Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1909-06-24
THE RATE QUESTION.

TIL; RATE q QUESTION.
THE petition of the Traffic Bureau,
pertaining to railroad rates. now re-
ceived by the Interstate Commerce
Commission is q document Of which
the author may justly feel proud. IL
sets forth in clear terms what the
4. grievances are. 1t shows that the al,es-
\ lions raised affect not only Utah but
a vast inteiilionntair region, the de-
velopmcnt of which is necessarily re-
tarded by discriminating rates. and it
states what changes can reasonably DO
made in the schedules without injury
20 the railroad interests.
The following paragraph may be
quoted as containing the gist OF the
entire petition:
Arbitrary. oppressive and exception
al methods Of transportation rate maxi
4 ing especially calculated to promote
Il the growth and prosperity OF San.
Z Francisco and other cities OF the Pacific
coast. and 10 produce and maintain an
opposite condition of commercial servi-5
tudes and distress for the cities and
State of Utah, have always been and
are now employed and enforced by the
said railway companies; methods not.
tolerated elsewhere in the whole cotin-{
4 try by communities capable of success
fill resistance, and In this region Of
their beginning they should long ago
have 8rfghteously found their end But
D through the unceasing exercise Of vast
corporate power and Influence, alike,
fertile in pretext and merciless In ex-
action they have not only relentlesslyi
chung to this section. but spreading
to others In this great region as new
raj waS construction has arisen there
lin, they still oyershadosy the whole q &,
with a whitening blight or their PERM
cious Influence, destructive alike TO the
welfare of Its people and the develop
ment Of the country, and stand the
last striking example OF the inequality
of Justice in commercial conditions as
8bewteen tho west and the east. S
The entire question Is now before the
Interstate Commerce commission, the
body before whom ii ought to have
been brought at once, as soon as 1t
became evident that the presidents8of
( the roads We're not disposed to take
any action upon the letter addressed to
lieye every phase of 1T will nov be.
investigated with perfect lmpartiallty
and fthoroughness. The case hra at
tracted attention throughout the noun-
4 tityia the Commission cannot but re-
4 alice that 1t Is Of more than common
Importance. Public opinion, however.
should s,pport the Traffic Bureau, for
4 the influence Of vast interests will un-i
stlouhtedlytbe lined up against 1t in this
struggle. #
S5S Utah is entitled to cheaper rates than
has been accorded to.it. Just whatEthe
reduction should be must be left to ex-
perts TO say. but 1t is clear that the
business interests or the coast cities
should not be considered by any COM
mon carrier TO tho detriment of inland
points, AS far as the roads are con
reined the interests of one place should
be Just as sacred as those OF another.
From every point of view. Utah is en-
titled to the best rates that can be OBJ.
Stained.
While we ara In full sympathy with
i the movement for the abolition of I'M
lust discrimination in railroad rates, we
cannot admit, as intmated by a morn
Ing paper. that high freight rates is the.
pnly factor responsible for the high
5rost of living in this City. That they
nave something to do with it is true
but not to the extent some imagine.
Ia ffas. na1i
an average. than they were some years
Ago. and yet the cost of The necessaries
5nf life have advanced
Another factor must be considered in.
connection with the cost of living in.
.this City. We have an extrayagant
Eity government that is spending the
regular taxes With lavish hands, al
ways being behind in its accounts be-
cause 1t has not the financial ability
to make both ends meet; and. in add
lion, has created an enormous debt upon
which interest must be paid. Now, IL
is evident that any man who lives be-
yond his Income and borrows money
for Injuries, will find his money rolling
away from him alta tremendous speed.
Interest cats up an income very fast.
That Is why debt means bondage. And
that's the situation in this city The
City Is IN debt UP to the limit. The
ritizens pay for ii. They pay, not only
directly in the taxes assessed against
them but Indirectly, through the
higher cost of living made neces-
sary on account of tile higher taxes
the producers and the merchants must
Z pay, the consumer paying his portion
of those taxes. as we'll as his own.
!. The City, III order TO become as
prosperous as it ought 10 be, must
not only have the benefit OF reasonable
transportation rates bur it must get
{ rid of3an extrayagant administration
that has been willing to sacrifice il
upon the altar Of IT'S anti-.Mornon"
policy, aud place its affairs In the
hands of business men willing to serve
for the good Of the community. and
capable of giving it an economic and
clean government. Let us get rid
or the enormous Indebtedness as fast
as possible. Let us reduce the govern
mont expenses To reasonable limits
and give the Taxpayers tie benefit Let
+ us make the City as morally clean as
possible, Let US get rid of the graft
ers. Then, decent citizens will flock
! here from all parts OF the country
They will fill valley after valley and