The daily sentinel., 1914-03-16
RATE CHANGE WILL
NOT HELP CITY OF
GRAND JUNCTION
Arthur H. Stokes Says What
City Needs is Feeders 10
Present Ry. System.
To the Editor of The Sentinel:


Dear SirzIn a recent leading ar
ticle you referred to conversation
which we had on the subject of
freight rates. Since that time the
decision of the Interstate Commerce
Commission as to certain commodity
rates into Denver has been publish
ed, and | should like to draw your
attention to certain points which will
/ substantiate some other remarks
which | made at the time on the
general question of rates. II ap-
peared to me that the very satisfac-
tory rates secured by Salt Lake in the
well known case, satisfactory, | mean
TO Salt Lake, were the underlying
cause of tliei6bparent discrimination
against such cities as Denver, and
might result in further decisions in
which the railroads would be the
goats" and the few cities dignified
I by the name common points" would
be the only gamers, and that they
would only be gamers until the gem
eral readjustment, which is bound
to come, is arrived at. Note what
the commission says in this last de-
cision:
1--WE have been somewhat en-
barrassed in reaching a conclusion
that would do full Justice to all the
parties, because of the limitations
under our orders in other cases" 1t
then points out the limitations in the
rates to Salina. kas, and to Salt
Lake City. points out that Denver is
intermediate between these points
and states "It is obvious that the
spread between these rates is not
sufficient to give much relief to DEN
yer without seriously impairing the
]
showing that under existing rates
Denver is at a disadvantage COM
pared with Missouri river towns in
the scramble for the jobbing trade
/ on the Western Slope the commission
adds:
The carriers propose now to in
crease the rates to Salt Lake City.
I but the propriety of this course is
not before Us ON this record, and we
are not to he understood as apIrov-
ing or disappearing it at this time"
4 tin accordance with custom | will
add that the italics are mine, but !
will gladly lend them to Salt Lake
for use in her copy of the decision.)
The commission proceeds to give
I Denver" better rates, practically re-
moving any reload charge" because
the solution proposed by the carriers,
the vanishing point. and whose serv-
ice was never better in Colorado and
the territory Immediately east of the
state, would involve delay during
which Uenvcr iobbers will continue
at disadvantage.
1t Will be apparent to anyone that
| am an ignoramus in the matter of
rates, but | would be glad to have
some one point out to me how Grand
junction is particularly benefited
when the railroads. ON which her
prosperity depends, are first bled
by Salt Lake b. through rate
which is hound to he altered. and
then by a way station like Denver
because the Denver jobhers want to
get rid of reload charge" so that
the empire of western Colorado and
eastern Utah may remain perpetually
tributary to either one city or the
other. If Grand Junction had a
good rate from the east on such ar
tieles as are not manufactured in
this territory, and Salt Lake had to
pay for the extra haul and Denver
for her unloading. a rate such as the
railroads could stand. Grand juno
tion would be the distributing CEN
ter, and we might naturally hone I
that the railroads, relieved OF the |
bleeding they are now subjected to 4
by the big cities. would grant local ,
rates which would maintain her in |
that position
The railroads were formerly, and /
may be still. accused of establishing
rates which would build up one fa-
vored section and discriminate
against another, and of growing rich
in the process. 1t appears that the
Independent demands to the COM
merce commission for low rates by
particular sections of the country,
based on the broad general asser- &
tion that rates are too high, has led