Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1909-12-13
Document Drawn by Judge Dey
And Manager Babcock
Distributed.
POINTS OUT DETERMINATIONS
assert Rates Arc Unjust and Water
Competition Serves Interest
OF Railroads

Comics of the reply brief caretuliy
prepared by the Salt Lake Commercial
club traffic bureau. and now filed with
the Interstate commerce commission
in the suit for relief from alleged ex-
cssslve freight tolls, are being dlserioue-
81 a. members of the club and local
shippers. ar
{ n. Babcock drew up the reply oiie,
which is valuable epitome ana
svnons,s of the petition against tne
railroads. The title OF the sult 10,
Commercial Club Traihc bureau OF ~
salt Lake. Utah. complainant, asali5.
Atchison. Topeka * santa re nut
way company. ct ALL
Docket No. 1862 .
The brief begins: "All other ques-
tions apart, we first earnestly niss.
that the evidence properly TO pe ~
sIdered in this case clearly eSts eStapiiSneo, --,,
and that the commission shouio
find, as ultimate facts:
II That tho rates complained OIL arc
uni,,st and unreasonable under sec. 1,
taking into consideration the puonc IN
terests. as well as the interests Oh
the carriers. t.
~ That the preference in favor or
San FransIsco is undue, and the dis-
elimination against Utah common
points is unjust under sec. ), In rela
ton 20 the schedule OF rates principal
lv complained OF, viz: between Chicago,
Mississippi river and Missouri river
rate territories and Utah common
points in both directions
Various decisions OF the supreme
court are cited which involve the con-
struction of the provisions OF the act
to regulate commerce.
CLEARLY UNJUST.
It is replied that Separate and in
dependent OF any relation to San Fran
cisco rates, the rates we complain of
are both relatively and per Sc. clearly
unjust and unreasonable for the extent
and reasonable value OF the service
performed" The defense that water
forces Il lower rate TO coast
points is refutcd. and In the showing of
earnings. IL is said;
"The Southern Pacific company for
its entire system of 9.505.61 miles, in
Guiding the Central Pacific, received an
average amount of S3.11 per ton. and
the Union Pacific system an average
of $i.04 per ton, for each ton
OF reverhe freight. respectively, trans
ported by them during the fiscal year
ending June 80, 1908 These excessive
revenues per ton were neither equalled
nor approached upon any other i'm
portant railroad In the country in that
period, with the single exception of
the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe.
which was also largely engaged in
traffic. The net earn
ings of the entire Southern Pacific
system for the fiscal year
ending June 80. 1909, were much great
er than for the previous year. while
the operating ratio: fell from 66.94 to
60.61 per cent
WATER COMPETITION.
THE growth and commercial impor-
tance of San Francisco rests wholly
upon its sea location. 1t is likely fully
desired by the rail carriers purely as
an advantageous commercial PROPOSE
ton that some degree of water compe-
tition should remain, but particularly
in a largely controlled form as appar-
emily at present. The alleged element ,
Of water competition has many years
faithfully served the interests of the
rail carriers in securing for the latter
the long and most profitable haul of
the traffic. The promotion of the COM
mercial prosperity and growth of the
cities of the Pacific coast, and the con-
tinuance OF the expressive and dis
methods of rate making for
the intermediate interior country with
its added revenues; an arbitrary sys-
tenn applying in both directions vlr-
tually restricted to this intermountain
region; since Its application would not
be tolerated by Omaha. ST. Louis, Chi
cago. or any other of the vastly more
powerful communities anywhere in the
whole country or east of the Missouri
river
Salt Lake City was perhaps the pio-
neer OF all settlements, and certainly of
all cities In the entire vast region of
This country west OF the Missouri river,
including the Pacific coast. It's loca-
ton was adopted by reason OF its being
the most central as we'll as the most
promising OF the whole interior Some
20 years after its settlement and
when 1t was prosperous city. the orig
NAL Pacific railroads were constructed
through the district, also because of it's
being ON the most central and best
route between the Missouri river end
California. AS the city with its inme-
diately adjacent territory was the prl-
mary baslng point OF the drawing of
civilization and settlement in the re-
gion, with its continued and great
growth fulfilling it's carly promises. SO
should it fittingly be also the founda-
tion point Of rates applicable upon mod
ern forms of transportation therein
and under no rule of simple equity