Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1908-12-18
LOCAL OFFICES
COULD FIX RATE
Such is the Declaration Of Col.
sterrett, Who Says He
Knows.
HAS BEEN THE. RULE BEFORE
Initial Lines Have Never Been Con-
suited in the Case of Pre-
yious Encnmpments.

That David L. Burley OF the Union
Pacific railroad has the power to fix
whatever rate will prevail for the
coming Grand Army encampment, III
consultation with the particular pas
senger association in which rates for
Salt Lake are considered, is the npin-a
ion of Col. L. NJ. Sterrett of the Grand
Army. He takes decided exceptions
to .he Claim that roads initiating the
traffic to such convention as this, and
not the terminal lines, make the rate
''If MIR. Burley cannot fix the rate by
individual initiative, with the consent
or the Western Passenger association,
said Col. Sterrctt this morning, then
no is bound By different rules than
have prevailed III the matter of rate
fixing ut every other encampmcnt l
has been associated with and in the
case of every excursion.
You see have studied ratio matters.
They have been my speciality fol years.
Many times / have appeared before
passenger associations to present q
claim for 1. certain rate, and j never
yet have appeared before any assncia-
tioH to secure any particular rate en-
cept that association In which the host
city is located The initial lines have
never once fixed n rate for US; It
has always been the lines running into
the city entertaining us, and the rate
their association has made has gov
acrncd all other associations in the
country.
II may say" continued Col. Sterrctt,
that VIC had this matter out with the
railroad officials right here In Salt
Lake Their conference with our COM
mnnder-in-chief and his staff was held
M al an g "a
long one. Mr.. Burley was present
and SO was Maj. Hooper. and when the
commander called on me to present my
Views as to the Justice of the cent
a mile rate | made Il speech to those
railroad men just about five sentences
long.
1T was this: said to them that if
the Grand Army of the Republic never
did another single thing in American
history, it as least wrote into the Con-
stitution Of the United states the
fourteenth amendment which provides
that no man shall be deprived of
his property without process Of law
Tho railroads tilne and time again have
appealed to the clause of the Consti-
tuition when legislative enactmcnts
have seemed to them unjust and con-
tiscatory. And whenever they have
shown legislation 10 be contlscatory"
they have invalidated it in the courts.
Nll'lpul SulnS II Slcp idltlleE vi t!llS
ground alone. we deserve a fair and
Il reasonable consideration. and have
received consideration no better
than the ordinary summer tourist
rate"
LOST BY ONE VOTE.
Col. sierrett, when asked why the
rate was more than u cent IL mile last
year stated that he appeared before
the Central Passenger association, adj
dressed its 81 members in their meet
ing, and that the proposition to grant u
rate of n cent mile lost by only one
vote. At every previous encampment it
had been granted.
For this cncampment he declares that
the Western Passenger association. for
which Alexander Mcleod, with offices
in Chicago, is commissioner is the
body passing upon the rate. and that u
rate recommended from Mr.. Burley
| would receive the most serious consid-
GRAFTON,