Show SHOWING OF RATE DIS C R ll 11 H NA T I 1 I 1 ON deseret news editorial it irwill will not be charged that the deseret news has ever been unfriendly to the railroads on the contrary this paper has given every reasonable encouragement to the safeguarding safe guarding of their interests as it would do and has hag done the interests ot ol all other lines of legitimate business our position is that there has been altogether too much prejudice against the railroads and railroad interests and this prejudice we have combated and endeavored to allay in this connection we have taken the stand that to multiply commissions one in each of 0 the forty eight states and each making conflicting and unreasonable regulations ii ions cannot result in anything but confusion there should be but one regulating and controlling cont roling power and that one must inevitably be the interstate commerce commission and so we ale have opposed and still oppose oppose the creation of state commissions which in the very nature of things cannot bring order and system out ot of a chaos of conflicting rules regulations requirements and laws but while our position has been straightforward and strong with respect to treating fairly all railroad interests te rests we hope we are not unmindful of the interests of the people whom the railroads serve we must confess to some surprise at the disclosures that have been made during the recent hearing in this city with respect to railroad rates take for example the item of sugar this great product takes second place to none non c in the west in the benefits distributed throughout the community its money goes into the hands bands of the farmers who raise the beets and of the army of employees who help in its production directly or indirectly everybody is profited by the industry it is a most beno benevolent patron of the railroads also for statistics show that the local sugar companies furnish the local railroads rl roads with an average of ten carloads a day for every day in the year sundays and holidays included while their coal li beets and other raw material furnish probably probable an equal amount or total of twenty cars a day tho the year round now 10 per cent of the sugar produced by local companies suffices to supply the requirements of the local community the other 90 per cent of the product must go the eastern markets and it is in connection with the shipment of this vast tonnage that the disclosures above referred to were made we cite some of them it is shown that the rate on carloads of sugar from california factories the competitors in the eastern castern market for our local companies from california points to chicago is 48 cents per pounds and that out of this 48 cents the union pacific for its part of the haul from ogden to omalia omaha 1000 miles receives 20 cents per pounds yet if one of our our local companies ships a car of sugar from ogden to omaha over the union pacific a charge of 50 cents per pounds is made and if a carload of sugar is shipped from burley to boise by one of pur our local companies a distance of miles a charge of 35 cents per pounds is made the denver deliver rio grande road carries part of these shipments of sugar that come from california to the east and its part of the 48 cent rate from california to chicago is less than 9 cents per pounds for a distance of about miles from ogden to denver deliver yet if one of 0 our local companies wishes to bring a carload of sugar from lohi to salt lake city on the denver rio grande a distance of 30 miles a charge of 15 cents per pounds is made badet 1 that is to say the union pacific will carry an bag carload of sugar for competitors of local companies over its thousand miles of road from ogden to omaha for while it lias has charged for years and still continues to charge our local companies tor for the same service the denver rio grande road will carry an bag carload of sugar for the competitors of our local companies ies for 72 over its line from ogden to denver miles while it ell charges a rge S our home companies for bringing the same sized carload of sugar from lelii to salt lake a distance ot 0 30 miles such unreasonable and palpably unjust discrimination against the home companies and in favor of their competitors ought not to be tolerated for a moment yet the assertion is made that this injustice not only exists today but has been practiced for years past the news confesses to amazement and it cannot but urge thattie that the railroads themselves for the sake of their good name should try to rid their record of such a blot A blot that will remain a blot in spite spit of all that grave apologists may write the roads themselves should be first to acknowledge that in such discrimination home interests here have been sacrificed tor for interests outside of this state and they should be quick to promise that this injustice shall not continue any longer it if I 1 they are not fair fail enough to como come voluntarily unta rily to this point and admit that injustice has been lone done our local shippers they cannot but expect that they will be forced to that point it if they will not do what is fair and right by their own free will they need not be surprised if steps are taken to compel them to do it and the sooner an ail understanding der standing is reached on the matter I 1 the better for all concerned |