The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1909-05-23
THE TRANSPORTATION QUESTION.

bensiye work on the question Of rail
road freight rates and transportation
in general The author was incited to
prepare il because Of the evident need
for adefinite. accurate and fairly com
prehensive exposition of the effect of
ihe freight rates of the railroads upon
the industry and commerce of the
United States; and because IN the gen
eral discussion of this question, there
appeared such lack of definite informa
tion that the conclusions reached were
by no means satisfactory, There were
100 many thing that should come into
the settlement OF the problems in
volved. that for the lack of the neces-
sary information could not be brought
into it, The need of more exact and
definite information, therefore, was felt
on ali hands. The effort to supply this
BY the author resulted in the produc
iion Of this book; and in producing it,
he has certainly covered 10 satisfac-
tory degree, the want heretofore felt.
The author explains his grasp Of the
subject and the spirit with which he
entered npon his work, IN the following
from the introduction:
Throughout all industry and all COM
merce the function OF transported ton is
conspicuous. Products may be carried
by dray wagon for short distances
from the field, merchandise of various
kinds to and from the factory. the ware
house or the retail store, and certain OF
the waterways take part In this func
ton; but the Overwhelmingly prepon
6era'ing transportation agency In this
country is the railroad The railroads
carry raw material from farm and forest
md mine to the places OF concentration.
10 the places of preparatory process. TO
tho places of intermediate process, to the
places OF final process. They carry pro-
duets from these places Of final process
10 the warehouses in the great distrib-
uting CenierS. to the storehouses In the
NJ, .s.;- 81 el,1 Nf
the retail merchants, and, in no incon-
siderable degree, 10 the homes wherein
they are used and consumed.
Entering thus into every process OF
every industry. and into every process OF
distribution. the transportation function
affects every person who Ia concerned
either i'm the production the Consump
tion of any commodity of industry. OF any
article Of commerce. That Is, 1t affects
the entire population. The charge for
transports tion enters into the cost OF pro-
transportation enters into the cost OF
distribution of every article,
\ survey OF the effect which the
charges for transportation have upon the
various industries and the varied com
ncrce Of this country must. therefore. in
Glade a study Of the extent to which they
materials and the products Of industry;
Of the extent TO which they advance or
rotald the progress Of commerce. Those
immediately engaged in industry are the
producers of raw matcrisl-the owners OF
and workers in the fields, the forests
and the mines, the owners of and work
crs in tho factqri"S and mills; those I'M
mediatcly engaged in distribution are the
owners and salcsnen OF tho mills and
factories the wholesale merchants and
thcr employees. the retail merchants and
their employees. AS every farmer and
farmland. directly or indirestlN, IN y. con. con
and every manufa CtureT and worker In
mill and factory consumes the products
Of the farm, and on throughout indus
q
consumer and every consumer is pro
duccr The workers In the arts. and the
professions while not engaged IN mate
rial production, consume material
products.
II is also necessary to consider the ef
feet OF the transportation charge upon
the maintena nee of the railways and upon
their capacity for extension and eularge-
mnnt TO meet the needs OF the industry
and commerce OF the future. The rail
roads must adequately perform their part
as an integral factor in the material ac-
.ivltios OF the nation. and they must re-
ccive the consideration and the support
which viii enable them adequately TO per-
form that part
is the relation which the railroads bear
10 the movement of commodities. there
must he Il clear comprehension OF ma
movement and the directions which 1t
takes.
Promising that the subject receives
herein the most thorough and sklilful
treatment, we may refer to the chapter
headings as the progressive steps
through which the investigation pro
ceeded, these being "The Channels of
Traffic, - 1.-The Prepa of Food
stuffs, - "The Distribution of Food
stufs, - "Thc Distribution of Raw Ma
tcral and Merchandise: The Trans
rortation Charge and Prices, The
Regional Rate Structures. - e" "Commodl
ty Rate Structures. early Tariffs
and Classiications. - '|Early Riyalrics
and the Beginning of Through Serv-
ice. - Incidental Developments of the
Freight Service. 4" "The Freight Traffic
Department Of Railroad Administra-
tion, - ''Thc Basis for the Trausporta,
tion Charge Public Sentiment and
LsSiBlation TO 1857 1.-The Interpre
taticn of the Interstate Commerce
law Further Development in Pub
lie Sentiment and Legislation. - Public
Sentiment and the Hepburn Bill,
"The Influence Of the Commission To-
ward Uniformity Of Procedure, - "Traf-
fc Experts in the Employ Of ship,
pors, "The Commerce Of the Cities.
"A Comparison Of the Railroads with
fine Agricultural and Manufacturing In
dustrics,n - "The Progressive Achieve
lnent of the Railroads"
There can be no doubt of the i'm
mcnse amount of fruitful study that
went into the preparation of this book;
neither can there be any question Of
the expertness and skill exercised by
the writer 1t is book abounding
with information which is presented in
thorough, impartial. and businesslike
manner. If is not a pro-railroad book;
it is not an anti railroad book; but it
is book designed to give the facts
aud the true relation of the railroads to
ihc community in an unbiased business
like way. And SO, the contents Of the
E.
from all intent 10 either advocate or
decry either side of the great contro-
yersy.