The Salt Lake herald-Republican. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1909-1918, 1910-07-09


whose names the bulletins appear, have
not been living for years largely on
the concessions" received from thls
and other roads. and see II their actions,
as they claim now, have been for Il
the good of all OF our people" or just 1
Tor the good OF the men who are now
bowling since their concessions have /
been cut off.
Going back to the time when one Of /
these same hired men. now OF the traf- i
lic bureau. but then OF the railroad /
he now denounces. was traffic mana i
fer for that road. we find that he him /
self made and maintained 81 rate /
on coal, just 25 cents per ton higher |
than this very Identical rate of Sl-15, !
which he now denOunces as unrcason- |
able, oppressive and excessive. and he |
did this at time when all OF our |
people" were less able TO pay IL than !
now. Was he so Jealous then for the
public7 I think so: 1 think his inter-
ests In the public were just the same
then as now, simply matter OF hold
ing the job and drawing the pay. Then
he was getting his pay from the rall-
road company and, taking his own
word for IL, over his name in the bull
letin. he was expressing the people
then with this more than unreasonable
and excessive rate: but now that he IS
getting $500 per month from the trat-
fic bureau people he has had an aston
ishing change Of heart in favor of "all
Of our people
give a lower rate on coal n he wished.
but did he do IL? Not that you could
notice, and why not3 Apparently be
cause he was getting a concession
from the road. which he forgot to men
ton in the bulletin. II seems now that
he is acting the part Of a hired man
who is trying to please his paymaster.
just as he was in those days when he
was depressing the people by making.
maintaining and enforcing this more
than unreasonable rate on coal And
company offer tomorrow a little more
liberal concession than the traffic
bureau makes 10 MIN. no DOUBT TINS iS5
champion voice for the good Of all
our people would become suddenly
and painfully silent. and preparations
would soon be under way again to op-
press the dear old public"
Now, Mr.. Babcock. why did you OPP
press the. people for pay, by making
and maintaining higher rates on coal
than those which you now denounce as
unreasonable, oppressive and excessive?
| Why do you now take such an oppo-
site stand from what you did then?
Come now and answer. that "all of our
people" may know what credence to
/ give TO your bulletin talk.
/ MRnwwkwrp UPLAND. NM, inEarcmfwyp
Now. after all, what assurances have
we that. should the legislature ask tho
/ railroads to make reduction in freight
/ rates, the consumer would get any BEN
/ eft from that source. unless we regu-
| lated the amount also that dealers
/ might charge. Last year. II mistake
/ not, the railroad cut down on Its rate
| 25c per ton on all the coal the dealers
/ NHAtu u SAWAts Jul 4 uO IOA ANAAA1hAbNA
/ OF the consumer getting much benefit
| from this. and fear this might con-
| tinue TO be the case n the railroad
rates alone should be regulated. Last
/ year this 25c per ton amounted 70 per-
| haps $4,000. and went mostly into the
| pockets of the dealers. and these traf-
/ Tic bureau patriots were as silent about
| IL as the mummy OF old Cheops.
/ Now, referring again to my friend
| who served I'm the state senate for eight
| years, and from whom 1 had expected
better things than abuse, and who had
/ never been known to have discovered
article XII during his incumbency in
| office. IL appears in rather bad taste
now for him to begin his ratings at the
members Of the last legislature. when
he Is out. after eight years OF suffering
/ in official silence, but who was never
known to have made any effort 20 ac-
comDlish what he Is now clamOring for.
during the time he was in office.
The writer distinctly remem bers GO
ing to a dinner at the Commercial club
on the invitation OF the traffic bureau,
and, by the way. this dinner was free.
and there were free drinks accompani-
ment. and cigars also, but do not know
v all this stuff was cheap or second
class. as the bureau charges the other
peoples meals. etc, with being. but 10
was free and evidently was not put up
by the railroads. judging from the ma
past.
Now. am perfectly willing TO admit
having been to a free dinner or two
given by the railroad people. by the in
surance people. and even by the traffic
bureau and others. and in most cases
there were free drinks and cigars ac-
compartment for those who wished
them. but have never had any thought
that the people giving these dinners
had any idea Of improperly influencing
their guests thereby. or 7 should not
have cared to be there. but now I fear
that those who can so easily and with
out warrant accuse Others OF being ac-
tuated by improper motives or OF bring
ing TO bear undetermined and question
able Influences and methods, must be
Judging ana measuring others up by
their own standard OF character and
moral ethics. However, in fairness to
all concerned. I wish to say that the
railroad dinners ] have partaken OF
were different in one respect at least
from the traffic bureau dinner. in that
the railroad companies did not have
their hired men harangue their guests
with the urgent necessity OF imm ediate
and special legislation in their behalf
and against the other fellow.
One more occurrence at the traffic
bureau dinner I wish TO relate, and TO
do so must use a short quotation from
one Of the bulletins. as follows. How
the railroad officials must have
chuckled at their really unsophisticated
simplicity" This has reference TO the
libel0us and false insinuation IN the
hired defamers' bulletins Of how easily
the last legislature and the Governor
were bought over BIZ the railroad peo-
I
pile with free trip, dinner. etc. TO the
salt beds on the Western Pacific rail-
. RADIO. Going back TO the traffic bureau
dinner, and before the guests arose.
the ex-senator and siEner OF the bulle-
tins was haranguing them on the evils
OF the railroads and cOndcmning those
who might have any sympathy or
friendship for the same, when some one
asked how about that favorable rail-
road legislation known as the Wins
tlow-Pierce BILL passed during the in
rFrrH Hnr rH fH h. nnF nW Isrw
which the Union Pacific was to be re-
| organized in Utah.
on being reminded that the bill was
introduced and. under suspension OF the
rules. made to appear as having been
read the first. second and third time.
and passed in both houses and signed
by the Governor all In one day, the
speaker paused for a moment and then.
Z with blandly pleasant expression on
his face, said Of Mr.. Pierce. HE fooled
us all into passing that bill" Now.
~