The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-08-04
N[V RATES CAUSE TROUBLE.
P.caae Coast Wholesalers and Manu.
facturers- Are Favored In Some
Cases-sone Radical Changes In
= auxvratea That Cause Complaint.

ly woes. I'd Danish to the uttermoss cor
ners of the globe every man who has any
thing to do with making railroad tariffs"
said q weary railroader yesterday. More
than that, I'd make ii a crime punishable
by life imprisonment for any railroad man
ager to issue supplemental tariffs. at least
for many months 10 come"
The railroad man leaned on the desk in
the front Office with look Of Vulnerable
woe on his countenance. A shipper whose
patronage was no small item to his road
had Just left the Office after condemning
him and everybody connected with the
freight department Of his company TO eter-
nal torture and all on account Of the new
transcontinental freight tariffs. which con-
troll in this territory.
Nothing in railroad annals Of late years
quite eQuSfs the disturbance that the new
tariff of the transcontinental freight bu-
reau, which replaced the old railroad pool,
has caused to shippers, joboers whole
salers and retail merchants, not only on
the Pacific coast. but also in the Middle
West. AS matter Of fact, however. ii Is
TO be recorded that the people OF the Coast
are, as a rule. much better satisfied with
the tariff than are those of the Middle
West. On transcontinental business, there
is little or no complaint, except from in
terror points for the very plain reason
that water competition by way OF the gulf
and the clipper lines to San Francisco gov
ern In the making of rates from the At
lantic seaboard to Pacific coast terminals.
has
the foot of the wearer the new transcon-
tinental freight tariff has caused every
body who does business regularly with the
railroads considerable Inconvenience and
uneasiness. The period necessary TO get
acquainted with the new conditions i'm
posed by the new agreement entered into
BY the transcontinental lines has about
passed by. Il is not to be understood, how
ever, that the complaints are growing less
The 1obber on the Pacific coast who finds
that the raise in less than car load rates
has seriously affected him i'm dollars and
cents Is not through complaining by any
means. The Eastern wholesaler, who prior
to the date of the new tariffs was doing
a thriving business in small quantities on
the Coast. carries his grievance with him
and still talks OF calling the roads interest
ed in the new tariffs before the bar of the
interstate commerce commission. -
The chief change made in freight rates
by the new tariffs has been in widening
the difference between car load and less
than car load rates. The increase on COM
modities, carloads. has been trifling as COM
pared with the raise on small shipments
1t is this fact which has operated against
the wholesalers OF the Mississippi valley.
Where formerly a wholesaler found il
profitable to send his travelling men
through the small towns of the Pacific
coast and solicit small orders. relying upon
rate comparatively low. as compared
with car load rates. he now finds himself
at disadvantage with the Pacific coast
wholesaler. who still gets low rate on
car load lots and is therefore able to under
bid his competitor in the East
On some lines of hardware for example
the new tariffs are nearly 80 per cent high
er than the old. For instance. nearly all
hardware goods We're formerly listed at 81
per hundred from New York and st. Paul
TO the Pacific coast. In the new tariffs a
definite classification OF articles formerly
called hardware is laid down and on many
of them the rate has been advanced from
50 cents and 81 to $40 per hundred.
Under the old tariffs. man shipping. for
example. alright stoves from the East.
car loads. with a minimum weight Of 20 600
pounds to the car. was allowed to make
up the required weight with ranges and
other heavy stoves. This is not permitted
under the new tariffs. On the other
hand. the rate on sheet iron has been but
signify Altered. The advantages, OF
course. is given to the local manufacturer.
who buys his material almost as cheaplv
as formerly. and who is in position to
urdersell the Eastern shipper
Another instance of the workings of the
new tariff is found in rubber clothing. The
present rate on rubber clothing car loads.
is Sits. and in smaller quantities SEQ No
such difference between the large and small
shipments existed under the old tariffs.
The retailer on the Pacific coast finds
cause to complain at the new rates from
the fact that he cannot buy to as good
advantage in the East. in competitionswith
the Pacific coast jobber as formerly. OF
couse. he feels aggrieved and I'm many cas- es
complaints have been forwarded to head
quarters In the hope OF effecting a change
in the rates.
While ii is true that there Is more or
less kicking against the transcontinentaI
freight rates now in force" said the gem
eral agent Of one of the lines centerinr in
Seattle. yet l believe that after the
patrons of the roads become used 10 them
the complaints will diminish II Is i'm
possible 10 please everybody Some radical
changes were inaugurated by the newly
formed bureau. and ii will require time for
shippers, wholesalers and tobbers TO be-
come used to them. can we'll understand
stand that thousands Of complaints have
been registered with the bureau hut as vet
the authorities have manifested little in
tention to inaugurate changes Some al,
terations Will, Of course have TO be made
from time 10 time, but In my opinion the
general scheme Of the new tariffs Is To re-
main in operation for long time yet to
come