Show s t d dt s WRECKING SALT FREIGHT RATE CANCER IS KILLING PROSPERITY EXTORTION BY COMPANIES DRIVES FACTORIES FROM I CITY MAKES MEN JOBLESS By E. E J. J David HP TH HE E railroads arc are stifling Salt Lake City 1 Business which has every right to pr progress gress in this problematical age of reconstruction has been throttled Salt Lakes Lake's destiny hangs in the balance and freight rates I hold the scales I Trade is not moving as it should Salt Lake is standing still while other communities are profiting at the expense of this city which is overburdened by railroad taxation Salt Lake City is losing in the race for industrial and commercial commercial com com- mercial supremacy The resources of the state are not being exploited and move move- movement movement movement I ment of the raw products necessary to stimulate manufacture are I not reaching a market The mining industry rests in a coffin shaped by the railroad interests The industry has been hampered b by the welding of the high frei freight ht rate tax While it may be said that the present state of the metal I market and the producing costs figure largely in dealing death to the the mining industry the fact cannot be overlooked that if the I present prohibitive railroad rates were reduced to the prewar basis as s the they should be bo reduced there I. I would be a chance to resurrect min ing ing- and to employ many thousands of men who would circulate the tho mone money earned earned by their labor in S Salt lt Lake Lako I and anil the tho state In Jn general Public Improvements are arc held up b by bythe bythe the unjust and dl discriminating tariffs which prevail ail Salt Lake Lako City and Utah Is at the tho mercy of ot the tho railroads and unless tho the railroad administration takes immediate cognizance cog of ot the situation tho the hands of ot progress willbe will willbe willbe be kept tied I Ever Lver since tho the first railroad was built into Utah this state te has been tho the melting pot from which has been extracted extracted extracted ex ex- ex- ex the w wealth alth which has provided provided pro pro- pro pro-I vided huge hugo dividends to be spent spent- Inthe Inthe in inthe I the East The Union Pacific with its little I brother the Oregon Short Line has robbed this state b by the exaction of ot tariffs that have o no right 40 to o exist unless Is to bo be dishonored I recall that in one year eat the Union Pacific declared a dividend of ot 37 31 per cent Tho The r railroads railroad through their executives executives tives and other estuaries are issuing propaganda to draw sympathy toward them The They now have havo the effrontery to meekly tell the people peole of Utah whom they the have always robbed robbe that they need more mone money In that their earnings have decreased SURPLUS PILED UP Tho railroads do not need the monc money an ay their executives declare In the campaign aJ against the railroads eighteen months ago aso when the they at attempt attempted attempted at- at tempt tempted d to gouge this state again ain by asking asking- for tor a 16 per cent general Increase in increase in- in inI I cre crease so on freight rates it was shown I that the Union n Pacific n had more than n n surplus Since that time the Union Pacific which operates the Oregon Oreon Short Line in this thiN territory realized n a profit of 13 under federal control Yet it is presumed that in common with other railroads I it la lj whining over decreased earnings HUMBUG PROPAGANDA What sympathy can any man with witha a grain of common sense have for tor the be beIng being being be- be humbugging propaganda which Is ing foisted foiste upon the public b by the railroads In view of these facts They Ther arc are facts which the tho r railroads s cannot deny ny The railroads recognize that it would be foolish to den deny these facts for fOI after otter all I am In full possession o ot of absolute proof which will withstand all ull attacks Tho The r railroads might state that they have invested millions in construction construction construction con con- and improvements in Utah They tell you nothing of tho the enormous fortunes g gained a in revo- revo nue by the movement of traffic hero here If they did do so it would mean that the freight rates would have to tumble immediately imme for they have certainly taken from here many millions more than t they ey have invested Utah has been bled white while b by the railroads The They have o sou gouged ed c cr every r no possible penny from Crom the populace and they have given gl this city and state no opportunity to rise to their proper place in the industrial and commercial world BLED FOR YEARS I Knowing that you OU have been bled all these sc years does doea it not strike you that the time has come for a u readjustment of ot conditions The rue paw of ot the avaricious avaricious trl l cious claus railroad tiger which Is now and always has been In III the the- bowl of ot indus industrial trial and commercial progress must bo be removed remo TUB TIIE TIME TI TO STRIKE IS NOW NOV Bc Before ore outlining the tho stand which should be he taken h by this community to compel lower freight rates I 1 wish to draw attention to one feature which ma may have escaped tho the attention of ot Salt 11 I Lake business leaders Tho feature in I question Involves Involves' railroad discrimination tion In favor of Ogden for Salt Lake While It is true that the whole state has suffered from and unjust unjust unjust un un- just rates for more than three decades decade and has prevented the pr proper per development development development develop develop- ment of ot this city and commonwealth I feel compelled to strike a blow at any railroad which autocratically dictates where a factory factor ma may be located despite the tho wishes of ot the manufacturers WRECKING SALT LAKE In this connection it is asked that the rea reader er keep In mind the opening statement of this article Tho The railroads railroads rail rall- roads ar are aro stifling stilling Salt Lako Lake City That statement ment conveying a punch and covering a multitude of or meaning was written for Cor a n specific purpose as as you ou will now ob observe r f Within recent months two twp flour companies sent representatives to Salt Lako Cit City The They were enthusiastic tlc In speaking speaking- of the probability of or mills be being being be- be ing erected here hore But the mills will never ne be bo erected In ht Salt Lake Ike They are going going- to be built In Ogden Wh Why It stan stands s to all common sense an and reasoning that Salt J Lake ke City is en entitled entitled en- en titled to the best consideration In the matter of ot the lo location atlon of or factories yet et Og Ogden cn was selected In preference to this city ci ci y and the railroads were held responsible for Cor the change in plans In other othe words flour mills which should have been built here by the use of Salt Lake and Utah products products prod prod- providing for the employment of a large number of hands and for tho the circulation of many thousands thousands thousands thou thou- sands of dollars are being built at Ogden despite the fact that Salt Lake is the logical point for tion Tho The flour mill companies realized Salt Lakes Lake's claims but went to Og Ogden This is why wily they eventually chose Ogden Og Og- den clen RATE IS REASON At present th there re is a milling and nd transit rate operated by the railroads This rate allows wheat to be shipped from Crom Idaho and other states to Salt SaltI Lake Lala for tor the making Into flour the I rate being the same as if Ir the product was shipped to Ogden This rate in hi reality is only a atenta tentative tentative tenta tenta- tI tive tariff The Tho position is that tn tae be ap ap- ap- ap present rate may not always In that event the same rate Continued on page S S. S RAILROADS WRECK SALT LAKE BY UNFAIR AIR RATES from from page pac 1 would not apply appl to Salt Fait I Lake ke and Oden Ogden Og- Og den but the former would have to pay ii n heavier charge The situation was made mado apparent to the tho flour mill companies I Knowing not the moment when Salt SaIL Lake L would I be he taxed hen heavier vier In that tho the tm transit and milling milling- into lato would be bo eliminated d the companies nn naturally chose Ogden as the location and this city was prevented pre pre- prevented re- re vented from having In Its midst two mills twills of ot big employing man many hands and increasing the city's payroll payroll pay pay- roll rollIn In view Ie of or such a l condition are there an any persons who feel that Salt Lake has not been discriminated against And now to make the thc article more general let us examine the thc situation as It affects public improvements t throughout Utah RAILWAY BLOCKS CAMPAIGN A campaign to Own your our homo home has begun In Salt Lake This campaign cam eam- campaign can never meet with success until until un un- unlit un- un til lit freight rates rales are reduced The men menat menat menat at the head of or this campaign have ha only f the surface In attempting to tu stimulate building It is 19 a laudable campaign and one worthy worth of or every support but tho railroads prove tho the thoI stumbling block a fact tact apparent In nearly nearby every development scheme fos- fos I in the parts Of or what avail 11 can the 0 n. n your yourI bomb hom campaign bo be unless there Is Ian a n I stabilized price for tho the raw materials which form the Ingredients In making a homo There Thero cannot bo be any stabilized stabilized sta sta- price In view of ot tho present freight rates It would be suicidal for any provider of ot materials to quote prices for tor more than a da day or two ahead In prewar days das about cubic yards ards of or sand and gravel yel were brought ht Into Salt Snit Lal Lake Lako e for tor road paving pa and other purposes There Is practically no movement at nt present Stoppage of ot movement Is duo due to freight rates Within the tho last eighteen eight eight- cen een months the switching rates at nt the local yards ards have Increased per cent Railroad executives who might doubt this assertion arc nrc referred to order orter No 38 Under this order J. J W Y Mellon Mellen n local contractor Is compelled to pay 16 per car where he paid but 6 j In InI I 1916 JIG BUILDING CURTAILED I This Is but an Incident In th the general general general gen gen- eral freight rate fabric Charges ha havo vo I soared to such an n extent that It Is impossible imI impossible im im- possible to carry carryon on building operations opera opera- I with any an degree desree of or uncertainty uncertainly To more clearly Illustrate what I mean I 1 call attention to the fact tact that building work representing an estimated estimated estimated esti esti- mated outlay of Is now held up In New York state and tho the great contributing factor to holding back the development work rests upon high freight rates In Utah th there re is l' s now m tely available for public improvement work Roads sewer and waterworks projects aro are held up caus causing ng the tho unemployment of men who should bo employed and the tho consequent unnecessary up of tho the public wealth which should be bo released It Is not so a question of ot spending the as what the spending means menn The Tho spending of ot tho the means the greater patronage patron patron- age of oC tho the stores of the city and state It means better education for the chil chil- children children dren Iren and better nourishment for the tho people all all' tending to assure assure a a. greater and a n more prosperous state Incidentally Incidentally Inci Inci- dentally tho the general wealth will will be reflected In the development de In other othel fields In fn that the amount to a n certain extent through earnings gained will willbe willbe be devoted deyot to man many other l projects If It fair rates prevailed pre In Utah there would not be ono one man who would have hwe any excuse except either on mental or physical grounds of or not having a 11 Job WOULD MEAN PROSPERITY It II Is a broad statement and I realize It The comment has hac been made mado that If It all the public Improvement em nt work worl was now put out In Utah there would not be sufficient labor to meet tho the de demand de- de mand This ma may or may not be true The Tho bridge can be crossed when we como to it There Thele is consolation In tho the knowledge knowledge knowl knot edge that William C C. Redfield secretary secretary secretary secre secre- tary of commerce of or tho United Stat States s. s realizes what home builders and others aro are up a against lie Ho has asked the railroad administration to put into ef effect effect et- et such tariffs as will stimulate building and general improvement work throughout the country It Is 15 Isto isto to be bo hoped that his request will not fall upon deaf deat car ears In the meantime states slates counties and cities are necessarily holding up improvement ImI improvement im Im- im- im provement pro work The They want stabilized stabilized I prices for tor materials and do not feel like going ahead with many projects now believing believing- that within a short time prices pricey will drop as a n consequence consequence consequence con con- sequence of ot the reduction of or freight rates Fre Freight rates on sand and gravel graveland graveland graveland and other building materials will inevitably bo ho reduced within a short period Additional charges to tho rates wore made as s a war measure to prevent building so 10 that the country's monetary wealth could be bo husbanded Now it is realized that the country to keep step with other nations must adopt a great constructive program Building materials are aro not the only products involved in the agitation agi agi- tation for lower fre rates particularly particularly particularly par par- in Utah This state tate has every right to enjoy as low freight rates rales as any other state Yet as a matter of fact it is tho the highest taxed railroad d st state te in the Union WANTS SQUARE DEAL Utah does not ask to for l' l an any preferential preferential tariffs Sho She Just asks for tor a fair fall deal which so 80 far has hns never been given to It b by tho the railroads For more than twenty years ears San Francisco and Los Angeles have profited at tho the expense of Salt Lako Lake and Utah Los Angeles eles a n. city of ot population has leas been built up to a n great extent on Salt Lakes Lake's mis mis- fortune The coast cities 3 have havo always enjoyed enJoyed enjoyed en- en I Joyed a rate schedule which allowed Jobbers and manufacturers to unfairly unfairly un un- un- un fairly compete with In many cases It was found cheaper to send tho goods from the tha Atlantic seaboard to the Pacific coast than to Salt Lake City and anti what whal Is more for the same goods to travel back Into Utah's trading territory to compete with the goody goods sold sollI from here THE RESULT OF ANALYSIS SHOWS THAT SALT LAKE SHOULD BE A CITY OF AT LEAST SOULS TODAY INSTEAD IT BOASTS OF BUT TO THE RAILROADS ALL DISCREDIT MUST BE GIVEN FOR KEEPING BACK SALT LAKE UNLESS FREIGHT RATES ARE REDUCED THIS CITY CAN NEVER BECOME REALLY AND TRULY GREAT UTAH IS ROBBED I could go so on citing cases case without number to demonstrate the tho discrimination nation practiced h by tho railroads against Utah and anti Salt SuIt Lake City To Tosum Tosum Tosum sum up the tiro conditions Is to 80 say that the railroads have havo robbed Utah by I unfair and discriminatory rates and that the time Is now opportune to strike hack back The railroads should be bo made to disgorge tho the unjust profits made besides putting Into effect schedules which would assure fair treatment for this state so that It could compete with other states on onan onan onan an equitable basis Railroad executives might claim that the they have no say Bay If Jr such |