The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-01-12
MODEL BRIEF ABOUT
RENO RATE HEARING
Nevada Case Before the Inter-
state Commerce Commits
sion Is Strong.
FAVORABLE DECISION WILL
EXTEND SALT LAKES TRADE
Petition Maintains That Inland
Rates Must Be Reasonable
in Themselves.

AS an echo TO the Salt Lake case before
the Interstate Commerce commission,
comes one OF the sanest. most logical;
and best. arranged briefs ever submitted
TO the commission In a rate hearing. that
OF the railroad commission OF Nevada,
In what Is commonly known as the Reno
case. The brief Is. the work OF X. G,
Stoddard, attorney general OF Nevada,
and Fl. F, Bartine, counsel for the petit
tioner and the railroad commission OF
In tho brief a high compliment is paid
to Traffic Expert Frank MeCune, who
prepared the data on which the Reno
most active element in the winning OF
the Spokane case. Elsn credll is aIso
given CIV 1ot, TO- Commissioner shaughnessy OF
The, railroad comInisslon of Nevada is
named In the brief as the plaintiff, or
named as defendants. but these, in the
body OF the brief are focused down TO
the Southern Pacific railroad. because,
as the brief contends. only the Southern
Pacific is interested In the back haul
charges from the Pacific coast TO Ne
vada points, and this back haul Is the
chief bone OF dispute. The associated
jobbers OF Los Angeles and the traffic
bureau of San Francisco are named as
intervenors., and appear on the side OF
Nevada points from these two cities Is
10 their advantage.
Important to Salt Lake.
Most OF the vital testimony on which
the Nevada brief is based was given in
the Salt Lake hearing in this city, last
summer; IT being MUTUALLY agreed be-
sion, all the railroads and all the cities
interested, including Salt Lake. Los. An
lie. % Reno s'Na and other points. that tssti-
Should apply to to ali all alike
The Importance OF the Reno case TO
In is At / a
pays higher freight rates from the east
than does either Nevada or the Pacific
highest rates and the, lowest rates are
to the California cities, even though
goods in, all three instances go over the
same RAILROAD and roll right through Salt
The reason for this is that all Nevada
points, such as Reno. and Utah points.
rate clear through to the coast. and then
in addition the freight rate from the
coast back, This latter charge is called
other Nevada points are nearer the
coast. with its lowest rate charges. the
hack haul into Nevada Is less than to
Utah, hence the total rate to Nevada
points Is cheaper than to Utah cities.
This prevents Utah cities such as Salt
Lake. from, doing business in Nevada In
ceptions to the higher rates to Utah than
to Nevada, and to both Utah and Ne
yada than TO the Pacific coast, but In
the inland points. making 1t in practice
general rule.
Roads Claim Water Competition.
The railroads attempt 10 justly these
higher charges because of water com
petition at the coast cities by sea from
does not apply 10 inland points. But the
inland points claim that no matter what
the rates To the coast are: nor why they
exist, that such rates to the coast have
nothing To do with rates 10 inland points
and that because the railroads claim
they have TO make low rates to the coast
there is no justice In over-charging the
inland points on this or any other
ground,
The inland points, like those Of Utah
and Nevada, claim that rates to them
should be reasonable in themselves re-
gardless Of how high or how low the
railroads lose money in hauling to the
coast which the Reno brief vigorously
denies. that the roads have no right to
over-charge Nevada and Utah to make
brief claims that the railroads should
not be allowed To rob Peter to pay Paul.
In this case Utah and Nevada being
Petitions Differ Materially.
The petitions before the Interstate COM
!ne"cc commission from Salt Lake and
from Reno differ materially. In some
ways; II the Salt Lake prayer is granted,
II WIN , pe hsalnst Inc interests OF Keno.
local trading territory in Nevada that
otherwise might go to Reno and other
Nevada cities if Salt Lake and the coast
cities were kept ont entirely,
Salt Lake asks for rates practically
lower than rates 10 the Pacific coast.
From the Missouri river to the Pacific
coast is. In round numbers. 2000 miles.
Salt Lake asks for mileage rate -
that is. the freight rate to be made pro-
Portional 10 the distance the goods are
hauled But the mileage basis asked Is
not straight mileage" but ''construc-
tive mileage" on basis Of one and one
half constructive miles to one actual
mile OF distance
in other words. Salt Lake asks OF the
interstate commerce commission that II
the Pacific coast cities are about 1000
miles from the Missouri river that Salt
Lake be considered. for freight rate pur-
poses. at 800 miles from the river. al
though The actual distance is about 1000
miles. Thus, If a freight charge from