The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-10-06
FISH SHIPPERS YIELD.
Four Firms Allow Express Companies
70 Insuect Their Books.

AS result OF the recent circular issued
BIZ the Northern Pacific and Great North
ern express companies compelling ship
pers Of fish 10 pay gross weight Tor snip
menta east. four Of the firms have SUD
uited their books TO representatives or
the two companies. Yesterday AessFS
Hall Humphrey ard Harlow, Of the North
ern Pacific Express Company, and MesSrs
Anterior and List. OF the Great Northern,
checked up the books. The first gone over
were those of Ainsworth & Dunn. OF The
.seattle Fish Company. and Kelly & Boyn-
fon and the others were Chlopeck Bros
and the Green River Fish Company. The
result or the examination has not been
n ade known. No other shippers would
permit the companies to check up their
books. and consequently they viii be un-
able 10 make terms with tho transporta-
tor companies unless they put up bond
o 500 each, but they demand that all
others be required to do the same.
During the present season fish have been
shipped under contract entered into by
the companies and the dealers last May.
and the action taken yesterday was the
result OF a compromise by the Northern
Pacific and the Great Northern. for the
first named desired 10 fine" shippers for
the excess from the date OF the contract,
while the latter company was willing to
let them go without penalty. The result
~ that the companies insist on payment
for the oyerpius from July I.
Chlopeck Bros. whose main house is in
Portland, have been buying and shipping
all the fish from this city they could get
They ship from here 10 Portland by the
car load in refrigerator cars. and from
there East by express or otherwise.
The action taken yesterday followed a
number OF conferences between repre-
sentatives Of the expires companies and
representatives OF the fish shippers. he
FORE the recent order was issued the com
panles received fish at net weight and
made an allowance % per cent 100 pounds
for shrinkage: that Is. for each 100 pounds
the shippers were permitted 20 send los
pounds net. The express companies CLAN
that the shippers abused their privilege
and sent many boxes with weights far in
excess OF the allowance thereby becoming
guilty OF a breach OF faith and Joining in
the commission Of fraud. The rate TO 81
Paul was ~ cents and to New York. the
distributing point for tho Atlantic coast
sA cents. shipments 10 the extreme East
often requiring 20 be iced six or eight
times in transit. Some time ago the dis
covery was made that shipments were FAR
in excess or the scheduled rates. and warn
ings were sent out that the companies
would require shippers 10 keep within the
limit.
When the order requiring the SINNERS
10 paw on gross instead Of net weights
Was ISSUED. the companies Insisted that
the only way 20 determine tho matter
rightly would be FOR tho fish shippers 10
submit to an impartial inspect on OF books
hy commission made up OF representa-
tives OF all parties and % pay Tor the
excess. n any should be discovered The
companies took the position that although
some Of the shipments might have been
made designedly heavy. others were due
90 fnadVertence. There - much difficulty
~ fxinE the net weight on account Of the
ice used IN the boxes and the companieS
relied on the honor % shippers 20 give the
figures correctly.
When the controversy hrst arosc. some
surprise VAS expressed IN this city thar
the Northern Pacific and Great Northern
express companies should apparently leave
the way onsn 70 the Dominion Express
Company 70 enter tho field and CAPTURE
the business The Dominion express did
send Fepre ssntatlVe 70 Seattle. bat he
discovered that tho companies here we're
making exactly the same tight that his
company had made onlv 2 short time pre-
NlouslS, and he declined - do anything
in tho matter.