The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1909-07-04
SALT LAKES HEARING.

Whatever delays there are In the
e handling OF the Salt Lake railroad
: case, those delays are not to be
= charged to Salt Lake. Salt Lake Is
+ case has been ready for some time. anG
e filed with the Interstate Commerce Com
G mission, and is admitted TO be n per
= feet case prepared properly, and ad
Y mirably presented.
We print this morning in our locaI
columns some letters received by Mr.
Babcock, Commissioner Of the Com.
, mercial Club Traffic Bureau, in response
to the receipt, by the writers. Of copies
or The Tribune containing Salt
Lake s case. These letters are all high.
/, ly complimentary, and it is indeed diff
cult to see how they could be anything
else. The Interstate Commerce Com
mission itself, it is understood, is
fully satisfied with the way the case
is made up and as received by it,
The telegraphic dispatches yesterday
morning from Chicago indicate that
the Interstate Commerce Commission
VIII begin with the cool weather in
the fall complete system of hearings
on complaints against the railroads
throughout this western country. The
programme appears to be that the Com
mission Will go to the Coast late IN
september and seek at first hand in
formation regarding the transcontinent.
al freight rates situation. The first
place to be visited, according to the
Itinerary as telegraphed, is Spokane.
then probably Seattle, Portland, San
Francisco, Los Angeles, and Salt Lake
City, IN the order named In each Of
these cities the commission will take
testimony on the rate situation, and the
inquiries they make will involve the
entire structure of rates from Eastern
terminals TO the Pacific Coast termi-
mails and intermediate points.
That is precisely in accordance with
the desires and demands of Salt Lake.
We call for the fullest investigation.
and our demand is for fair treatment.
At present the coast cities are favored
with enormously unjust reductions on
freight charges as compared with cities
like Salt Lake and Spokane. The
through rates from coast to coast on
the railroads are made. as alleged. in
view OF the water transportation, say.
from New York to San Francisco. As
matter of fact, this transportation is
mere fraction Of the whole, most of
the freight being carried by rail, and
the railroads do not need fear the water
competition at all, except on some very
bulky and heavy articles where time
IN transportation is of no object. And
then the coast-to-coast transportation
continent traffic. Whatever NAV be
urged in the way Of excuses for low
rates from New York TO San Francisco
certainly cannot be urged in extenua-
tion of unfair rates. say from Chicago
or st. Louis to points between those
cities and San Francisco. It will.
therefore. be necessary for the Inter
state Commerce Commission TO take
jurisdiction of the whole question. with
the difference between ocean to ocean
rates and Chicago to San Francisco
rates, and make fair adjustment on |
the length of transportation, volume of
service and of the necessary features
that enter into the transportation sched-
ulcs, Ut is not enough that Salt Lake |
City, for instance. should he charged |
no moro for freight from Chicago than
is charged on freight from Chicago TO
San Francisco. Salt Lake City is en-.
titled 10 rate not TO exceed two.
thirds of the charge on all classes of
freight from Chicago, as compared with
the rate from Chicago to San Fran.
cisco.
This region has suffered from unjust
rates ever since the railroads have got
ten their bearings and found what cx.
tortion they could practice upon the
cities of the interior 1t is time that
this cxtortion and unjust discrimina-
tion against Tins and other interior
cities should be stopped. 1t is time
that the Interstate Commerce Commits
sion gave the death. blow to the idea
that, because one city is on the Atlantic
coast and one city on the Pacific coast.
that there should be rates between those
cities lower than the charges made from
either of those cities to intermediate
points. From Chicago there should not
be, at the outside, freight charge to
this city, either class or commodity. TO
The amount of moro than two thirds oil
the freight rates from Chicago to San
Francisco; nor should the charge from
New York to Salt Lake be in excess of
three fourths of the charge from New
York 10 San Francisco
That the rates now and heretofore I
prevailing have been preiudicial to Salt
Lake, harmful to the growth Of the CITY
md unjust to the shippers who send {
out and receive freight at this point. ,
Will be abundantly proved in the hear. {
ng; and we shall expect, therefore. !
that the Interstate Commerce Commits I