FREIGHT RATES AND MANUFACTURES EST COLORADO 3 1 



goes into a carriage is charged at a higher freight rate than the finished 

 carriage when that is shipped from the East. This manufacturer, Mr. 

 Melburn, stated that in 1883 he had asked that the rates on all the things 

 that go to make a wagon, wheels, springs, carriage bolts etc. be so ad- 

 justed that they would be the same as the rate on manufactured wagons. 

 This the railroad officials refused and said the articles could be classi- 

 fied only after their arrival here. The rates were such that the freight 

 on a car of finished wagons from the Missouri River to Denver would 

 cost $200, but the car of parts of wagons from the Missouri River would 

 have to pay freight amounting to $365. The manufacturer stated that 

 four carriage wheels in raw material ironed cost $17 . 40, but when painted 

 and ready for the wagon they were worth $32, the difference being 

 due to the additional labor put on them. If the freight on this $17.40 

 of raw material were in the same proportion to the value of the material 

 as the freight on the manufactured article was to its value, carriages 

 could be made in Denver and the Denver manufacturers would control 

 the trade. Their profits would be increased about 10 per cent., said 

 Mr. Melburn. It seems that at that time the carriages made in Colorado 

 would sell for a little more than those shipped from the East. 1 



An interesting light is thrown on the carriage trade by the testimony 

 of this manufacturer. It seems that when he began the manufacture 

 of wagons in 1877, vehicles made in Colorado were not in demand, but 

 by 1884 the preference was given to the wagons that were made in the 

 state. It was estimated at that time that the wagons made in the state 

 would last 20 per cent, longer because of the better seasoning of the 

 timber put into them, due, of course, to the dryness of the climate. A 

 lowering of the rates would enable him to employ in his factory 300 more 

 hands. At that time not more than 125 men were employed in this kind 

 of manufacture in the entire city. The witness stated that the employ- 

 ment of 300 more men would mean a difference in the population of the 

 city of from 1,500 to 2,000. 2 



Building Material and Furniture 



The freight rates had their effect on the manufacture of the higher 

 grades of building material and furniture. Sash, doors and blinds 



1 Ibid. ' Ibid., p. 157. 



