The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1912-08-17
new
FREIGHT TARIFFS

(By F. G.. Athearn, manager of the
Bureau of Economics of the Southern
Pacific company
The new transcontinental freight
tariffs have been completed. The east
bound rates will become effective
Monday and the westbound tariff will
go into effect on the second day of
September. The fact that all commodi-
ties that move to very limited extent
in less than carload lots, and such
commodities as do not move at all have
been removed from the commodity tar
iff, has been seized upon to make it
appear that the railroads have increas-
ed their rates. Nothing could be fur
ther from the truth.
In brief, all western tariffs have
been revised the dead wood has been
thrown out and the tariffs constructed
on as nearly scientific basis as is pos
sible, consistent with the amended
Interstate Commerce act and the rules
of the commission.
Much has been said to the effect
that the railroads, in order to preserve
their revenues, have deliberately rails
ed rates on eastbound California pro-
l.
coast iobbers will have to go out of
business. Such statements are the re-
suit of lack of proper knowledge of
the tariff itself and are furthermore
founded on the extremely fallacious
assumption that the proper and expedi-
ent way for a railroad to preserve its
revenues is to hamper the activities
of the shipping public.
Il,
have the carload rates been raised on
California commodities. Furthermore,
in order to simplify the tariffs and do
away with the never-ending source OF
irritation resulting from over burdened
commodity tariffs,all commodities that
move to very limited extent in less
than carload lots,and such commodities
as do not move at all have been re-
moved from the commodity tariffs and
placed under the general class tariffs,
where they properly belong.
In fact, on number of commodi-
ties, such as beeswax, bags and bag
ging, green hides, nitrate of soda aud
tallow, interior points have been given
the same rate eastbound as from Pa
cific coast terminals
In the former westbound tariffs
there were a large number of commod-
lty rates on non-sea- going articles that
We're lower to Pacihc coast terminals
than to intermediate or interior
points. These We're readiusted by ad-
vancing the terminal rates to figure
that was reasonable for the service
performed. This did not increase the
rates on these commodities at interior
points, but in most cases lowered
them.
Rates that are lower to terminal
points than to interior points have
been forced by sea competition. But
rates on such articles as do not move
by sea, such as buggies, agricultural
implements, furniture, tin cans, etc.,
that under the former tariff were low
er to terminal than to interior points,
were not defensible as sea forced
rates. Hence, the carriers were com
PEELED to make rates ON these com
modities that would be no lower to
terminal points than to interior
points.
1t is not intended to imply that
these articles cannot be shipped by
sea but that generally speaking they
are not, when rail transportation is at
hand. To pack or prepare them for
sea shipment is very expensive, be-
sides, the rate by sea on such bulky
and light freight is high as compared
with freight of greater density.
A large number of carload and less
than carload commodities were eimin-
ated because of their non-use, hence
such action did not increase the rate
or change. Some few commodity rates
were advanced because the general re-
adjustment of rates in the intermoun-
tain and western territory made it
necessary.
After going thoroughly over the
tariffs applying to and from interior
points and also to and from terminal
points-both class and commodity
rates-I consider that the readjust
ment is the best that could be arriv-
ed at for both the shipper and the car
rier, taking into consideration the
law which largely controls adjustment
of rates as well as the rates them
selves.
The commodity rates on less than
carloads that have been eliminated in
both east and west bound tariffs have
been relegated to the classification
and class rates, but if such articles
are not moving in less than carloads,
then no harm has been done.