Cottonwood report. [volume] (Cottonwood, Idaho) 1893-1901, 1895-12-20
REBATES ON WHEAT SHIPMENTS
Attorney for WaIla WaIia Shippers on
Mr.

Attorney for waila walia shippers on
Mr.. Yeonan's Letter.
State Grain Commissioner William |
H. Reed of Tacoma, attorney for Milton |
Evans of Walla Walla, In his suit now
pending before the interstate commerce
commission to compel the o. r. & N |
Co. to reduce rates on wheat from s4.70
per ton to a much lower price, has
written letter to the Tacoma Ledger
in reference to the letter recently re-
ceived from Commissioner Yeomans, in
which the latter says the commission
has been waiting for a brief that has
not yet been fled. Mr.. Reeds letter
was called out by an editorial in the
Ledger criticizing Mr.. Yeomans' change
of position.
In support of their claim for re-
duction the farmers of Walla Walla,
for whom suit was Drought in Mr.
Evans name, alleged and proved, the
Ledger said, large rebates had been
paid to the Portland elevator men be-
tween July 4, 1894, and April 80, 1895.
The amount proved to have been paid
in rebates was nearly $4,000. While
these rebates were being paid to the
elevator men, the farmers were forced
to pay full rates, or a difference of
nearly bU GEMS per ton.
When the interstate commission first
began it's investigation it's secretary
| wrote to Mr.. Reed that these rebate
payments were manifestly such vio-
| lation of the interstate commerce law
| that the commission would give the
matter prompt attention. AS the COM
mission, in it's report for $780, had en-
phatically denounced the rebate sys-
/ nd oil in via Of ha foo
they had furnished positive proof of re-
bates having been paid, the walla
Walla farmers naturally hoped for
prompt decision in their favor.
But Mr.. Yeomans' recent letter has
greatly chilled their hopes. Among
| other things he makes this statement
IT note what you say about the large
| rebates alleged to have been paid to the
Pacific Coast Elevator Company have
| been at Portland since that testimony
| was taken and found that the payments
made to the Pacific Coast Elevator Com
/ pany were approved by the court, and
| were therefore adjudged legal payments"
In his letter Mr.. Reed says:
| my understanding of the secretary's
| letter to me was that the commission
| might deelre to have criminal action
| brought against the officers who paid
| these rebates. Commissioner Yeomans
may consider that the approval by the
| court of these rebate payments relieves
| these officers from liability to criminal
| prosecution. But he certainly does not
| mean that the courts approval of such
| rebate payments to the Pacific Coast Ele-
| yator Company changes the holding of
| the commission, under date of November
| 20, 1890, in it's report to the senate and
| house of representatives, VIZ: No evil
| dence can be more conclusive that the
| carrier is by its regular rate sheets charg-
| ing something more than reasonable
| prices for his service than that fact that
| either openly or secretly he violates the
| law to accept from favored classes, or
| from individuals, a less compensation. . .
| If rebates are given to large shippers, the
| fact of itself shows the rates which are
| charged the general public are unreason-
able
1.-THE approval by a court of the pay
| ment of rebates to the Pacific Coast Ele-
vator Company signified, if anything was
| meant by such approval that the rates
charged said elevator company on grain
| shipments over the Oregon Railway &
| Navigation lines were too high to the
| Pacific Coast Elevator Company and
therefore should be reduced. When the
court said the rates were too high for the
Pacific Coast Elevator Company it
in effect said the rates were too
high, by at least the amount of
such rebate, to every shipper of grain
over the o. r. & N. lines, for If too high
for one they are too high for all. Thus
the courts finding was, just as Petitioner
Evans claimed that the rate was too
high If rebates are given to large ship
ments, the fact of itself shows the rates
which are charged the general public are
unreasonable said the commission and
when Commissioner Yeomans said the
court had approved of a reduction of rates
to the Pacific Coast Elevator Company
he certainly didn't mean that the rate
was low enough for Petitioner Evans"