Great Falls tribune., 1922-04-01

follows:
Zone of the greatest barriers to the
development Of the intermountain
country today is unjust freight rates,
tory. 1t is the judgment Of your traf-
tory. It is the Judgment fyour traf-
fic committee that we need not expect
any satisfactory development Of our
resources until our present transporta-
ton burdens are adjusted. Your COM
mittee feels that it is going to be diff
cult to interest capital In the develop
ment Of industries. or for investments,
until our transportation rates have been
adjusted. There is not zone or To-
cality in the United States that con-
tains greater wealth in undeveloped. ma
tural resources than the zone in which
we reside: yet this same community. un-
der present conditions, offers less in
ducement to investors or to capital than
most other communities.
| From the standpoint Of what it pro-
| duces, Montana Is most diaadvJntag-
eously situated with respect to market,
as we must depend solely on rail
| transportation. We are too far re-
! mote from water to profit by the low
| carrier charges that are accorded OCEAN
borne commodities. unfortunately,
there are not interline rates in Mon
tana. as apply In some other states.
| By this we mean that where shipment
passes over two or more lines, thai tie
full local rates are exacted. thus work
| ing further penalties upon the ship.
pers Of this zone.
"a careful analysis Of the figures is
convincing evidence that our citizens
are penalized, both from the east and
west, but they are also penalized on
the products which we produce and
have to transport to primary markets.
Upon Higher Level
TT is a well known fact that the
charges for transportation in this zone
have always been upon a higher level
than the states bordering on the east,
where geographical conditions are no
more favorable than a major portion of
the area of Montana. When the rail-
roads went into the hands Of the fed
eral government and the system was
adopted by increasing freight rates
upon the percentage basis. we were
severely penalized, as our freight rates
as before stated, were upon higher
plane, and when these rates were in
creased on the percentage basis, they
soon pyramided to such an extent that
our infant industries could not bear
the burden. As far as we know, there
turing industry operating today in Mon
tana (outside of our mills). This dis
elimination has also curtailed the vol
ume of our wholesale distributors: not
only in reducing the volume of busi-
ness. but lesseniug the territory in
which it is possible to distribute under
our present freight rates"
Citing specific instances. the com
mittee declared that originally. Mime
sofa paid 16 cents to transport 100
pounds Of fourth class freight 100
miles, while Montana paid 80 cents for
the same service.
Penalties Higher, Claim
A 25 per cent advance in freight |
rates increased Minnesota's transporta- |
tion 4 cents. while Montana's rates ad- |
vanced IA cents. On all other class
ifications, Montana's penalties have |
been proportionate to this instance
In Montana the carload rate per 100 |
lesota pays IA cents for the same serv
ce. Distributing rates in Montana now
are Al cents for fourth class freight;
South Dakota's rate, east of the Mis-
souri, river, for the same service, is
81 cents; Minnesota's rate is 25h
cents. Sugar from California to Mon
tana common points, 1858 miles, takes
4 rate of S133, and the same sugar
from the same point of origin to st.
Paul takes rate Of o6 cents, and to
Chicago, 81 cents The committee de-
,lares that in this instance Montana
pays almost 212 times as much a ton
nile as charged other distributing
points.
"On nails and similar commodities"
continues the report, from Pittsburgh
Q Montana common points, we pay
i sc. The carriers propose to give
his service to Portland for $1.3O and
lave proposed an all-raI rate from
Pittsburgh to Pacific ports Of 80 cents.
Rate on Wool
The rate on wool in sacks, from
ommon Montana points to Boston will
e, on July |, 1922, $3.50; from Port
and to Boston, 81 IS; from The Dalles,
oregon, $l.75. This is for alI-rail
Movements. There can be no fairness
r justification In these rates, as wool
transported by rail from Oregon must
ross at least two mountain ranges.
7hile wool produced in Montana is not
ubject to the mountain haul at all, as
1ost of the wool is produced east Of
he range.
'sThe figures indicate that both in
ast and est-bound movements, there
GEMS to be flat arbitrary price
harged, no advantages or no consider
ton given whatsoever to our geo-1
raphical position. Yet, when the ton
age originates in Montana, this rule
, not maintained.
For instance, wheat from Montana
ommon points to Minneapolis takes
ate Of AN cents hundred pounds,
ut If the point of origin should be
fSV~k n - hn 1
ents. Our rates on wheat and flour
various destinations are very, much
Ut Of proportion. The rate from
reat Falls to Portland. Al4 miles. isl