FREIGHT RATES AND MANUFACTURES IN COLORADO 5 1 



Whether or not the closing of the mill was due entirely to the low rate 

 on incoming paper is not important in this connection. The incident 

 is important as showing the disposition of the great traction interests 

 toward the development of an industry which was likely to reduce their 

 profits from freight haulage. 



Under the schedule of freight rates in force in 1894, Chicago and 

 St. Louis manufacturers could ship mining machinery and supplies to 

 points in New Mexico and Arizona "a great deal cheaper" than the 

 same class of goods could be laid down from Denver. It was said that 

 as a matter of fact this was the case with all kinds of manufactured ar- 

 ticles. The freight tariff at that time was prohibitory and closed Mexico 

 to Colorado manufacturers and jobbers. As a general rule the rates 

 were the same from Omaha to Denver and to Salt Lake although the 

 latter point was 800 miles farther west. The result of all this was that 

 the Colorado shipper was at the mercy of the eastern manufacturer. 

 Chicago was closer to New and Old Mexico than was Denver. This 

 is one of the ways in which the railroad annihilates space. Manufac- 

 turers of mining machinery in Denver stated that were that city placed 

 on an equal footing with the other centres, they could increase their 

 trade threefold within a year. Even as it was, the enterprise of the 

 local manufacturer had in some degree overcome the hardship imposed 

 by the railroad discrimination. 1 



On August 17, 1896, the Citizens' League of Arapahoe County 

 adopted a resolution declaring that railroad discrimination had retarded 

 the development of the resources, crippled manufactures and diminished 

 the commerce of the state to a point below the volume it had attained 

 in 1884. The resolution also demanded that a promise be exacted from 

 all candidates for the legislature that they would use their best efforts 

 to enact laws for the establishment of an efficient state railroad commis- 

 sion with power to prevent unjust discriminations and charges. 2 Per- 

 haps some allowance should be made for other causes which had reduced 

 the commerce of Colorado at the time this resolution was adopted. The 

 closing of the silver mines between 1893 and 1896 was an important 



1 Denver Republican, January i, 1895. 

 ■ Ibid., August 18, 1896. 



