The Idaho Republican., 1916-12-22
AMAZING SHOWING OF
RATE DISCRIMINATION
editorial from Deseret News, De-
cember 2, 1850

1t will not be charged that The
Deseret News has ever been unfriend-
ly to the railroads. On the contrary,
: this paper has given every reasonable
l encouragement to the safeguarding
; of their interests, as it would do,
and has done, the interests of all
} other lines of legitimate business.
Our position is that there has been
: altogether too much prejudice against
railroads and railroad interests, and
this prejudice we have combated
land endeavored to allay. In this
connection we have taken the stand
that to multiply commissions, one in
each of the 4S states, and each max
ing conflicting and unreasonable
regulations, cannot result in any
thing but confusion. There should
be but one controlling power, and
that one must inevitably be the in
terstate commerce commission. And
so we have opposed and still oppose
the creation of state commissions,
which 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-
Ispect to treating fairly all railroad
interests, we hope we are not un-
mindful of the interests of the people
whom the railroads serve. And we
must confess to some surprise at the
disclosures that have been made dur
ing the recent hearing in this city
with respect to railroad rates. Take
for example the item of sugar. This
great product takes second place to
none in the west in the benefits dis
tributed thruout the community. It's
money goes into the hands of the
farmers who raise the beets and Of
the army of employees who help in
it's production. Directly or indirectly
Everybody is profited by the industry.
1t is a most benevolent patron of the
railroads also; for statistics show
that the local sugar companies fur
nish the local railroads with an aver
age of ten car loads day for every
day in the year, Sundays and holidays
included, while their coal, limerick,
beets and other raw materials fur
nish probably an equal amount, or a
total of 20 cars per day the year
| round.
Now, 10 per cent of the sugar pro-
duced by the local companies suf-
| fees to supply the requirements Of
| the local community. The other 80
per cent Of the product must go to
the eastern markets. And it is in
connection with the shipment of this
vast tonnage that the disclosures
above referred to were made We
cite some of them:
1t was shown that the rate on Car
loads of sugar from California fac
tories, the competitors in the eastern
market of our local companies, from
California points to Chicago, is 4S
cents per 100 pounds; and that out
of this 48 cents the Union Pacific,
for it's part of the haul, from Ogden
to Omaha, 1000 miles, receives zoe
per 100 pounds. Yet if one of our
local companies ships car of sugar
from Ogden to Omaha over the Union
Pacific, a charge of SO cents per 100
pounds is made! And If a carload of
sugar is shipped from Burley to
Boise by one of our local companies,
distance of about 200 miles,
charge of 35 cents per 100 pounds
is made! The Denver & Rio Grande
road carries part of these shipments
of sugar that come from California t
to the east, and its part of the 4S
cent rate from California to Chicago |
is less than cents per 100 pounds, i
for a distance of about 700 miles '
from Ogden to Denver. Yet if one of '
our local companies wishes to bring t
a carload of sugar from Lehi to Salt
Lake City, on the Denver & Rio c
Grande, a distance of 80 miles, a t
charge of Is cents per 100 pounds f
Is made! I
This is to say, the Union Pacific /
will carry an S00-bag carload of I
sugar for competitors of our local
over it's thousand miles Of =
road from Ogden to Omaha for $50, Il
while it has charged for years, and +
still continues to charge, our local
companies $400 for the same service.
The Denver & Rio Grande road will
carry an 800-bag carload Of sugar for
the competitors of our local COM
Danies for $72 over its line from
Ogden to Denver, 700 miles, while
t charges our home companies $120
'or bringing the same sized carload
If sugar from Lehi to Salt Lake City,
/ distance of 80 miles!
Such unreasonable and palpably
Unjust discrimination against the
lome companies and in favor of their
ought not to be tolerated
or moment. Yet the assertion is
made that this injustice not only
,yists today but has been practiced
or years past. The News confesses
o amazement land it cannot but
lrge that the railroads themselves,
or the sake of their good name,
should try to rid their record of such
| blot-"A blot that will remain a