Show Your Con Congressman gross man W by HENRY ALDOUS DIXON CHANGES IN FREIGHT RATE LAWS Congressional hearings on a proposal to allow common cornmon carriers to charge more for a short haul than a long haul are arousing keen Interest among The Intermountain West fought nearly 40 years ago for forthe forthe the protection In Section 4 of the Interstate Commerce Act which I prevents a higher charge for transporting transporting transporting trans trans- porting people or property a shorter than for a longer distance over the same line or route As an example of the dis dIs- discrimination dIscrimination discrimination crimination existing prior to 1818 It was cheaper to ship a carload of canned goods from Boston to Seattle and back to Boston again than to ship the same car of ot canned canned canned can can- ned from Boston to Granger Gran Grant ger Wyoming To cite another Il Illustration illustration il- il the carload rate on structural steel from Chicago to San Francisco In 1907 1007 was per hundred pounds whereas from Chicago to Reno only it was per hundred pounds Not all examples of discrimination tion were so pronounced However however How how- ever growth of the Intermountain economy was Inhibited by such discrimination The Interstate and Foreign Commerce Commerce Commerce Com Com- merce Committees of the House and Senate are considering changes In the long short haul feature feature fea fea- fea ture and other aspects of our notional notional notional no no- transportation policy with the Idea of increasing competition in It the transportation industries However both Committees are proceeding cautiously before they recommend changes In exIsting existing ex ex- existing laws Jaws UTAH LEAD AND ZINC PRODUCTION PRODUCTION PRO PRO- DOWN Even with the Federal government purchases of lead and zinc for defense stockpiling stockpiling stock stock- piling Utah production is now very low In 1949 custom mills and smelters In the Utah area produced produced pro pro- tons of lead In 1952 the amount was wu tons and andIn andin andin in 1955 It was only tons according according according ac ac- ac- ac cording to figures gathered by Miles Milts P. P R Romney Manager ManAg t 0 of th the Utah Mining Association Zinc production has dropped from tons In 1952 to tons In 1955 Heavy Imports of these metals are an Important factor in these I production drops Two years ago the Tariff Commission unanimously unanimous unanimous- ly ty recommended Increased duties for lead and zinc following exhaustive exhaustive ex Investigation President Eisenhower announced the stockpiling stock piling program to try to meet the problem However the Administration Admin and Congress now are both concerned about establishing a run long program which will maintain a healthy domestic In ln |