The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1917-02-05
Readers Column

sumo full responsibility for what he
does say.
Why does not SANITY" come out
boldly, like a Free Born" American
and sign his name? Is he ashamed
of it?
There are some things contained IN
the communication too contemplate
to be given further notice.
Sanity" is not very consistent in
his quotation of James A. Garfield.
Respect for the views and convictions
of others is not very evident in the
rabid utterances Of Sanity"
...-~. Yours sincerely,
F. w. THOMPSON,
Pastor First Presbyterian Church.
Mandan, N. Oak.
Feb 2 1917. ~ s-r..@ .,
OPPOSES NELSON BILL.
Valley City, n. D., FEB. 2, 1917.
Editor Tribune,
bismarck, n. d. '.
Dear Sir:
Referring to the distance tariff Dill
Dcndno. before the legislature OF NOrtn
Dakota, there is no necessity Tor
guessing on what the effect OF dis
lance tariff will be. 1t is 4 matter OF
mathematical calculation, Given the
mileage between two points and ap-
plying to it the distance rates will
give you the result, but suppose there
are two lines Of railroad between
those points and the distance on one
is several miles greater than on the
other, you have two sets Of rates, thus
destroying competition.
The passage Of a distance tariff law
will not change the railroad mlleages
of the state a particle. Therefore,
as suggested, there is no occasion for
guessing Just take the railroad mile
ages and apply them to any distance
tariff scale you can find, and you will
get a result which, for purposes OF
comparison, will illustrate the effect.
For instance the direct line from Car
rington to Valley City. n. D., is via
the 500 Line, and the distance is 80
miles. The distance from Caring
ton to Valley City via the North
and, if we applied to those distances
the Minnesota distance tariff, there
would be difference as follows on
the various classes:
Glass /, 20; Glass 9, 1.6; Glass 3,
1.3; Class 4, "a; Glass 5, g; Class s.
g..
In other words, the long line (the
Northern Pacific) would have to
charge more than the short line (the
Great Northern), unless your law con-
tanned this provision, provided, now
ever, where two or more railroads
run into a city or village, one having a
shorter mileage than the other from
a given point, the railroad and ware
house commission may permit the
railroad or railroads having the longer
mileage to meet the rate made by the
shortest line at such city or village
Note the words, Eat such city or vii
lage." That means that if the rail-
read and warehouse commission, after
hearing, makes an order permitting
the long line to meet the short line
rate at, a given point, it can DO so
without pulling down intermediate
rates. Indeed, they cannot pull down
the intermediate rates.
Now note Berea, the next station
west of Valley City on the Northern
Pacific. 1t would take a higher rate
under our distance tariff law than the
rate to Valley City, although the busi-
ness for Valley City is hauled right
through Berea. or take the 500 Line
from Imperial to Minot and the Great
Northern from Crosby to tMinot. The
two lines parallel each other the en-
tire distance, and if the rates are high
er on one than on the other, the farm
ers would naturally haul their bust
ness to the line having the lowest
rates, thus injuring the towns and
business upon the longer line with the
higher rates.
Interstate Rate.
Of course, it is to be borne in mind
that most of the North Dakota ton
mage moves interstate;; that is, most
everything North Dakota produces
is shipped outside of the state, grain
moving to Duluth and the Twin Cities
and livestock moving very largely to
st. Paul or Chicago. Likewise. almost
everything Dakota consumes. dressed
meats, groceries, agricultural imple-
ments, ETC., are shipped in from out
side of the state. Under these cir
cumstances. the effect of the distance
tariff would not ibeDso noticeable but