The Eureka sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1902-current, 1915-07-17
REGARDING LOCAL FREIGHT RATES
Letter From Commission Explaining Its
Recent Action and Reply Of Protestant
Railroad Commission OF Nevada

larson lily, nevada. July 3, 1910.
Mr.. w. II. Russell,
Manager Eureka Garage & Supply
Company. Eureka. Nevada.
Dear Sir:
On June 20 last this Commission
received a letter from you dated
June II, in which you enclosed a pro-
test, signed by numerous citizens of
the town of Eureka Directing to the
increased rates embodied in Local
Freight Tariff No. s of the Eureka
Nevada Railway Company.
On the same date the Commission
sent you a telegram explaining the
whole situation and asking for an ex-
preston from the citizens of Eureka
relative to the action the Commission
proposed to take in adjusting the
matter. We have never received a
reply to that telegram, and the Com
mission therefore took it for granted
that the citizens were satisfied with
the adjustment proposed and has
authorized the Eureka-N Nevada Rail-
way Company to issue a new tariff
embodying the changes as outlined
in the telegram referred to.
AS the situation now stands. rates
from Palisade to Eureka are the
same as those embodied in Eureka
Nevada Railway Company's Tariff
No. z, all increases having been re-
duced to the old figure. On empty
carriers, Eureka to Palisade, the
company has put in a rate of 80 cents
per hundred weight. which is .65
ceats less than the rate which has
been charged for the past year. We
found that under the conditions ex-
isting relative to the service it was
necessary for the company to per-
form in hauling empty carriers from
Eureka to Palisade, a 20 cent rate
would hardly be warranted, and for
that reason we believed that, as long
as the company was willing to put
in the 35 cent rate. it would be un-
wise to carry the matter further be-
fore the Interstate Commerce Com
mission.
We found that in hauling empty
oil carriers from Eureka to Palisade
it was necessary for the company to
haul in a car empty to Eureka which
was there loaded with about four
thousand pounds of empty barrels,
which had to be hauled a distance of
"a miles for the sum of $500 at a
20-cent rate. This, in our opinion,
would not pay cost of service. Under
the 35-cent rate which has been es-
tablished by the company the revenue
is S14.00 for the haul, and we be-
lieve that it is fairly reasonable.
On empty carriers from Palisade
to Eureka we find that the only
commodity returning is empty ore
sacks which load compactly and
which can be carried in the regular
merchandise cars of the company
without the necessity of performing
the additional service of hauling a
car empty into Palisade to handle
traffic.
With respect to your complaint re-
garding rates on wire and staples in
less-than-carloads lots, and the mini
mum rates applied on petroleum pro-
ducts, we have to advise that the
same will be duly considered at the
next regular meeting of the Com
mission and some action taken re-
garding it. You will be notified i'm
mediately after such meeting as to
the action taken.
We trust that the adjustments
made by the Commission in this mat
ter will be satisfactory to the citizens
of Eureka. but if they are not we
request that you let US know. giving
reasons and advising definitely just
what is desired. 1t must be remem,
bered that the railroad company is
operating in a very sparsely settled
country and is hardly paying the cost
of operation. 1t is therefore hard
for this Commission to take any
action against the company which
might impair its revenues to any
great extent. The officials of the
company have considered several
times the ACCESSIBILITY of closing down
the road, and this is one thing thai