The Winslow mail., 1923-07-06
INTERMEDIATE RATE AS.
S0CIATION REPLIES TO
TRANSCONTINENTAL
FREIGHT BUREAU

oOOhCluSuCdI fI6lSuC bureau on CQe
latters proposal that the former give
It's consent and cooperation in an
application to the Interstate Com
merce Commission to allow the rail-
roads to charge a higher freight rate
on certain commodities to the inter
mounted points than to the Pacific
Coast points, will be of interest to
the people of this community since
we are in the intermountain terrific
ry ad would be affected by such dis
criminatory rates. The reply is as
follows:
''The members and directors of the
intermediate Rate Association have
instructed us to inform you of their
decision as to the proposal SUBMIT
ed by the representatives of the
Transcontinental Freight Bureau
and of the Transcontinental Rail
roads.
In reply to your request, first;
that the intermediate Rate Associa-
tion give it's consent and cooperation
to your organization in making an
application to the Interstate Com
merce Commission for permission
to violate the Fourth Section of the
Interstate Commerce law, for the
purpose of charging higher rate on
specified commodities Gncluding iron
and steel articles, paper goods, etc.
from eastern territory to interme-
diate points than you propose to
charge to Pacific coast ports for the
| longer haul; and, second: that in
case the Intermediate Rate Associa-
tion finds it can not join you in
making such an application to the
T.,4 ,-ia +
refrain from objecting to such ap-
plicatiOn, we wish to advise you that
after careful consideration, the In
! termediate Rate Association finds it.
self unable to consent to either of
such proposals, for the following
reasons:
1st: What you propose to do is in
direct contravention Of policy laid
down by the President of the United
States in his message to Congress,
wherein he urged the Importance of
fair freight rates that would build
up the individual communities, rath-
er than to congest population in big
centers:
End: That the best interests of the
United States will be served by en-
couraging the development of every
section of this country; and that past
| experience has shown that the prac-
| tice Of the railroads in charging
| higher rates to the interior (for
shorter hauD than to the coast ter
minals (for a longer hauD has pre-
vented the development of the inter
mountain territory and has, in our
opinion, resulted otherwise than ben
eficially to the best interests of the
Transcontinental railroads.
| Since March, 1918, the intermoun-
tain territory has paid westbound
rates no higher than those to the
terminals; and during that time, our
business and industry have expand
ed ard greatly developed. Any pro-
posal to return to the old discrimin-
/ atofy condition could not be count
( enanced for one moment, in Justice
to the people living in this territory
3rd: The intermediate Rate AS
sOciatiOn believes that the policy su-
ggested by your representatives is
unsound economically and not to the
! interests of the railroads themselves.
We believe that Commissioner Lane
laid down the proper principle for
the railroads to follow when he, in
the early decisions of these Tran
sentimental Cases, in substance
stated:
"%*%*To a disinterested obser-
vor it would seem to be in the
true interests of these transcon-
tinental lines, which begin at
the Missouri River, to make rates
which would build up interior
points as against the coast. The
haul to these points is shorter
and less expensive. The distri-
button from these points is cas-
ier, but, above all, traffic which
is created at such a point be-
longs to the rail line which crea-
tes it, while the traffic which is
fostered upon the coast is the
prey of every vessel which sails
the sea. '****
| 4th: You state that the main pur-
pose of your proposed application is
! to attract traffic to the rail lines
that is now moving by boats through
| the Panama Canal. We believe that
the best interests of this country will
be served by the development of all
lines of transportation, including
rial and water, and there is certainly
nothing in the record Of tonnage
passing westbound through the Pa
mama Canal to justify any concerted
effort to deprive the boat lines of
the traffic which the law contem-
plates they are entitled to;
5th: The intermediate Rate AS
sociation and the people of the in
termountain territory are not hostile
to the rail carriers We are, on the
contrary, the friends of the rail-
roads; and since they afford the on
ly means of transportation open to
US; we are anxious to cooperate with
them in every way, for their greater
] development and prosperity. We be-
lieve that this can be better accom-
plished by providing rates properly
graded with regard to distance from
the east to the west, thereby permit