The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1909-06-24
Unjust Discrimination of the Railroads
Against Salt Lake and Other Utah
Points Clearly Set Out in
Communication.
RAILROADS WILL NOW BE COMPELLED
TO MAKE ANSWER TO THE CHARGES
Matters Complained of Are Set Forth With Great
Completeness and No Vital Details
Are Lacking.

ically situated in the central portion
of that vast region of the United Stse!
having boundaries of the Missouri riv
or on the east, the Pacific ocean on
the west, British Columbia on the north
and Mexico on the south, was among
tho FIRST 10 be settled therein, and long
before the advent of the original Pa.
ci6c railroads, which followed some
twenty years later. and which could be
and were constructed only through the
approval, financial and other most gen
erous aid in free rights Of way, grants
of vast areas OF public lands and the
then necessary military protection of
the federal government through this
territory, as the shortest. most central
end best route from the Missouri river
to the Pacific ocean. If, therefore, the
people of any section of the United
States are reasonably entitled TO eX-
ceptiouslly generous treatment and
helpfulness al the hands Of its pTin-
cipal common carrier service, thus es
sentisllr created through the heneh-
ceuce Of the general government, such
generosity and consideration should, IN
the simplest gratitude, always find def
mite. unvarying and ample expression
here.
The sturdy pioneers founded here in
northern Utah their capital, Salt Lake
City, situated about one thousand miles
west of the Missouri river and eight
hundred miles east of San Francisco,
and at this time having population
Of about one hundred thousand people,
while hut thirty seven miles 10 the
north has grown the city Of Ogden
with 2 present population Of about
thirty thousand people. and forty fonf
miles 10 the south is Provo. with pres
eut population Of about ten. Thousand
people, All with essentially identical
commercial interests, while at inter
walls throughout The state are numerous
towns aud cities Of Lesser growth. but
altogether forming an aggregate of
population engaged in the pursuits Of
mcrchandlSinG. manufacturing, mining,
smelling, stock growing and agricul-
turc. foo great to he longer considered
rs of minor Importance in the CONNER
cial hfe of the country at large, and
should at this. advsuced time al least
he given the consideration It's magui.
tudc riGhtfuIly demands. and 10 which
by every reason, and particularly from
the vast and steadily increasing
streams of money il has poured and is
still pouring into the treasures Of the
railway companies in III, payment Of
aDsportatlon charges, 1t is Justly en-
titled,
Earnings Increasing.
The railway companies chiefly con
cerned, and constituting the common
carrier service Of the state, are of cnor-
nous and advancing earnings, while the
ratio OF operating expenses is less than
upon most of the great lines of rail
way operating III the more depselv pop
ulatcd sections of the United States.
They have cXpcnded from their earn
ings vast sums Of money in the pur.
chase Of the control of other railway
lines. frequently competing in charac-
ter, the payment of large dividends and
the correction and Improvement Of their
own railways. not in the latter for tho
purpose of giving better service or of
reducing the rates of transportation for
tho public, since they baVo done neither
Notwithstanding all appeals for same,
but for tho real and accomplished OBJ
joct of diminishing the cost Of opera
tion aud thereby eniargipe tho already
wide mar9ins Of their own profits
Arbitrary. oppressive and exceptional
methods Of transportation rate making
especially calculated to promote the
growth and prosperity of San Fran.
cisco and other cities Of the Pacific
scast. and 10 produce and maintain al
opposite condition of commercial servi-
tude and distress for the cities and state
Of Utah. have always been and are now
employed and enforced by the said rail
way companies, methods not tolerated
elsewhere in ihe whole country by com
munities capable of successful resistance.
and in this region Of their beginning
they should long ago have ughteously
found their end But, through the un-
ccasine exercise of vast corporate power
and influence. alike fertile in proteXt
and merciloss in exaction, they have not
| only rcleutiessly clung 10 this section.
| but. spreading 10 others in this great
rcpion as new railway construction bias
arisen therein, they still oyershadow the
whole with the whitening blight of their
| uornicious influence. destructive alike 10
| Inc welfare Of its people and the dcvel-
| opment of the country. and stand the
| last striking example Of the inequality
| nf mstice IN commercial conditions rs
between the west and The east.
Rules Are Violated.
2 That in violation Of the first, sec
and and third sections of the act 10
regulate commerce. the freight transpor-
fafinu class ratos between Chicago
Mississippi river and Missouri river
freight rate territories AS defined aud
stated in Joint freight tariff trans Mis-
snuri No. 2O-E, Inter State Commerce
nmn,ission No. 2o7, effective March %
| zoos and supplements Nos. ! and Ii
thcrcto. effective respectively juno 4
ions and June y 1909. and Ogden, Salt
IaLc Citv aud Provo, IN the state oi
Utah. in both directions, and AS ncX'
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