The Delta independent., 1912-05-10
SAYS DELTA COUNTY is
DISSEMINATED AGAINST
W. H. Wallace. the Denver Expert
Spoke at the Court House
Tue sday Night.

Unfortunately there was but
meager attendance at the court
house Tuesday night to hear the lee
ture delivered by w. H. Wallace on
the all important question of our dis
criminatory freight rates. The lee
turer was evidently master of his
subject and his remarks were listen
cd to with great attention. Those
of the audience who had not given
the subject much attention were
AT the conclusion of the lecture
dissemination in freight rates un-
der which Delta and Delta county
are suffering in competition with
our aeighboring town of Grand
junction. This applies in only a
lesser degree to all the towns of
the Western Slope.
startled to learn of the fragrant
public discussion was had in which
information was given which ten
dered to illucidate many of the
knotty problems of our intricate
freight tariff. To the regret of
many no panacea was prescribed for
the amelioration of the unsatisfactory
state Of affairs at present existing,
and until We have a competitive line
of railroad through here, none need
apparently be looked for.
w. II. Wallace, the Denver freight
rate expert. delivered an interesting
address to a DELTA audience at the
court house Tuesday night.
Mr.. Wallace discussed many phases,
of rates that are known generally
to shippers, and some that were not
more TO ship California goods to
Delta than it does toe. Baltimore;
told how a ton of beets can be ship
ped to Grand Junction for 80 cents,
hundred pounds ofmerchandise from
Grand Junction to Delta, and costs
25 cents a hundred more to get or
anges from California to DELTA than
it costs to Grand Junction.
These are just a few of the phases
of freight rates to the Western Slope
which George J. Kindel mentioned
in his speech here year or two
ago, and which led him to remark
that the Western Slope of Colorado
is the worst freight robbed section
in the United States.
Al that time an effort was made
TO help out some sort of organiza-
ton TO fight exhorbitant rates. At
this meeting, more than a year lat
er. an appeal along similar lines
was made.
This is all right and proper, hut
the robber rates so on just the
same.
In places where there has been
either organized or individual eff
fort, some little appears to have
been accomplished.
1t seems a part of the business
system of railroad and express com
ppanies TO grab as much as possible
of what is in sight, and it is
not improbable that individual ship
pers could, if they would take the
bull by hte horns, accomplish much
to remedy this matter.
l; is much like good road work.
If n stone happens to be in the road
and traveller stops long enough to
throw ii out, he does that much to-
ward making the road better.
II every man who is billked in
freight rates or express rates would
take his own case TO the commission
or courts, il would lead to such a
war against the practice that no
company could long put up with it.
This idea springs from the know
ledge that there are now in eNis-
tence rsponsible rate auditing COM
panies and firms. who will take any
mans freight bills, audit them and
collect whatveer of over charges
may be found, retaining one half of
the sums collected as their pay in
full.
DOUTHITT-M'LAUREN.
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