The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1914-06-29
U.S.GOVERNMENTTO
AID CONSERVATIVES.
Bill Being Urged in Congress to Have
Abandoned Naval, Military and
Federal Reservations Utilized.
COMMERCE ACT CONSTITUTIONAL
Intermountain Territory No Longer
to Be Disseminated Against
Hauls-Finght Since 1906.
, BY Congressman c. H. Tavenner.

BY Congressman c. H. Tavenner.
Washington, June 29.-After
years of litigation and controversy
the long and short haul clause OF, the
Interstate Commerce Act has been
declared constitutional by the SUI
preme Court The Importance Of this
decision to the western Interior
known as the intermountain terri
tory, can scarcely be estimated. 1t
is declared that the progress of this
great district has been visibly held
back by freight rate determinations
ilf favor of the Pacific coast cities.
The law has at last been upheld, and
the discriminatory rates are no long
er legal.
Under the old system Of rate max
ing it was cheaper to send freight
from New York to Seattle than from
Chicago to Salt Lake City. The
theory of this low through rate was
that the transcontine entail freight
carriers were subject to the competi-
ton of ocean transportation around
Cape Horn.
Therefore in assessing a rate from
the east to some city like Spokane,
in the interior from the Pacific coast,
the entire through rate to Seattle
was assessed and to this was added
the high local rate for the theoretical
backhaul from Seattle to Spokane.
Thus Seattle shippers were able to
get freight from the east much
cheaper than their competitors at
Spokane could get it, and the result
was much to the advantage Of
Seattle.
Congress eventually abolished this
discrimination by forbidding a great
err charge for a short haul than for
a longer haul, with some discretion
allowed to the Interstate Commerce
Commission in administering this
law. Away back in 1886 Congress
made a fiat prohibition against this
practice of the railroads, but this law
was declared unconstitutional by the
Supreme Court
Help for Consumptives.
The famous Intermountain Cases
came before the Commission under
the present law, which was enacted
in 1906. There was bitter legal
battle through the Commission, then
the Commerce Court, and finally
through the Supreme Court, which
has just declared the law valid.
The problem Of the arid region of
the southwest in caring for the mul-
titudes of INDECENT sufferers from
tuberculosis continually pouring into
that country in the quest for health
has at last reached Congress.
The burden of taking care of these
wretched refugees falls upon the
charitable people of the southwest,
and it is a sore burden at times.
Now the problem is being put UP to
Congress.
The suggestion is made that the
government utilize abandoned mill
tary, naval and other federal reser
vations as open-air sanatoriums for
cOnsumptives. The Shafroth Calla-
way bill provides for federal hospi-
tails for INDECENT stranger consump
tives in the southwest, and the sug-
gestion as to the use of abandone'
reservations was made at the hear
ings of this bill.
A committee of SO from the states
Of Arizona, California, Colorado,
Kansas, Nevada, New Mexico, Okla
homa, Texas and Utah, is pushing
the bill. 1t is declared that half
the consumptives who go west in
search of health are too poor to Sc
cure the proper necessaries, and who
therefore either starve or accept
meager charity.