(erielack) November/December 1961 T E-L L-A-GRAM

[Blue Moon Network Administrator <root_@_net.bluemoon.net>]

Local Government at its best:


AIR PASSENGERS travel "in the public interest" but those who ride the
railroads do not, it must be interpreted from tax commission testimony in
Ohio. When the county sought to reduce taxes on the Cleveland Union Terminal,
used by four railroads and two transit lines, the City of Cleveland opposed
the cut because it would reduce municipal revenues. However, when an
assessment was proposed for the city airport used by about the same number of
commercial airlines, the officials opposed any taxation because it exists for
"public purposes".


and another ICC beaut:

ANOTHER RATE UMBRELLA has been opened to deprive shippers of the benefits of
fast, low-cost transportation. Railroads have been prevented from reducing
carload rates by six cents on 40,000-pound minimum shipments of electric cable
and wire between Worcester, Mass. and Houston, Tex. An ICC division ruled the
reductions posed a threat to "the continued existence of the coastwise water
carrier industry". Thus the railroads continue to be their brothers keeper.


How could the government have willingly destroyed the railroads? How can we
call the United States a free market economy when this kind of thing went on
for eight decades?

The E-L company magazines are wonderful reading, but there are a lot of
depressing facts and figures too.

Henry

J. Henry Priebe Jr.       Blue Moon President & Network Administrator
root_@_bluemoon.net         www.bluemoon.net - Blue Moon Internet Corp
V.90, X2 & K56flex        www.railfan.net  - The Railfan Network

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