The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-05-16
RATES OF WHARFAGE
Investigation BY the Chamber
Of Commerce.
the coMMfTTEE NOW At WORK


The special commerce committee OF the
Chamber Of Com merce At It's meeting last
night diseased ~ great length the matter
Of discrimination in fYelefts on the Sound,
the aiieeDi fraudulent measurements in
rating goods. and the alleged excessive
wharfage charges at Seattle Al Of these
the committee agreed we're matters that
should b. renedied Immediately for the
eocd Of the city Between fifteen and
twenty merchants, wharf owners and drsy-
men we're present. and during the discus
sion the steamboat Owners. the railroads
and the transfer companies all received
severe scorings. and charges OF unfair and
unprincip.ed dealings on the Part OF the
officials we're made. which the committee
viii investigate today.
Three hours Was given to the deiibera-
tions of the COMMITTEES and 70 the taking
of testimony, but no definite conclusion
was reached - 10 what should be done 10
remedy the evils complained Of One
thing, however. wss decided upon. and
that was TO ask tie wharf-owners 10 adopt
. just system Of weights and measure
ments. The committee, consisting of
Thos. w. Prosch. John Leary, c. l. Webb,
J. r. Macdonald and g. Davies, viii this
afternoon visit personally every wharf
oxner along the water front with this end
in view. II this effort fails Mr.. Leary says
that be viii buiid wharf and IN aintain il
for % cents ton on all freight handled. or
just two-fifths the price charged At present.
The ticket system will also lie tried ii the
whaYfingers agree This system Is said TO
be very satisfactory one and would very
materially reduce the wharfage and
freight on small articles.
The matter of ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS re-
ceived large amount OF attention and
several instances in which the merchants
had been oveTcharged we're brought TO
light Among these complaints were the
following:
Hershberg 4 Co. were recently charged
1880 wharfage on nine cases 81 hats weigh
ing less than 800 pounds.
J. p. Burdick was charged 81 .9S wharfage
on thirty-nine cubic feet OF merchandise
nearly four times the correct charge at 50
cents per ton.
maIlet costing 80 cents was shipped to
hardware fsrm IN Seattle and the wharf
niger charged l.25 for Wharfage
A Seattle firm was ch arged $3.50 wharf
age . few weeks ago on consignment
billed at ten tons. but which really meas
ured less than two tons.
Mr.. Leander Miller. drayman, stated
that he watched the charges and measure
ments very closely on all goods which he
handled and nine out of ten OF them were
overcharged. Mr.: r. III. Csiiiean, the
drayman, also testified to the same effect,
giving many instances to prove his asses-
tons.
One OF the first things that the commit
tee will do today on its rounds along the
water front will be 70 cali on the officers OF
the Transfer company. The draynien of
the city, SO it waVtafed by Messrs. Miller
and Caiiigan, claim that they are kept out
side OF the ears every morning from two 10
four hours before they car get at freight for
their customers. This greatly Injuries their
business from the fact. as they assert, that
the Transfer company can deliver goods by
this arrangement several hours before the
draymens Mr.. G. l.. Webb, manager OF
the Risdon-Cahn Company. stated that he
employed the Transfer company because he
had found that il delivered goods three
hours before the other draymen
Mr.. J. p. Burdick and several other MGR
chants showed biIlsfn which the Transfer
company had charged 5 and 10 cents for
interest on small bills of goods remain
ing for few hours in its hands.
Mr.. O'Hara said that newcomer v no
had some household goods in Northern
Pacific car went down to the Transfer CO m
pany's al III a. m. and asked il there would
be any extra charge if his goods were not
taken away until after II O'Clock. and was
answered in the negative. the impression
being that the Transfer company would do
his araying. He hired another drayman,
however, and when he came to pay his bill
there was charge OF s. for two or three
hours storage charge that the company
had previously informed him would not be
made.
Mr.. Leary suggested. before the CON-
mttee adjourned. the idea OF introducing
At the coming special session OF the legis-
lature. bill making il criminal otfense
to oyercharge in freight rates or over
measure goods in transportation To increase
the amount OF money received for trans
portation. Mr.. ]. X. Macdonald and others
favored this idea, and ii is probable that
the committee will draft such bill if their
other negotiations TO remedy the evils fail.