Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1910-12-07
TRAFFIC BUREAU
ON COMMISSION.
Attitude Of Commercial Club Or
ganization Explained by
Prest. S. H. Love.
FIGURES ON COAL SITUATION
Bureau Writer Urges That Building
or Roads Is Not Matter of
Sentiment.

or Roads Is Not Matter OF
Sentiment.
The editor is in receipt of the follow
Ing communication from the Salt Lake
Commercial club signed by its presi-
dent, S. H. Love, and bearing date OF
Dec. 6, 19l0
Editor Descret News--Your issue of
last evening contains an editorial under
the caption OF t"Ruilroad Charges"
wherein YOU question the advisability
OF establishing a railroad commission
in this state and you say that you
the fact that such commission can
deal only with rates within the state
and since this item OF freight business,
for example. Constitutes so small
purt about s per cent? OF the total
frelghtngc. the question of such n com
mission necesstates the consideration
OF. another question. viz: whether the
work of n commission. OF necessity
confined to 50 small u proportion of the
business would be worth while the cost
TO the state"
We do not know the source of your
Information with respect to the figures
shown concerning business arising
within stnte lines. They may be au-
tbentic. but they certainly do not agree
with those obtained by this bureau nor
do they tally with those given out by
Mr.. Dcrrah in his Interview published
in The News some time ago. While 1t
is true that a very small part OF the
total business done in Utah by the
Union and Southern Pacific Railroads 10
5intra-state. such Is not the case with
the other lines operating here. / need
only cite you to the enormous coal and
ore tonnage Of the d. 6 r. G. and the
magnificent local business of the Ore
gon Short Line as evidence of the COR
.rectness of this statement. You are
when you say that a commission
could deal only with Utah rates. but
It strikes us that IL such a commission
were established 1t would have Its
business Is very large. In fact, there are
only n few spots in this country that
are SO prolific in tonnage and rich III
railroad revenue as is Utah.
You call attchtion3to the scarggapa city
now as compared5iwith that Of the old
Utah Central days. On this particular
phase of the question 1t may interest
ouTsIChuClS4 W NltpN viz laIl' NiShaS
spect to one Utah road as presented In
the findings of the interstate commerce
commission in the Spokane case. In |
writing that decision Judge Prouty
makes the following comparisons:
OREGON SHORT LINE.
1897. 1907.
Gross earnings ~. Sd, 7se, 10Y sl7, 1876, l19
Net earnings ........ 2,526,227 9,S43.79O
Percentage of oper-
atlng expenses to
earnings ........... $40 AIS
Average tons per
loaded car COM
mcrcial freight. 1887 23.1a
train load 2S9 tons 4S3 tons
Freight earnings per
train mile ......... 2.6S Ale
Number OF tons car
ricd ........ $500. ,3S0,299 o,l3S,ol3
Mileage operated ,430 1893
This showing Is certainly remarkable
In many respects. The most striking
features being the enormous Increase
IN tonnage. and net revenue, and at
the same time showing n net decrease
In operating expenses of over 20 per
cent It is evident that while the gross
has increased by leaps and
bounds and the carrying capacity has
almost doubled, the local distributing
rates must have remained practically
rs they were In the old days. other
wise results would bc.dlfferent.
You also call attention, to- passenger
rates. You will not seriously contend
that Utah is especially favored In
This respect. We are satisfied from
that the average passen-
ger rate In Utah is higher than other
are paying der like
and the people ..now from
experience that in many cases their
passenger fares Qocally) are higher
than they We're years ago.
THE COAL QUESTION.
Tho cost or maintaining a commission
Is SO infnitesimal compared with the
results to be obtained that 1t Is hardly
considering. Lump coal is sell
Ing in this city for s6.?5 per ton deliv-
cred. Utah has mountains of coal. The
haul TO this city is for the most part
down hill. No commission of Intelligent
men would ever stand for more than
81 or si.25 coal and some day when
The mandatory provision of OUR const;-
tuition Is made effective. we will get
,Ual at that fguc. AS an illustration OF
what II commission can do In this line
| cite you n recent decree OF the lll;-
nois state commission rs published In
The Traffic World of Dec. 5. The
attempted 10 increase tie rate |,
IN coal from Springfield H.. to Chit
ago, 10 cents per ton. The commits
sion. after hearing all the ficts, es-
tnbllshcd the rate ofaS2 cents per ton.
It is 1Sa miles from Springfield to Chi
rago. 1--WE pay sl.15 for l20-milc
laui) The roads Interested We're the
r. 4 o.. S. w. G. ga, G. II. &, D..
Illinois Central. Wabash, and the c.. r.
& st. L.. @a| |
We hardly think that anyone would
attcmpt to show from the earning pow
~ OF these roads that they are In II po-
sition to dc. amy better by Chicago than
orr local. lines could DOLBY Salt Lake.
We do not ltnnWsw!lat the next legls-
Rture viii do with reference to tho
article IL of the, yconstitution,s but We
tiled To the pstablishmcntrbyrl OF 1
conc tribunal where they eau go with
heir complaints.
Htttphtis one OF the very. few stat toss
hat Is without some public utility act
,f controlling force. viii cl puts her /
,itlzers3pt n decided 'tiisadvuntIge When !,
lealinE With TIC carriers and others.
Witch Is. rot fair
q NOT MATTER or is;E.STIAlENT.
Why Al! this fenr of Injustice being
lone the ardihondsY Hasn't Utah been
more than fair With them iii the past.
sn't It rather II confession that ,therct
$ ,somlthins decidedly wrong with their,,i
rentment ofgtle& pe0ple? a. QtliarwiRH. a
here would not be till $ outcry. I'VE IRE N
old Thu F..tWha I've wpgtfis less INV mid
more railroads. "A plntitudc thut lis II