The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1919-01-04
DAKOTA BOARD
MAKES FORMAL
RATE PROTEST
Files Extensive Brief With Me-
AdOO Opposing New Sched-
ule of Rates.
WOULD CAUSE BIG WASTE
Jobbing from Distant Points
Would Mean Loss of 60
Per Cent in Cars.


rates applied to the traffic of North
Dakota would unjustly discriminate
against the small jobbers and manu-
facturers of the Twin Cities, Duluth,
Superior, Chicago, ETC., who have al
ways been the beneficiaries of dis
elimination asiring from the competi-
tive system, and most of which now
exist in violation of the act to regu-
late commerce and contrary to the
proper theory of equal treatment Of
citizens of the United States at the
hands of the railroad administration
which we understand to be an import
ant motive in the proposal now to
establish uniform class rates scales
says the North Dakota railway. com:
mission in a formal protest which il
has filed with Director General Nc
Adoo, the Hon. C. A. Prouty, director
Of. the division Of public service ol
the United States railway commission
and G. D. McGinty. secretary. Of The
Interstate commerce commission
One of the exhibits by the NOrt1
Dakota rail board in support OF. its
protest against the 'esta tablishment ol
the proposed schedule of class rates
shows that the 100 per cent scale ap
piled to North Dakota traffic would
destroy the rate relationships former
ly existing between the North Dakota
jobber and manufacturer and his
competitor at outside jobbing and
manufacturing points such as the
Twin Cities and Duluth. Prior tc
June Is, 1918. the rate from Bismarck
to Dickinson, a distance of 1855 miles
was G5 cents per hundred and from
St. Paul to Dickinson, approximately
500 miles, 70 cents. Since June 2;
the rates have been SIS and S75 cents
respectively Under the proposed 1O(
per cent scale the rate from Bismarck
to Dickinson would be S9.5 cents, OF
two cents greater than the through
haul from St. Paul to Dickinson.
Instead of encouraging the decen
tralization of commerce and indus
try, says the, North Dakota railway
commission, the new rate adjust
ment would tend to bring about
greater concentration in the large
cities outside of this state. While WI
feel that the government oughtSto con
slider the sociological reasons for en-
couraging decentralization, we do no,
rely upon such considerations to con
denim further concentration. 1t is only
necessary to suggest the tremendous
c,,~0,vrIioU hn fnrvVoin0 Is
now necessary to handle the business
at the Twin Cities, Duluth, Chicago
ETC.; the ability Of avoiding still
further congestion, and last, but moi
least, important, the tremendous
waste of car space and inefficient car
mileage resulting from unduly long
less than carload hauls as compared
with solid carlots to jObbing points
in consuming territory and short hauls
of L. G. L. freight to final destina
tions. .. =
Having in mind the facts shown on
exhibit l and taking a minimum car
of canned goods at $4,000 pounds, and
assuming a merchandise car loading
of 5000 pounds, from both st. Paul
and Bismarck, the railroad administra
ton offers the Twin City jobber 2,242
car miles of service to deliver 36,80o
pounds of freight between bismarck
and Dickinson at less freight cost
than it offers Bismarck jObber 9O1
car miles to deliver q like quantity
of freight to the same destination
Supplying this territory from Bis
marck would save 80 per cent Of the
car mileage necessary to handle the
traffic from the Twin Cities. Based
on the carload minimum of $4,000
pounds fixed by the food administra
tion for canned goods jobbing at Bis
marek would save approximately 81
per cent of the car miles necessary
to make delivery from the Twin u
ties. We cannot believe that any
scale of rates which places a preml
um on such a waste of transportation
facilities will be approved by eithel
the railroad administration or the in
terstate commerce commission"
This statement is accompanied by
table showing that jobbing at Bis
marck one car of $1,000 pounds, st
Paul to Bismarck, AS car miles ane
four merchandise cars Of 5000 pound!
each, Bismarck to Dickinson. 1l5.s
miles, would total but 907 car miles
while jobbing 1t ST. Paul four cars O
Z. 900 rounds each 81. Paul to- Ddckfn
rh3Anw EVefoGalf