Show M a TRAffiC BUREAU Will Ask Shippers to Unite in Movement to Regulate Freight Charges H L JOHNSON IN I J CHARGE OF S P OUTLINES PURPOSES PUR OSES I Jf through the efforts of or the Ibe an ta t f tutors tC Merchants association It Is ig probable that In the near 1001 future Salt Lakes Lako Will twill have hae a freight traffic bureau for tho the purpose of or with the railroads an equitable system s of freight rates rotes and antI to arbitrate the dif dlf differences differences f between the llio th railroad compa companies nies and amI shippers At their meeting on ora Monday Monda evening the directors of the association dis discussed discussed cussed the plan thoroughly and decided definitely that the tho association should foster roster the plan and cooperate with the bureau bur au to b be 00 established in all matters matter ins In to freight rates H J Johnson who vho has had wide experience in the he tribe departments of ot various railroads will probably have charge of the bureau Mr III Johnson was vas at one onetime onetime onetime time connected with the claim depart department department department ment of the Southern Pacific The headquarters of the new freight bu bureau bureau bureau reau will be In the chamber oJ com commerce merce meree with the Merchants Manu Manufacturers Manu Manufacturers l association The Idea of a freight Creight traffic bureau has been under consideration by the association for several months In his hl annual report Orson H Hewlitt who retired as president of the association two weeks ago recommended that the association take active steps to establish establish establish lish and maintain such a bureau A canvass of the city was made and a large majority of the shippers were found to favor the plan At the tho request of President J A Valentine of the Manufacturers Merchants association H L Johnson wrote a letter to the thc board of directors of the association setting forth Corth the ad advantages advantages advantages vantages of the establishment of the bureau The letter was read and dis discussed discussed discussed cussed at the meeting of ot the directors on Monday lo dRY evening With the unanimous unanimous unanimous endorsement of oC the association the promoters of the plan began yes yesterday morning to solicit subscribers subs to the bureau The membership In the t e new association ass is not limited to mem members bers of or the Manufacturers fe Mer Merchants 1 Merchants chants association but will be made to include all shippers and consignees c consignees es of the state Railroad and Shipper Shipp r Mr Johson to the board of oC directors follows The same samo relation should exist be between b between tween a railroad company and its patrons as exists exist between all other trade inter that ts that of publicity lt anti and the privilege of ot arbitration and they the should be obliged to base their charges and nd rules upon actual conditions co rather than upon what I they can squeeze out of a his utter dependence upon transportation In other words the test teat of the noss of a It rate or rule is not in the amount of ot profit in the business of the shipper and manufacturer but whether the rate yields a reasonable compensation for the services performed Carriers necessarily and justly participate in tho the prosperity of their patrons in the resultant result enlarge enlargement enlargement enlargement ment of ot their own business The rail railroad railroad railroad road companies maintain a system of com compiling compiling compiling piling data relating to industrial pro progress progress gress gross which Is prepared in a preliminary way wa by the agent in any nn respective community com community community and forwarded to the superintendent dent of that division who in turn pre prepares prepares prepares pares along with his tonnage tonn e and gen general general general eral report a statement st of what wh t any certain community might be able to sus sustain tain in the way Va of advanced rates or otherwise Tho shipper himself Is not generally consulted c in these arrangements arrange arrangements arrangements ments but Is obliged to submit to what whatever whatever whatever ever the railroad company sees fit to levy upon him resulting in a certain curtail curtailment curtailment ment meat of at his product and the increased cost of living ta to the consumer the con consumer consumer consumer sumer and the producer pro are governed in inthis inthis inthis this instance solely by the law of 0 ceo eco economics while the railroad companies seemingly take the stand that they are above this law It is not possible for fol anyone anOne to revise this law It may ma be dis disregarded disregarded disregarded regarded for a time In the complacent assent of ot the people but they like the proverbial worm will turn The fact that it is turning and that the railroads are ate being made to account for many things thing is 16 evidenced in the vigorous legislation they are being subjected to Thinks Railroads Are Arc Abused Several days d s ago I talked with a gen gentleman gentleman representing large mercantile in interests Interests interests here and when the subject of ofa a freight bureau was mentioned men he de declared declared declared emphatically that he did not favor favorit it 1 I asked him why wh und had he replied that th t ha believed the railroads were being abused that the present pre ent condition of ot freights frei in general was necessitated ow the improvements the railroads were making I asked him why Utah seemed to be the butt of ot these freight conditions and cited other communities whose facilities facUlties had been increased many fold old He knew but he say sa I 1 asked him to cite his opinion as a matter nat mat ter tel of economy in tle the reduction of freight rates etc and he ie e stated d that as long Ions longas Ion Ionas as the people would stand it he was con content content content tent to add his freight charges to his invoice price no matter how high the rate might be My opinion of ot a man manof manof manof of this calibre and I believe every pub person would have the same Is that he is an abortion of nature and should not be allowed to display his nar methods among business men To systematize his ac accounts accounts accounts counts he h had to add the freight frel ht of ot course bUt to properly systematize his conscience he must needs add more to his moral character r in his relation to his fellow man manThe manThe manThe The interstate commerce commission has made several important rulings in connection with the publicity of railroad accounts and much good will come conic of ot it U but as a a whole under existing laws the interstate commerce commission is unable to meet the countless petitions which are presented to them How will the remedy be applied The answer Is simply this Get together and make your yourselves selves felt affiliate yourselves with other traffic organizations of the country countr for who knows better titan than the jobber manu manufacturer and consumer what he lie wants and what n hat he needs Relations to Outside Points through her spectacular rate buster George J Kindel is rapidly leav leaving leavIng leaving ing the deplorable conditions which existed exist existed existed ed in that city for many years but do you ou know what their slogan practically means It means Denver goods for Salt Lake L ke City and the he territory legitimately belonging to Salt Lake in the east cast and andi i south lOuth Should Denver Denvor succeed in securing securIng ing the of a transcontinental transcontinental terminal or intermediate point such as ae Los Angeles San Francisco Port Portland PortlAnd Portland land etc what will It mean to you Utah shippers J and jobbers Simply trade de decadence decadence cadence unless you ou get together and de demand demand demand mand equable treatment nt Salt Lake City owing to the strong and steady westward is ii departing from rom the pioneer stage st ge of di and to hold her own she must secure the benefits and tricks of trade which are absolutely absolute necessary necessary essary eBSary for competitive commerce Are you going to lie down in the manner that has been so marked In the past or orar are you going gain to rise up in recognition of your our undoubted rights and meet the rail raU railroad railroad road companies with facts that are invincible Invincible In Invincible and In a way that will allow no hedging from what is fair t lr and just Some of the EQ hs s sOne One special for adjustment is that of transcontinental commerce both from our eastern states and the Orient in la Its Us application of terminals and rates Utah should be represented in the mat matter matter matter ter of ot a uniform classification and anil in rates both local and otherwise f We shall endeavor r to bring about a amore more blare satisfactory method of handling claims The Tho method In vogue with the the railroads where a claim for Cor a simple over overcharge overcharge overcharge charge Is held for six months a year and sometimes two years ears before being bein finally settled is entirely As Asan Asan S San an instance of what could be done I might suggest that the claim presented to the railroad have a clause to it reading as ash follows Interest rest is de demanded demanded demanded on this claim at time of settle settlement settlement settlement ment for elapsed time in excess of thirty days das from date of claim at the rate of 6 per cent This would have a tendency for tor much quicker service which they arc are arcin In n a position to give In any case Another pernicious abuse Is the necessity necessity necessity sity of the owner of freight to release It at owners risk or accept the alternative of paying 20 per cent additional loathe regular rate for carriers risk There can be but one legal rate under the ruling of the commission How many man among you OU have h ave suffered through this abuse In Inline line with this there Is the method of at releasing freight at nt a certain value far farbelow farbelow farbelow below Its actual worth You should endeavor to establish com commodity commodity com commodity rates on various commodities c for forthe forthe forthe the resultant profit to the jobber and de tJ cost of ot living to the t e consumer You should endeavor to bring about a definite manner in which the long and short haul may be applied the present method places the shipper in a 3 constantly challenging mood as s to the fairness of its application to 10 his consequent detri detriment detriment detriment ment That Sam Lloyd Puzzle You should endeavor to assist in ma materially materially materially changing that Sam Lloyd puzzle commonly known as the western classification classification classification cation which places various articles and ones in conflicting classification classification classification cation until even the most expert classi classifier fier in existence cannot hope to unravel what its Us direct et application should be beAs beHAs beAs As HAs an inducement to secure quicker service In the handling of freight in gen general general general eral you rou should seek to establish reciprocal reciprocal reciprocal demurrage charges s The bureau should be with various other traffic organizations to help push the Idea of the publicity of railroad ac accounts accounts accounts counts where the cost per ton per mile can readily read I be applied to any certain commodity com commodity enabling a n shipper to meet the railroad company on an actual act al basis rather than on a presumptuous one oncAs oneAs oneAs As attributes In following out the thit above plan the bureau should collect and main maintain maintain maintain tain a complete file of ot tariffs rules and for precedence sake hake keep on hand laws relating to railroads findings and deci decisions decisions decisions of the Interstate intestate Int commerce commis commission sion slon and of the th various state railroad commissions which it should be in con constant constant constant stant touch With It should be In a position to handle freight claims of ot any description and antI confirm rates charged for articles on freight buts bills It should be able to furnish to its members general freight data which can be relied upon To Furnish Information Inform tion For the benefit of manufacturers who contemplate making Utah a field for their operations it should be prepared to fur tur furnish furnish nish them such information relative rel tare to distributive rates and railroad conditions conditions in inn general as will hasten their decisions The bureau should not make it a point to antagonize the railroad companies but should conduct Its methods In a fair fall and just jUIt manner mannel and outside of the fact that the truth sometimes hurts it should main maintain maintain maintain tain such harmonious relations as the intermingled d Interests of oC railroads and shippers demand As 8 a fitting climax and to include anything any thins I might have omitted In the foregoing will say sa that the bureau in its action will resemble that of a clearing clearinghouse clearinghouse clearinghouse house for the shippers to handle all mat matters matterS matters pertaining to freight conditions bar barring barring barring ring nothing Respectfully submitted Signed H II L JOHNSON |