The Twin Falls times. [volume] (Twin Falls, Idaho) 1905-1916, 1916-12-05
DENVER RATES
BEAT SALT LAKE
Twin Falls Shipper Says Dis
elimination Is Big
NEW ORGANIZATION FORMED TO
FIGHT FOR FAIR RATES.
Said That Tax on Boston Tea Was
BagatelIe Compared With That Now
UnjuStly Collected.

I'VE get a better freight rate from
Denver to Twin Falls than we do
from Salt Lake City to this city on the
Things we nave to Duy, the discrimina-
ton against the Utah capital is some
thing surprising and | am glad to
note that we are fighting the thing
now said John Fincke, proprietor of
the Ancnor Feed company Saturday
speaking of the interstate commerce
hearing which is being conducted at
the present time. This hearing, in
which an attempt is beng made to
adjust some Of the Inconsistencies
ana inausucea complained OF, has
resulted in the formation of new
organization to carry on the fight
throughout the intermountain country
The first steps taken are described as
follows in the Deseret News of Fri
day:
AS a sort of an aftermath to the
rate hearing which adjourned it's ses-
sion Wednesday afternoon to meet
III san francisco Monday, De-
cember 4, members of the utilities
commissions of various western
states and a committee of the traffic
service bureau of Utah met around
the luncheon board at the CONNIE
cial club on Wednesday afternoon
and again yesterday afternoon and
perfected an organization which mas
for its object the removal of present
freight rate determinations against
the entire inteTmOun+ country on
both in and outbound traffic.
Full details of the proceedings Of
the meeting could not be obtained,
but, from one Of those present, a Dds
eret News reporter gathered the in
formation that at times the meetings
were more or less tropical, especially
so when some of the most glazing
inequalities were shown. 1t is un-.
derstood that one of the first things
to be undertaken by the organization
is to ask Congress to amend the
fourth section of the interstate com
merce act so as to absolutely pro-
hibit the railroads from charging
more for a short than for long haul
dnder any circumstances.
At the present time the interstate
commerce commission has the power
to make exceptions in special cases,
but it was claimed by most of those
present that this power has been
greatly abused, and one witness while
on the stand described the existing
conditions as being intolerable. An
other said that when this exception
was put into law by Congress it
was the intention that it should be
rarely applied, and never be permit
ted to impose oppressive burdens up
on territory comprising at least one
third of the United States; he added,
very emphatically, that the tax so
forcibly resented by the Boston Tea
party was a mere bagatelle compared
with that now being unjustly collect
ed from the people of the intermoun-
tain territory, through unjust and dis
crimminatory transportation charges.
1t was stated that in no other way
than through amendment of the law
as suggested does it seem possible to
remove the cause of the discrimina-
tion complained of throughout the
territory affected
With the law so changed, it would
be unlawful to charge the Utah man
ufacturer or jobber $500 on a car OF
heavy hardware from the east, anc
then carry the same load of freight
through to the Pacific coast for $500
as carriers are permitted to do under
the present statute.