The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1923-11-22
BURNING THE BARN TO GET RID
'SIVA 10

DIV q ~
Senator Gooding has long been en-.
gagged in a fight to obtain fair freight
rates for Idaho. his efforts being di-
rected especially in behalf of the
farmers Of southern Idaho. who are
wholly at the mercy Of the Union
Pacific or Oregon short Line That
southern Idaho. and northern Idaho
as well, is entitled to relief Will not
be questioned, and so long as Senator
Gooding confines his efforts to rational
lines he will have the people back of
him. But the senator seems to have
lost his head recently, for in empha-
sizing the woes that have befallen
the farmers through extortionate
freight rates exacted by the Union
Pacific, he struck blow at the state
Of Idaho which if followed up will
prove far more damaging than the
worst that has been charged against
the railroads. Throwing discretion to
the winds, Senator Gooding says in
effect that the oppressive policy Of
the railroads is depopulating the
state; that sixty thousand have al
ready left and that in Gooding coun-
ty, his home, the population has de-
creased II per cent. These reckless
and unsupported charges by the SEN
a;or have brought out a storm of pro-
test from the people of the state which
is reflected in the comments of the
press. a sample Of which from the
Boise Statesman win be found in
another column.
Another comment even more repre-
sentative Of the sane and progressive
spirit of the south is that of Guy
Flenner head Of the great American
Falls reclamation project secretary of
the Idaho Press association, and for
merly editor of the Statesman. In
letter to the press dealing with SEN
ltor Gooding's outburst Mr. Flenner
says in part:
There is a desire expressed to
secure modification of certain
freight rates, consistent with the
maintenance of good service and
of earnings admitted to be neces-
saTy. Ii any concessions along
that line may be possible. cannot
they be secured without blaring
to the whole nation statements
that Idaho is bankrupt and that
people are leaving it in large num-
bers, neither of which statements
is true? The writer challenges
them on the basis of bank state
ments and other financial informa-
ton and on the facts adduced by
directory authorities and by news
paper subscription lists-the best
fest of increasing or decreasing
population.
Freight rates are not. nor can
not be. adjusted basicany upon
the changing conditions of the ,
people in the territory served.
Moreover if they can be shown to
the controlling governmental au- {
thorities to be unjust or discrin-
natOry they are precisely as
unjust and discriminatory in pros
porous times as in times of ad-
versity
IF we ask for adjustments in p
good times. which we should do if C
anything is wrong with the rates. D,
would we then undertake to pro
mote our cause by undertaking
our conditions or by undermining II
our future? Why, therefore. at II
tempt to secure such adjustments n
at this time by telling the nation B,
that Idaho is busted and people
are leaving it in flocks? u
I'VE cannot get freight rates "
lowered that way. All we accom- oi
plish by that procedure is to dis NJ
our own people. keep &c
others out destroy the possibili-
ties of new capital coming in and
awaken in the minds of the rate &c
making body, the interstate COM re
nerce commissi IN. a doubt that co
any railroad company might of
orofitably operate here very long
Inder any rates
There has been too much hard pi'
work put in, by the individual and no
by communities. TO develop the err,
various sections of Idaho to wit ho
ness this destructive-n -bolshe-
Sic proceeding with equanimity or ne
without some protest. an
1T is surely misguided friend. / foi