The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1912-07-27
HEAVY ADVANCE
IN FREIGHT RATES

With the arrival of advance copies
of new freight rate tariffs at the gen
eral Offices of the Southern Pacific,
Western Pacific and Santa Fe ailroads
in this city yesteray, officials of the
three carriers began the work of an
nouncing to shippers a sweeping ad-
vance in rates that will be of the ut
most concern to Pacific coast manu-
facturers and jobbers. The new tariffs
comprise the railroads practical reply
to the rigid enforcement of the long
and short haul laws and the success
full complaint of intermediate points,
such as Reno, Nevada, and Spokane,
Washington, against terminal rates
based on water competition.
In effect the charges mean the can
collation. of all eastbound less than
carload and most carload commodity
rates and the substitution therefor of
advanced class rates. This in it
self, means that practically very pro-
duet shipped east from California will
move under an advance ranging from
rs to 100 per cent. This eastbound
tariff becomes effective, August 10Th.
The westbound tariff, revised, which
becomes effective September I'd, not
only provides a sweeping advance in
all freight articles not genrallv car
ried by water but it also DESTROYS the
benefit of water competition for such
citeis as San Francisco and Portland
by establishing the rate to intermedi-
ate points upon the same scale as that
of the coast terminals. In other words,
where the rate on any article in the
past from Chicago, for instance, to
Fresno, was based on the terminal rate
with an added charge of the local from
here to Fresno, thus giving San Fran
cisco marked advantage, hereafter
Fresno will enjoy the same terminal
rate that San. Francisco now has. The
local rate will be dropped. Besides
this, the railroads, in granting ter
minal rates to intermediate points,
have raised the terminals.
Approved by Commissioners.
The new rates were compiled by
what is known as the western classi-
fication committee, in Chicago, the
committee being composed of freight
traffic officials from every railroad in
the country The chances of effective
ly opposing them before the Interstate
Commerce Commission, it is declared
in railroad circles, are slim.
The new rates, it is said, have al
ready been approved by the commits
sion and are to remain approved until
such time as the United States Su-
preme Court makes final disposition of
the intermountain cases now pending
before it on thterailroad 's appeal.
The commission approval, it is
said, really amounted to comprom-
Use, the railroads consenting to cease
fighting the big cases before the com
mission upon every technicalitv and al
low the highest court in the land to
make final disposition of the appeals.
When the intermountain case was
decided bv the commission there was
an intimation from railroad circles
that if carriers were Iorced to grant
water competition rates to interme-
date points they would make a sweep
ing general rate advance, and that
they have done so is readily seen
by the nvw tariffs.
Westbound Rates Raised.
1t is the small iobber and the Cali
fornia manufacturer who endeavors to
ship to middle west points that will
be most seriously injured by the new
>.
one traffic man figured that the re
duetions. compared with the increases,
amount to about one-third of | per
cent The changed rates practically
compel the manufacturer and iobber to
limit the distance of their markets.
They practically make middle west
competition prohibitive for the local
jobber or manufacturer. At the same
time they raise the westbound rates
on everything not moved by water,
such, for instance, as househo 4 goods.
An idea of the effect of the new east
bound tariff may be gained from what
follows: 1t cancels all less than car
load commodity rates, terminal and in
termediate, on everything save beans
beeswax. dried fruit, explosives, leath-
er hops and wool. 1t cancels the
greatest percentage of carload com.
modify rates, substituting class rates
therefor This means an increase in
rates of from rs to 100 per cent on
such articles as automobiles, leather
books, dairy products, printing mater
ial, machinery, pipe, drugs dry goods
pottery, masonry, fruit, paints, glue
stock, rice, rope, crude rubber, abalone
shells, soap, tin and woodenware.-Sa
I LIranaiS ChrOpiaia