The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1925-07-09
SAYS RAILROADS
.RETARDING WEST
Sen. Gooding Thinks Unfair
Freight Rates Hold Back
Proper Development

'Tf railroads would develop the
interior west as they have the in
terror east, they would have to dou-
ble-track their lines to tidewater 70
care for the business they would de-
velop.'
This was the assertion of Senator
Frank R. Gooding of Idaho in an
address at Chamber of Commerce
meeting at Spokane. Senator Good
ing spent several days in Spokane
while on tour of towns of northern
Idaho. He recently returned to his
home state after spending the winter
and spring at Washington, DC.
"All we want in the west is a
square deal-freight rates without
discrimination. There is no reason
why we should not have Pittsburgh
in the west if the government will
give us the same opportunities given
east of Chicago, where some of the
greatest industrial sections ever
known have been built up.
"With our rich soil, our wonderful
climate and our mighty resources,
we can build up nightly industrial
empire in the west if we can be as
sured of freight rates that do not
discriminate"
Senator Gooding spoke with pride
of the abundance of raw materials in
the west.
'All of the precious metals are
found in the west" he said. "We have
much of the lead and all of the cop
per. We have all minerals in abund-
ance, most of the standing timber
left in America, great deposits of
iron and produce great quantities of
oil. The state of Utah alone has more
coal than all of Pennsylvania.
Sand here in the west we have
more opportunity for development of
hydro-electric power than all other
states combined.
Yet thru discrimination in freight
rates we are forced. to ship our raw
materials to the east, paying the full
measure of freight from the Pacific
coast, altho our interior country is
from 800 to 500 miles nearer the
eastern markets. The same policy of
discrimination makes us pay the full
Pacific coast freight rate on all the
manufactured products we ship from
the east. We arel always at the peak
of freight rates, going or coming"
The great industrial centers be-
tween Chicago and New York have
been built up because railroads have
not forced the policy of discrimina-
tion in freight rates upon that dis
trict, Senator Gooding said.
"There never have been any viola
tions of the long and short haul law
of the fourth section of the trans
portation act to meet, or rather to
destroy, water competition between
Chicago and New York." the senator
asserted "Great industrial cities have
been built up there because there has
been no discrimination. There is no
reason why we should not have great
Industrial cities in the west.
"Transcontinental railroads are
standing in their own light. 1t is to
their interest to develop industry in
the interior and so create business for
Spokane is nearer tide
water at Seattle than Columbus is at
New York. The state of Idaho is
nearer tidewater at Portland than the |
great state of Ohio is at New York. |
"All we want here in the west is |
a square deal-freight rates without
If the railroads will |
give us that one thing, they will
have to double-track their lines to |
tidewater to handle the business that
will come to them out here"
Senator Gooding was author of the |
Gooding bill which passed the United |
States senate a year ago by the vote
Of 81 to %. The bill would have
the fourth section of the
act to make it impos-
sible for railroads to force discrimin-
atory freight rates upon the interior.
Pressure of other bills during the
short session of congress, which ad-
journed March 4, prevented its pas
sage there.
Ferris Updike who had heon q