The Wolf Point herald. (Wolf Point, Mont.) 1913-1940, 1932-12-30

present rate of S1.24 per hundre
by the time they reach the noun
/ tain grades and will cause no al
rupt change in rates anywhere
but that sort of a schedule of rate
would benefit you and not the bi
shippers who are defending tn
railroads. Further analysing tn
counsePs statement, he says. "Wh
should it not continue at the Nor
tana-Dakota line as it has TO
years?'
More tears!
My answer t. that is that tn
protective freight tariff wall in ef
feet at the Montana-Dakota lint
of SO many years standing mus
come down. The defender, thii
great oil company, has been the
beneficiary for these many years
Friends, wouldn't it have beer
quite fair, since your patronage
for so many years has so greatly
benefited this great oil company
with its Wyoming and Montana re
~fineries, if they, sportsman-like
had not opposed us in our fight tc
secure lower rates and lower gas.
oline prices for you?
Again reading from this major
oil company's exceptions:
"If the examiners proposal is
followed, it it bound to result in
the breaking down of the oil rates
Ito be followed by other commodi-
ties)."
To be followed by other COM
modities-in all seriousness, l do
not believe that any concern or
any individual with an investment
or business in northeastern Mon
tana-even the oil companies who
+ opposing us in this fight
would object to a reduction in the
rates on other commodities. Quot
ing further, this major oil com
pany's attorney states,
IlOlO lIC SOIlpldlldnl w OOl-
land Oil company, proposes to ap-
ply the opening wedge to break
down the long standing group ad-
justment,."
Friends, the Westland Oil com
pany officials were fully aware,
when they filed their complaint in
January, 1881, that whatever the
outcome of the case might be, that
our action was the starting of an
opening wedge to secure for you
not only lower rates and lower
prices on petroleum but eventual
ly lower rates and lower prices on
other necessities of life which you
must import. Do you know hat
the lower rates on other cOmmodi-
ties which your North Dakota
neighbors enjoy r also enjoyed
by your neighbors on the south
of you in eastern Wyoming? Yes,
the people in the eastern, and more
particularly the northeastern part
of Wyoming, demanded an adjust
ment OF their rates and secured
a very favorable adjustment in
the Western Trunk Line case. They
were included as sub-zone 3, get
ting the benefit of Zone 8 rates
which are the rates in effect in
western North Dakota. The wes-
tern line of that favored area in
Wyoming, starting from the south
line of the state, runs diagonally
in a northwesterly direction al
most half way across the state of
Wyoming to the south line of this
state, then east to the Dakota line;
then north to the Canadian bound
ary-leaving eastern Montana in
the high rated Mountaineering
territory
Even though the opposing oil
companies bemoan the fact, we
have started the wedge, but on
all products other than petroleum
you, my friends, will have to drive
home-but we won't refuse to
help you.
Friends, the Westland Oil COM
pany has pleaded for years with
the railroads for o favorable
rates. We have been patient. We
have paid them millions of dol
lars for their services since we
started in Scobey many years ago.
| am in sympathy with them, and
the "Ship by rail- movement that
they are sponsoring. l am deeply
in sympathy with their many work
.rs who are listed among the un-
employed. We need the railroads,
and will use them whenever their
rates and service will permit us
to do so. We really have no quar-
rel with them, and if it were not
for the interests of the big ship
pers I doubt if you would be forced
20 pay the exhorbitant rates tha%
you have long been victims of.
l a close my eyes and to my
mind comes a picture Of each of
he towns of northeastern Mon
ana. l have friends in those towns
I know people there. I have been
n every one of those towns many