The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1921-03-29
FREIGHT RATES TO
|NJURE INDUSTRIES

The public service commission is
in receipt of advice that the inter-
state commerce commission has ad-
vanced intrastate rates and fares be-
tween points In Nevada covering
Nevada's domestic commerce) the
same percentage as ordered effective
August 26. 1920. In ex parte "A, for
interstate traffic. excepting rates on
ore and milk and cream. to become
effective on or before April 20. Chair
man ]. F. Shaughnessy said: This
will increase our freight rates rs per
cent. except on ores, milk and cream |,
our passenger fares 20 per cent and
our Pullman fares so per cent as a
surcharge to go to the railroads; In
other words, passenger fares on
trunk line railways between points
In Nevada will rise to 4S cents, 5
cents. 6 cents and 10 cents per mile
on main line and branch lines, and
no excursion or scrip books are pro-
vided for. On the other hand the
fare in practically all other states
Is but 3.6 cents per mile, including
Wyoming. Idaho. Montana, Washing
ton and Oregon. Further. for a
nights sleep where the present Pull
man berth rate is $3.50. 1t will for
the future be 1915. The effect Of the
increased rates and fares. II permit
ted to stand as horizontally applied.
will be to place upon the peole of
Nevada an uncomfortable burden
will retard the states opportunity
for thorough-going development, dry
up traffic to an extent which may
result In diminution OF railroad
revenues rather than an increase and
so deadlock business generally as to
cause a further serious loss in the
states population. Certainly we
cannot bid for permanent hometown
ing citizens under such adverse con-
ditions. The increases are made by
way or horizontal percentages, the
most vicious form of railroad taxa
ton on the people that could be de-
vised, and this tax will bear heavily
and injuriously upon our people and
the industries of our state for the
benefit of nonresident railroad own
ers. and without a fair compensating
return to the commonwealth Of Ne
vada.
Carried to It's ultimate conclusion,
the action will quickly snuff out the
industrial life of Nevada and the
rights and liberties of her people, II
It continues in effect the mandate
of the Transportation Act requiring
6 rer cent return rates on aggregate
or book cost value of railroad prop
erty applied horizontally or without
regard to rate equalization, the well
fare of the people. the life OF many
industries now taking heavy losses
or to any consideration other than
railroad revenues.
Hearings are now being reopened
before the senate committee on In
terstate commerce. and Senator Ken
yon of Iowa has introduced bill in
congress to withdraw the 6 per cent
guarantee provision OF the Trans
portation Act and In lieu thereof to
allow the regulating authorities and
the Railway Traffic Managers to ex-
ercise necessary discretion in fixing
rates and services to meet the pc
culiar conditions arising from time
to time. The railroads are the arter-
les through which the life blood OF
our commonwealth flows and without
a free interchange of commerce which
is now deadlocked as result OF I'M
Just and oppressive rates we cannot
hope to bid for new capital or In fact
to hold In profitable operation the
capital which we now hove invested
in many Nevada industries. This Is
true in all other western states
which taken collectively is the great
storehouse of raw materials OF the
nation.
BASED ON the traffic Of 1920" Mr.
Shaughnessy stated, "the Nevada
commission will have saved since
August 26, 1920 to the people and in.
dustries of Nevada over 100000 by
the time the increased rates ant
fares ordered by the federal commits
sion becomes effective, and that there
10 the further satisfaction that ex