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Show SALT LAKE'S CASE. The case of Salt Lake against the railroads, in rhe contest for fair treatment treat-ment and relief from excessive ami unjust discrimination in freight rates, is now fairly on. The whole case was printed in The Tribune yesterday morning. 'It, is a presentation of great strength, and is placed in a way entirely en-tirely origiual. It has, it appears, attracted at-tracted the earnest attention of the President, with every indication that the request of the petition will promptly prompt-ly be complied with. The idea is that of Mr. Babcock. commissioner com-missioner of traffic of the Commercial Club's traffic bureau. The case is presented pre-sented according to his formula, and it differs from the Spokauo form of presenting the case of that city, in that; it does not go primarily lo J he Interstate Commerce Commission, but direct to the President. And inasmuch as the railroads arc combining to fight the Interstate Commerce Commission's ruling in favor of Spokane, attacking not only the rulings and authority of that commission, but the constitutionality constitution-ality of tho law under which it operates, foreshadowing a long legal contest before be-fore Spokane cau come into the enjoyment enjoy-ment of the victory it has won from the Interstate Commerce Commission, the Salt Lake case is presented direct to the President, with a request that it be taken up by the Department of Justice. That is, 'the courts will be appealed lo first, and not after any decision of the Interstate Commerce Commission, as in the Spokane case. Of course, the President Pres-ident may not refer the matter to the Department of Justice, but to the Interstate Inter-state Commerce Commission, and the primary jurisdiction may not be in the courts; but our hope is that tho courts will first take the case, as they have done in other railroad complaints, as the Northern Pacific merger, for instance. in-stance. The advantages of this, of course, arc manifest. Pi ret, it will save a good deal of time. Also it brings the hearing hear-ing direct before the courts, instead of leaving the judicial proceedings for the last part of the test. Inasmuch as the courts have the final determination of tho matter, no matter what the Interstate In-terstate Commerce Commission may do or sa-, the advantage of having ihe courts deal with the matter in the first instance is manifest. There can be no doubt of the discriminations dis-criminations referred to in the letter to the President and in the petition for relief. The general fact, well known and notorious, that west-bound freight charges from Chicago and Missouri river points to this city are largely in excess ex-cess of the freight charges on the same goods to the west coast, is so well "known as fairly to be called notorious. no-torious. In a number of cases the freight charges to this city arc as much as double the like charges when the goods go a thousand miles further on to the coast; in some cases even more than double. In like manner, wool and-othcr and-othcr products of the west coast aro sent to Boston and Philadelphia at far less charges than the like goods can be sent from this city to the same eastern points. All these things, however, how-ever, arc made part of Salt Lake's presentation, and the- are made part of our case, both in general and in detail. de-tail. It is obvious that this is an unjust discrimination against Ibis region. The ease is placed not only in behalf of Salt Lake, but in behalf of Ogden and Provo as well. This is exactly right, because there is no reason why there should be any narrow limitation in the demand for relief and justice. With fair treatment Salt Lake City would easily build un a tremendous jobbing job-bing busiuess here, which would give to the railroads even more transportation than they have now. And such rales would also foster business in every direction, di-rection, and in the increase the railroads rail-roads would easily reap their full share of the benefit. Further news of what is doiug in" this j matter in Washington will be watched with the keenest interest throughout all this region. If the President, referring re-ferring the matter to the Attorney-General, Attorney-General, finds that a substantial, prima facie case has been made, and the department, de-partment, substantiating the showing, perhaps, by sending an examiner hero to look into the facts, proceeds thereon direct in tho courts, wc do not seo how there can be doubt nbout the favorable reesult which is legally and judicially to be expected. And that this relief should come as speedily as possible goes with tho saying, That the traffic bureau, and especially especial-ly Mr. Babcock, has acted with all reasonable rea-sonable promptness and vigor is manifest mani-fest in the fact that this matter was-fully was-fully prepared during the month of March and, in fact, during that portion of the month of March, which remained after tho Legislature Legisla-ture adjourned; that is to say, in less than half of tho mouth. It is good work, well done. Salt Lake approves of it fully, and doubtless Ogden and Provo will concur in that approval. In fact, the whole community, business and otherwise, of this whole intermountaiu region must necessarily Bymputhizo with and support this movement for relief from evident and long-continued harsh treatment through railroad charges. |