The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1924-03-25
RAILROAD RATE
BILL APPROVED
BY COMM TEE
Gooding Long and Short
Haul Measure Now
Before Senate; Fight
is Hard One

Washington-Aiter hearings that
lasted IS days on Senator Good.ng's
long and short haul measure. the COM
mittce made a favorable report by
vote OF 9 to ? on the bill. The bill
makes Il mandatory upon the inter-
state commerce commission TO rigid
~ enforce the long and short haul
clause and here after deny railroads
the rights TO charge less for a long
haul than for a short haul. Every
witness called by Senator Gooding.
including Mr.. Campbell of the inter
state commerce commission. Leonard
Way representing the Idaho Public
Utilities Commission. w. 5. Mccarthy
OF Salt Lake City. president of the
intermediate Rate association. Reilly
Atkinson. secretary of the Boise
Chamber of Commerce. ]. Al Ford.
secretary of the Spokane Chamber of
Commerce. J. +. Chaughnessy of the
Nevada Public Utilities Commission.
and others from the intermountain
country agreed in his contention that
so long as the interior states are COM
PEELED to pay discriminatory rates.
heir development must necessarily be
retarded. capital will invest elsewhere.
and agriculture and other industries
cannot attain full development. In
the past the interior states. due to
exceptions to the long and short haul
permitted by the commission. have
heen held back in development; some
have lost heavily in population. indus
try has not been permitted to thrive.
and the mountain states are today
still producing raw materials in the
main. whereas with favorable freight
-ates. they might manufacture and
distribute their products in finished
'orm, and in so manufacturing, pro-
vide a home market for raw materials.
attract new capital and increase popu-
lation. none OF which is possible while
discriminatory rates continue.
As author OF the bill. Senator Good
ing was active in questioning witness
es who appeared before the committee
and was as aggressive in cross-ex-
amining the witnesses representing the
railroads as in developing facts from
witnesses he had called to Washing
ron. 1t was noted that the Union
Pacific was not represented at the
hearings.
Smith is Interested
Interstate Commerce Commissioner
Campbell. replying TO question by
Sen@teg Gooding. said: There can
he no question that violations OF the
fourth section always affect the
growth OF intermediate detrimental
~" He also said it will not be
possible to bring about full develop
ncnt OF the cities and states OF the
;ntcrmountain country without fair
md proper rate structure. He said
that lowering rates 10 the more dis
ant points had a tendency to keep
he rate up in the interior to a higher
level than would otherwise be the
case. Mr.. Campbell stated there are
more violations OF the fourth section
in the south than in the west thus
indicating that the south may be ex-
pected to join the mountain states in
the fight to pass the Gooding bill.
In answer to another question by
Senator Gooding. c o m m i S oner
Campbell said the traffic doubles on
the railroads every II to IS years.
which was the direct answer TO the
contention OF the railroads that they
would loose tonnage under the Good
ing bill. Senator Gooding also de-
veloped the fact that only one per
cent of all west bound traffic is now
moving by water. yet because OF that
one per cent the railroads want per-
mission To lower rates on the 100 per
cent OF west bound traffic to the Pa
cifc coast. without lowering rates 10
the intermediate points at all.
Will Help Industries
MI Mccarthy. speaking from the
Utah viewpoint, said agriculture in
the in,ermountain states can not de-
velop under discriminatory freight
rates such as Utah and Idaho have
been fighting for the past twenty
years.
Railroad representatives at the
hearings were startled when Mr.. Way
introduced in evidence costs sheets
furnished Senator Gooding BY the