The gazette-times. [volume] (Heppner, Or.) 1912-1925, 1921-04-21
COAL IS ONLY $3.50
BUT $27.65 FREIGHT
Eiectrifieation of Railroads VIII Cheap
en- Transportation Charges.-Further
Argument for Development of Hydro
Electric Power on Columbia River.
Pendleton East oreronianl

tPendleton East Oregonian)
Blacksmith's coal used here costs
1890 per ton at the mines In West Vir-
ginla. The price OF that coal laid down
In Pendleton is s3O.S5, the freight he
ing $27G5 per ton in carload lots. In
other words nine tenths of the eest
Of this particular coal is due to the
transportation charge
The facts illustrate how burdensome
freight rates are and how they ham
per Industry Every farmer in eastern
Oregon suffers from the high cost of
transporting blacksmith coal because
every farmer has a certain amount OF
hlacksmthing work to do. Each time
the farmer pays 81 for hard coal 80
cents of that sum goes to pay the
freight from across the continent
II will be said that the freight rate
Is too high yet the railroad officials
win respond with the claim that even
under present high rates the roads are
not making money They make the
claim that the roads are not meeting
operating expenses and at the present
time are worrying about their ability
to meet interest payments on their
bonds.
That brings up the question as to
whether or not the railroads are being
efficiently managed 1t Is a question
which permits Of variety of answers.
In many respects American railroading
Is on a very efficient basis Our rail-
road officials are high grade men who
know their business and the personnel
Of the trainmen Is good No one will
deny such facts
But there is one master blunser com
mItted by the railroads Of the west.
They are operating with coal and oil
as fuel when potential hydro electric
energy sufficient to operate every west
ern road is allowed to go unused Were
the Umatllla rapids on the Columbia
developed there would be power to
operate the entire o w. r & n. system
by electricity and still leave more cleo
trielty than is being used In a large
region tributary TO the power site.
There are figures showing that this
power can be generated at low cost
and there are figures showing that one
electric locomotive does the work of
three locomotives operated by means
Of coal officials of the Milwaukee
road. which IL electrified. say that ex-
perience proves that electrified roads
operate better during cold and stormy
weather than during normal weather.
Electricity proves most efficient under
conditions that make steam railroadlng
most difficult and expensive
Managers Of railroads Just now are
saying much about the necessity OF re-
ducing wages and they believe they are
making headway toward such an end
But high wages alone are not respon-
sible for high transportation costs The
biggest need Of raIlroadng in the
northwest is a new source of power
They should use natures fuel and stop
using up a product that is exhaustible
and the transportation of which Is in
itself a heavy drain upon the roads
People are complaining about high
freight rates and some day they will
rebel In earnest unless relief Is pro-
vided 1t is time for the best minds"
In railroad business to come to life on
the subject Of railroad electrihcation.
II they do that 1t will not he long until
such streams MS the Columbia, the
Snake and Dcschutes are put to work
and one big item Of railroad expense
can be reduced thereby permitting Of
rates that do not stifle business.