The evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1914-1922, 1921-12-19
THE LONG AND SHORT HAUL ISSUE

IN ANOTHER column today is an. editorial from the Spokane
= duee their freight rates TO water terminal points much below the
s.ss< for the shorter haul 70 intermediate points The writer is con
poiats and suggests, 10 a letter accompanying the editorial that il
may be found 70 mean an embargo on the future growth of your
city. induefrinliy and commercially
A great many editors Of newspapers in interior cities seem TO
feel the same way about tls proposal which appears 70 undertake to
act. . as 20 permit the railroads tn NEE. and beat rates at water ter
' %sS.I ss swe sssn sI ssS Il " al ass or rs'ss Z e ana ! a asS% @, Il ssn P",1, and n assi.
err cities and the. final hearing y % lake place in New York on Jan
traffic buraau Of the Merchants association completed arrangements
70 Gle their protest against the proposed water terminsl rates because
many Of the rates especially from the central territory. are less than
would would , Be- justified sa's .s By ss,S.l T ,ss sa competition = .%su and ts that pi i the .
cities would be transferred from the east TO more western points Of
hearings thus far has been correctly quoted, admit that their purpose
Is e h. Sa rs;, " S's soos ' s@s ss s diverted rsss. g :o wnsrS 1ra sh;D. oF'g Ras TING
railroads an proposing discriminating rates to the terminals which
would mean the preferential building up OF the coast cities, which are
the very points whore the railroads say competition with the ships is
runous 10 their interests.
In other words the coast cities fear and oppose the building up of
vast interior centers Of production like Chicago. The railroads pro-
pose preferential rates which will build up further these great indus
trial and distribution ceuters aud at the same time build up the coast
cities by giving them both cheap water and cheap rail rates-and the
rest of the country can pay for the construction or move in to a ter
mipal. t4~.sm
We do not profess to have any knowledge Of the principle upon
which freight rates are based or how costs Of water transportation
are determined But it does not seem to be good business to say moth
ing Of justice, for United States railroads to go out armed with cut
rates aimed g drive United States shipping Of the seas, while levy
and towns with which TO pay for the war. There should be some
more scientific and les wastcfnl way for the railroads to solve their
problem Of tonnage some way that would foster the growth Of these
intermediate points instead Of squeezing population and industry into
the favored terminals.
The truth Is, says the Spokesman Review, THAT the roads are
proposing these heavy cuts at the terminals in a purpose to drive the
ships ont q the harbors, and their motive is not the altnsiie one that
they would mako il appear. They are trying to capitalize these pro-
posed discriminating reductions 20 the terminals : a part of :he gen.
eral lowering of freight rates which President Harding and the in
terstate commerce commissions told the roads recently, in quiet mott
ieation. should be forthcoming
The people of the interior will have faith in the railways pro-
fessions when the roads come forward with a just, nondseriminating
plan OF rate reduction applicable alike 10 the interior communities
ant. the coast cities"