The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1918-12-21
NORTH DAKOTA
J0BBING TOWNS
GETTING BUSY
See In McAdOO Schedule of Rates
Loss of Business to the
Twin Cities.
KILLS OFF SMALL CENTERS
Result, Distributors Say, Would
Be Capitalization and
Congestion.
KILLS OFF SMALL CENTERS

The Fargo Commercial club will
make study of the proposed zone
system" OF freight rates, submitted
by William G.. McAdoo as director
of railroads to the Interstate Com
merce commission, with the sug-
gestion that the system would place
the entire country on uniform class
rate basis.
| Secretary J. o. Hardy has address.
ed to the interstate commerce com.
mission in Washington an inquiry
covering the proposal, and as soon
as the information is availa BILE in de-
tail, it will be thoroughly studied
as to it's application to North Da-
kota.
The Grand Forks commercial club
! traffic committee, which has made
a study of the proposal, contenda
that it operates to increase North
Dakota class rates from s to 80 per
cent, and that city has made vigor-
GUS protest against the'plan.
F.. c. Gibbs of the Standard Oil
company traffic department in Far
go, formerly traffic expert Of the
Fargo commercial club, said today
that the system would operate TO-
place class rates on the same basis
al lover sgthe country--that is, dense.
ly. settled districts where the rates
are lower now .'because OF the great
ere volume of business would be
placed in the same level with rates in
sparsely settled districts.
Mr.. Gibbs said he had not made
an extended study of the proposed
zone rate as applied to North Da-
kota compared with present rates.
/ FORKS PROTESTS INCREASE.
Grand Forks, N. D., Dec. 20.-The
proposed uniform class rates. pro.
mulgated by VIM. G, McAdoo as d.
rector of railroads. is protested by
the Grand Forks commercial club az
unjustified, on the theory that no
facts have been made public py the
government railroad department to in
dicate that the proposed increases,
ranging from 81 to 80 per cent be-
tween all points in North Dakota are
required.
The traffic committee of the Com
mercial club has made a study of the
situation, and in it's letter to Mr. Nc
Adoo, the committee says:
i "All distribution or assembling OF
less than carload lots Of merchandise
moves under the first four class
rates, and it Is these rates we are
particularly interested in. The prop
osition is to increase these rates be
tween all points in North Dakota
The increase is from 8 to 33 per cent
similar increases re proposed for
all distances. lf& }t&Tz'"
Rate Increase Unjustified. =
I'VE protest against this increase
disguised under the name Of uni
form rates. No facts justifying Il
have been made public. On the con
trary, such information as has beer
sent from Washington is to the ef
feet that the object is solely to bring
). about uniformity While reduction
sufficient to offset this advance may
have been proposed in some terri
tories, the proposed rates for Soutt
dakota, Minnesota, Nebraska. Mon
tana show increases similar to those
proposed for North Dakota. +
, "More important, however, thar
the increase in freight rates itself, Is
the fact that no increase is proposed
from Minneapolis, Duluth, or Chi
cago to North Dakota. The jobbine
and manufacturing industries II
Grand Forks and at other points II
North Dakota are handicapped b,
the rates from our competitors II
this further material increase while
big cities are left untouched.
Policy Not Defended.
Building up big cities at the ex
pense Of the smaller ones is some
thing we have yet to hear openly DE
Tended. and yet that is what the
, present system of freight rates II
, doing. Thoughtful men everywhere
are beginning to ask If the manu-
featuring and jobbing in this coun
try should not be decentral1zed ane
the small towns given their share
, The post war reconstruction policies
.. of our country, with the recurren
back-to.the-land movement, and tn
, problem of taking care of returned
, soldiers blend themselves harmon
: iously with such fovement. Now II
,, the time to give the small city ant
country point square deal on tn
freight rates problem The consum
, er is entitled to have opportunity t
do business at the small town or, tn
big town, as he peases."
J J BAl,TIC BRINGS