The Blackfoot optimist., 1916-12-14
AMAZING a1oWIlC0 OF
RATE DI8CRIAQNATIoN

the railroads. On the contrary, this
paper has given every reasonable en-
couragement to the safeguarding Of
their interests, as it would do, and has
of legimite business. Our position is
that there has been altogether too much
prejudice against railroads and rail
road interests, and this prejudice we
have combated and endeaWOred to al
lay. In this connection we have taken
the stand that to multiply commissions,
making conflicting and unreasonable
regulations, cannot result in anything
! but confusion. There should be but
one regulating and controlling power,
and that one must inevitably be the
| interstate commerce commission. And
so we have opposed and still oppose the
in the very nature of things cannot
bring order and system out of
a chaos of conflicting rules, regula'
tions, requirements and laws.
But while our position has been
straightforward and strong with re.
spect to treating fairly all railroad in
terests, we hope we are not unmindful
of the interests Of the people whom
the railroads serve. And we must
confess to some surprise at the dis
closures that have been made during
the recent hearing in this city with
respect to railroad rates. Take fof
example, the item Of sugar. This great
|product takes second place to none in
the west in the benefits distributed
Throughout the community. Its mon.
lev goes into the hands Of the farmers
who raise the beets, and Of the army
Of employees who help in its produc.
ton. Directly or indirectly everybody
is profited by the industry. 1t is a
most benevolent patron Of the rail.
roads also; for statistics show that the
local sugar companies furnish the To-.
cal railroads with an average of ten
carloads day for every day in the
year, Sundays and holidays included.
while their coal, limerick, beets and
other raw material furnish probably an
equal amount, or a total Of 20 ears
per day the year round.
Now, 10 per cent of the sugar pro-
duced by the local companies suffice
to supply the requirements Of the 10.
cal community. The other 80 per cent
ern markets. And it is in connection
with the shipment of this vast ton
mage that the disclosures above refer
red to were made. We cite some of
them:
1t was shown that the rate on ear
loads of sugar from California fac
tories, the competitors in the eastern
markets of our local companies, from
California points to Chicago, is 4S
cents per 100 pounds; and that out of
this 4s cents the Union Pacific; for
its part Of the haul, from Ogden to
Omaha, 1000 miles, receives 90 cents
per 100 pounds. Yet if one of bur 10
cal companies ship ear of sugar from
Ogden to Omaha over the Union Pa
cific, a charge of so cents per 1O(
pounds is made! And if a carload OF
sugar is shipped from Burley to B9is,
by one of our local companies, dis
/. tance of about 200 miles, charge ot
}, 50 cents per hundred is made! Tn,
Denver and Rio Grand road carries par
Of these shipments of sugar that com,
s from California to the east, and it,
q part of the 4S cent rate from Calf
ornia to Chicago is less than nine cent
n per 100 pounds, for a distance of abe u
y 700 miles from Ogden to Denver. Ye
q If one of our local companies wishe
= : to bring a carload of sugar from Leh
r to Salt Lake City, OH the Denver ant
8 Rio Granl, a distance of 30 miles, F.:
: charge of Is cents per 100 pounds il
made!
J. That is to say, the Union Pacific will
IS carry an s0obag carload of sugar fol
II competitors of our local companie.
Y over its thousand miles of road from
d Ogden to Omaha for $l60, while il
o has cha"''ed fer years, and still con
u inner 70 charge, our local companies
!. So for the same service. The Den
d veI and Rio Grand road will carry al
/ SOO-bag carload of sugar for the com
= petitors of our local companies for 81:
d over it's line from Ogden to Denver
! 700 miles, while it charges our hom.
companies $l20 for bringing the sam'
sized carload of sugar from Lehi t,
Sal. Lake City, a distance of 30 miles
(, Such unreasonable and palpably un