The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-05-01
Inspectorship Of Transcontinental
Freight Bureau Here.
CHEF INSPECTOR J. W. SPENCER
lie II Now In seattle tn 0rGa niss the
oyste1-Tomorrer Mersisx ,. ~.
Reynolds. Of kansas City. and
George ". RsIstop. Of >sn Frss-
etsee. VIII B~ESs weSk. Os~ ~ me
n. r., the other ~ the a. n.

J. w. Spencer. chief inspector OF The
rssnecontlnen;ai freight Bureau. arrived
~ Seattle Friday aisht from, San Francisco.
ard yesterday Fg,ent als siuIe asnsng tho
freight officials OF the various roads ess:sr-
sng Seattle. TIE obiecs ot Mr. speneers
wtsd. IL 10 establish an lnspeetorship IN this
city. and tomorrow morning ]. II. gey~
noids. OF kansas City, and George ".
E.aslson. OF San Ffanelnco. Will commence
work al fhe representatives OF THE freight
bureau. one az the freight depot OF the
Northern Pacific and tise osaer n the Great
Northern.
Tho supreme court last scar decided that
Yhs traffic associations wers Illegal. and
that they weFe practically trusts In their
aEreeusenss on freight rates Consequently
the assocsafsons went oig Of bus9ness. and
a bureau 81 information b. which roads
keep tab on 9ae another arose oSer the
aches Of ise trusts. All az this was very
nice Sor the roads. az IT maintained the
agreement as 10 rafsr without the effen-
rive organization Their along came the
Transconsinenfai Freight E1lrean with NC
bier ard higher pufpose as II stid IN lodge
rituals tts lssfeRilou being 10 keep railroads
straight. aud In this respect IN IA. salts
faction of tue shippers who are compelled
10 psfronlze the roads.
When tsae Tfansaautinsntal Freight Bu-
rean was formed the roads leading 20 sset.
tie. Portland and Taeems refused TO eHier
aud the bureau waa compelled 10 establish
IT. Headquarters or the Pacific coast aT
San Francisco. where there Is 70 rail-
road instead Of ~ Seattle. where there ara
three trauscoffnentai lines, 'fhs nofth~
ern roads were engaged ali this time 81 q
quiet freight warfare and eech xas getting
ail the business Il could. IN any way that
at could. without any restraint except an
sgreemeut that none OF them lived up To-
There were all scrts OF Tutfef3ngs and
freight agents and solicitors were coni-
PEELED at ali tIrness 10 De on the alert FOR
sths side issues that were continually offer
ing Themselves In the transportation con-
trovefsy.
convention - Monterey iast month. an
agreement vas reached bf which the
northern rnsds VIII enter into a partclpa-
Zion OF all the good thai is said 90 FOLLOW
In The traii of the TyauEcontluentaI Freight
Hureau and it, operations al censorship and
direction. The d.itfes OF the !nspee .afs Will
be to check shipments where they would.
In the ordinary rush OF freight business "a.
the sheds. be subject 10 error b. which the
shipper nigh over Or under pay. or the
road over or under charge. The inspection
will be guarantee to both parties 10
chipping contract of i.s correctness
IT will alsn haze the effect OF keeping the
freight solicitors IN ilue. \ case In point
of the condition THAI has existed would be
that Of merchant who had heavy con-
alignment of goods coming 10 him from
New York ia Seattle. He would b., hound
ed TO death BY freight men arxiouS 10 have
'the goods routed over their respective lines.
At In not 10 be danbted that the shipper
would make his choice az linea upon A ha-
rss OF advantages offered aud ii he order ss
fisis goods shipped by "a certsin route IT
might be Il shading II rates. i rebate or
eome substantial acknowledgment OF the
favor He wnuid however. no sooner at-
cent OF .hls advantage than he woulf think
that perhaps hEs business competitor WAS
getting quite ~ much and perhaps more
The uncertainty az 20 rates viii he done
away with !n the inspection. a. classified
tons will he egfareesl The iaint tariffs
Will not be manipulated ard billing under
classification viii ccsne exactly as II II tn
tended While the merchant NAY not
profit by ctr. rare OF a reAaie. lie viii en-
JOY tho satisfaction Of knowing that he
has the same rates az his competitors ana
that there - no advantage aaywhere
Goods under the first class Ia the ;arirs
VIII not come thiFd~ciass 10 Secure 4 lower
shipping rslss
AIR. Spencer Sla.ed ihat "a lis certain
Knowledge ihere Were merchants Ia SaH
FRANCISCO. prior TO the !nspeesorshlp Who
never allowed raies 10 be manipulated 10
their advantage aud there were others who
never made shipments straight; but who
tnSRled Fates 81 every WV 20 Secure \
small advantage. in the Inspection uf
freight hY tae Transcortinenta i'relxat
Bureau officials Iae advantage. az .,rs!iun
10 Mr.. SlfnceF Is VITA tae merchants. ar
shippers. a. close Questions are deei ie.i IN
their favnf Without the irspec ion i
has been found impossible 10 keep solicitors
IA nne, and Mr. Spencer SAID ye:sl 47,lay
taat he never heeW solicitors rs he str4fsHt
this side or Shvoi unles$ tbey Werc com.
PEELED - be.
Some local ffclgh; Officials Veutnsed the
opinion yesterday taat the pressure arouEht
by the merchants themselves anon HE