The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-06-11

| territory. With comparative freedom.
hitherto. To do this. they have built up
territory 5000 miles across and have
| brought the average freight rate below
| eight mills per -mlle-lowcr Than III
| any other country on earth. We iii BOISE
can hardly he heard 70 say that their
| rates have been inconsistent with build
| ing up the country.
"The Interstate commerce commission
| repeatedly set aside rates greater Tor a
short haul than for a long haul includ,
| ing the same route when there was nqt
present the element of water compcu-
! ton. The commission long contended
| that water competition was the only
thing that could cause dissimiarity OF
circumstances and conditions under the
| law, The question came finally before
| the courts, and was set at rest by the
supreme court Of the United States:
| faith IT was primarily FOR the railroads
10 determine whether or not there were
ditions. and that this djsslmilnrity need
not DC confined 10 the sngle instance OF
water competition. These decisions arc
| among the most important that have ever
been rendered, and II they had been the
other way we should never have had
any such development of the west as
would very likely stlll he what it was
| less than twenty years ago. two streaks
/ Of rust across the sagebrush.'
What the American railways did WAS
10 build up through the country's smaller
| cities johbing ccntors that contributed
steadily toward a greater diffusion OF
counteracted the tendency to concentra-
| ton in the few very largest cities. The
| basing poin, system OF higher freight
rates for intermediate points was never
! confined 10 points with water compcti-
| ton. but was applied with salutary ef-
| feet throughout the interior. Without II
| these 1ohbinc Centers would never have
competed with the great wholesale cen
ters for the trade Of tho smaller towns.
Now what is sought by the pending
| bill? It's purpose Is startling, dangerous
|
! right in the hands of the interstate
| commerce commission and completely
twenty years has been attended by our
era OF unprecedented building up OF the
| country. Nothing but the most short
sighted policy on the part OF our people
| can make us assent for moment 10 this
radical and destructive measure. So tar
| from benefltlug Boise and other Inland
dangerously imperi! their growth The
pending bill shifts the burden OF proof:
! IL compels the railroads TO obtain the
approval Of the commission before lnitiatI
| Ing rate charging more for short haul
| than for a long haul, including the same
! route. and the history Of the Interstate
commerce commissions persistent efforts
! OF twenty years ago shows all too plainly
| that like so many other governmental
| bodies having power without responsl-
| bility. II is dominated by scholastic and
popUlistc theories Of social progress. Its
particular obsession is OF theories Of rates
| based on cost Of service. These theories
! have been a blight on the growth OF com
mercc and industry wherever applied,
and have long been pretty well dlscredited
outside Of official circles and the poUt-
! cal platform. They have been the curse
| Of continental Europe. with It's high
| freight rates congested population and
hampcred Industry. lust as they have
| been Of Australia. with its long expert
| ments in rates based on cost Of service
and with nearly half of It's population
| concentrated in the three cities OF sgd
ney Melbourne and Aukland.
1--WE must not forget that taking each
| railway system as a whole It's rates must
| be rcmuneratlvc. Distance tariffs are
not and never can be remunerativc In
\ creating density Of traffic. and density
az traffic is the lfeblood Of remunera-
| tive railway transportation. Lower west
! bound rates Into interior cities. such as
! Boise. il forced on the railroads by an
administrative body incapable I'm the ma
| ure Of things Of adequate familiarity
with the infinitely delicate and complex
mechanism of the rates oI the system as
a whole. logically lead by way Of recoup,
ment 10 higher eastbound raies. Ana
our low eastbound rates are the very
breath OF our industrial life. The west
bound rates are not. Can we afford 10
make such a disastrous exchange?