The Boise citizen. (Boise, Idaho) 1906-1910, 1909-11-26
RAILROAD RATES And The TARIFF


the most important questions before this country The long
don oopositon railway interests any reduction of the tariff
at last explained
woud not ordinary why the basic or terminal
onts the Pacific Coast terminals upon Portland $40
ton upon pig IRON $1,000 upon $1,000 ton
upon goods $4,000 tom upon dry goods $4,000 and
mon automobiles $4,000 ton
These different of freight hauled the distance
over the same routes frequently the train by same
engine and risk of transportation assumed by the shipper
practically the each and yet the range 81
TO $4,000 a ton
Originally the railways established genuine terminal rates at the
railroad terminals where they be called terminal
u after the railway had with haf seized the public high
WAYS upon the land and with the other seized the ports
through the control habor frontage and dock facilities was
no water competition and the socaed terminal rates
became myth and arbitrary charge used basis raise
interior rates points of Pacific terminus by making their
the terminal rates plus the local rate back.
That is the condition which confronts today.
These have been advanced during the last four years more
than twenty-five per cent
Railway rates fixed by competition which originally and
during the days when railways regulated by law mainly
the competition of but under the Interstate Commerce
Acts Congress- construed by the Supreme Court all OF the
naturally competitive railroads may and they have all anscont
mental and terminal by which competition has been wholly
suppressed between themselves and by which common rates are
maintained.
The competition which controls is not the compet
ton of carriers, but the competition of commodities.
sometimes expressed by saying that they charge all the tariff
will bear 1t to be remembered that their car regulated
by law but the Commerce Acts provide that the railways shall N
the tariff rates. which shall be filed with the commission and which
tereupon become legal This is subject to contest
upon complaint particular rate to be heard by
Commerce Commission and which then subject to contest IN
the never-endng delays before both the Commission
Courts but which system nothing is accomplished e
pt permit the roads combine and fix rates and to deceive the
public the belief there legal regulation OF rates
As of knowledge the rail roads tN and MAN
rates to suit themselves and they from time to time sup
press competition, they promptly advance the rates
With this power to make and advance why it that the
railroad terminal pig iron is $1,000 ton instead OF Soooo
on the dry goods, and why cotton goods 9foo o
instead of $4,000 ton?
To question will be to examine two other
Congress which been passed and are maintained
in the interests of the Railway Trust.
The first the "Coaswse Trade Act by which law all toes
ships are prohibited under heavy penalty from carrying freight from
one American port to another American port and the present
lf Customs Act which fixes duties be paid on the Por
ton into the United States OF foreign goods
The official joint tariff of the transconnental railroads con-
Png practically all of the railways in the country on me "
interstate Commerce Commission, shows not only uat d" u ~
roads combine fix and maintain rates but tna e
also combined with them the coastwise snip hes e"sSse "
ing freight between American ports
The report of the Interstate Commerce COMMISSION rea
10 the ramihcaons of the Hartman Standard Oh oo''
that the combine only controls railways running rom ny
10 the Pacific and from the Great Lakes TO the 0uii %
@astwse ship lines such as Pacific Mail Steamship oo"fS
and the Morgan Line and all other American Lines
the foreign trade from Pacific Coast points south OF Portland
The normal water rates between New York ana aeN
points upon charges by foreign ship lines Tor sna
Sabou $500 for average freight while the railway e
ae same haul by rail average about $4,000 a ton anu 'O'
business is done BY rail instead of by water
The shipper NAV object to paying the railway 5000 ION ~
bringing freight from Atlantic ports by rail while the ,
rate from New York is $500 and he may conclude to snip ls
By water; but aside from the control which the railways %
aoek and wharves the Pacific Coast the sfippe mus -, h