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

now COulU NOIlu DdhOId C'Cl AoPO w
build up a market center at Fargo,
Grand Forks, Minot, Jamestown, Els
marck or elsewhere, as long as it was
advantageous to ship from North Da-
kota to popints outside the state and
to bring goods into North Dakota from
outside Of the state in order to use
interstate rates, thus escaping the rig
ors of a distance tariff. Suppose, for
example, a large manufacturer con-
templated locating somewhere in your
section to use raw materials produced
or found in North Dakota. Would he
not be much more likely|to locate just
across the Minnesota line at, Moor
head, Breckenridge or East Grand
Forks, rather than at some point with
in the state because} the railroads
could make an interstate commodity
rate from points in North Dakota to
point in Minnesota notwithstanding
with all other rates throughout the
state?
Trouble With Rates.
The trouble with our distance tariff
is that it fixes minimum as we'll as
maximum rates. The moment a rail-
| road reduces a rate between Two
points in Minnesota, that, becomes the
measure Of the rate it, Gan charge for
like distances all overgits system with
in the state. Thus you see a railroad
is penalized for reducing rates, con-
sequently they never make a reduce
ton in cases where reduction is just
flied, because When they do, they must
make the reduction general over all
lines within the state. Do you get
my point? Let me give you one Illus
tration of what the distance tariff did
in MINES ota.
For 20 years, the rates between the
Twin Cities and Duluth and Superior
were on 35-cent scale, that is: y
Glass ], So: Class 2, 30; Glass g.,
90; Class 4, II; Glass 5, 10. The Nor
thern Pacific, between the Twin Cit
les and Duluth is an intrastate line,
with distance of 155 miles. The dis
lance tariff rates for 155 miles are as
follows .a
Class !, Ala; Glass 2, 34.5; Class 3.
21.6; Glass 4, 20.7; Glass 5, 1875. q
The Omaha, the Great Northern and
| the. 500 Line are interstate lines and
are not governed by the distance tar
if. Obviously, tn Northern Pacific
could not do any business between
the Twin Cities and Duluth on dis
lance tariff rates Of:
Class l, Ala; Glass 2, 34.5; Class 3,
27.6; Glass 4, 20.7: Glass 5, 1875, if the
competing lines continued to charge:
Glass 1, So; Class 2, 80; Glass 3,
20; Class 4, II; Glass 5, 10.
The Northern Pacific very probably
served notice upon, the other lines
that, unless they advanced their rates
to correspond to the rates it was oblig-
ed to charge, under the law, they
would put in the 35-cent scale, and in
so doing pull down the entire distance
tariff rates of the state of Minnesota,
over all lines. The interstate lines
promptly advanced their rates to the
41.4-cent scale. Duluth protested the
advance and hearing was held be-
fore the interstate commerce commits
sion. and the commission permitted
the advances upon the ground that
| the change was necessary to meet
conditions imposed upon the carriers
| by legislative enactment. OF course,
commodity rates on coal, etc., were
| likewise advanced. Il
Did Not Hurt Roads.
| AS stated before, I do not think
the distance tariff has hurt the rail-
roads in Minnesota, and my guess
would be that they will not oppose the
adoption of distance tariff in Moth
Dakota.
North Dakota can hardly hope to get
as low scale of distance tariff rates
as Minnesota has. North Dakota has
not the density of population, density
of tonnage, ETC., which enter so large
ly into the question of what are lea
| sonable rates.
CONSTANT READER.