railroads
were built here, continuing to the
G7erent time and certain to continue
as long as the railroads run and com
merce and manufacturing are carried
on. This must be so because in the
beginning the make up of the tariff
Is the result of compromise among
varying views and interests. which are
affected in diverse ways by the general
level of rates maintained. or by the
adjustment as to particular commo-5
dities; and further because no tariff
that ever was or ever can be built
Will continue to meet the changing nee
essltles of commerce for any certain
length of time. Imperfect in the be-
ginnig. because ii is a compromise and
fully meets the views of no one, Its
features one by one, because of chang
ing conditions or alterations in the
rate adjustment elsewhere become OBJ
solete, and must be continually re-
vised in order to serve the purpose for
which the tariff is intended.
RATES STAND COMPARISON.
While not wishing to be understood
MS claiming perfection, for the basis
here, I am willing to 60 on record as
saying that, all conditions considered,
1t is as fair and defensible as VIII be
found anywhere, whether we go to
competitive or non-competitive terri
tory for comparison. or whether we
speak OF through rates in and out of
this country or of the local tariffs car
rying rates within our immediate juris-
diction
1T should be remembered that. so far
as the Oregon Short Line proper is
concerned it runs from Sandy to Butte
and from Granger to Huntington. With
In the limits of those termtni the traf-
Representatives of this company are
able TO negotiate rates directly with the
shipper Different shippers located in
our territory frequently disagree, ac-
cording to loca ton and interest, as to
what should be, but whatever is final
ly determined upon we are able to
promulgate without the necessity of
convincing other lines. BEYOND those
junction points, however, other rail-
roads with divergent interests, or who
are swayed by views of shippers with
divergent interests. must be consulted.
and such arrangements as we secure