The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-12-28
Win Testify Before Interstate
Commerce Commission.
ASSOCIATION ATTORNEY HERE.
Cshnission WIN SIT at San Fran
cisco some Time Next Month and
rake Testimony OF Coast whole
sale Merchants Against . Plan OF
the Middle western Jobbers to
steal the Pacific Coast Trade.
1--WE of the most important CONNER
u ciaf meetings that mas eber taken


u ciaf meetings that has eber taken
place on the Pacific coast sDW
occur at San Francisco some time merit
month. 1phen representatives from the
leading jobbfns houses Of Washington.
Oregon and California oil assemble to
cfee testimony before tie Interstate com
nserce commission IN tie contest that Is
being 9cAeed BY 7shosesale bouses of the
Middle West cfhies to secure the trade of
ftis territory. Tie meeting Is an adjourned
one of tie 81. Louis bearing IN NoUeniber
last, ~vben the commission heard the Mid
de Western jobbers' side of the complaint
against tie freight rates evest of the Mis-
sour rfUes to tie coast. Tie San 9ran-
cisco hearing DM present the Pacific coast
jobbe,s' side. and waH be Of cast eomrner-
ciafdnporf2nce TO tie Development Of home
trade on tie Pacific coast.
-
present there Il q gigantic strife go
Z. ~ ing on between the jobbers OF Chica-
20, st. Louis and Kansas City on one
side and those of the Pacific coast on the
other, for control Of the trade Of the exc
IRENE Western and Pacific coast states. The
Eastern houses as last resort have APP
pealed to the interstate commerce commits
sion hoping through that body to secure a
rearrangement OF railroad freight rates that
viii permit them to undersell the Coast
jobbers retail trade and establish such con-
ditions as would practically drive Coast
jobbers out of business. The fight is now
on in earnest. The Coast jobbers are thor
nd xyff an farfq
to be presented at the coming meeting ex-
pect to be able to combat and defeat the
Eastern jobbers.
q. s. Pillsbury. Of San Francisco. at
torney for the Pacific Coast Jobbers and
Manufacturers Association, which is COM
posed OF the leading wholesale houses on
the ZOO miles OF coast between Seattle
and San Diego, Cal, arrived at the Butler
yesterday. He represented the Coast assoc
citation at the st. Louis meeting OF the
commission and at his instance that body.
after hearing the Eastern side OF the ques-
ton, decided to adjourn and hear the Coast
side at San Francisco some time In Janu-
AIRY. The exact date has not yet been
Mr. Pfllsbury's mission here is for the
purpose Of interviewing local jobbers before
calling them to San Francisco to testify.
houses ana today he viii go to Tacoma
from which place he will visit Portland and
ali other cities on the Coast that have
houses members OF LOe dSSCCldtlOu.
'The whole trouble" he said in an inter-
view last night, '.is that the Chicago, St
Louis and Kansas City jobbers want TO
crush ont the Coast to1bers from the trade
being made through railroad freight rates
which these jobbersi in the Middle West
want reduced 50 as to permit them to de-
liver goods to the Coast retailer in COM
petition or at a less cost than can the
Coast jobbera iIS6i
Eastern Jobbers' Designs.
1.-THE question was brought into the
province of the interstate commerce
commission by the BUSINESS Mems
League. Of St. Louis. which body fled a
complaint against all the transcontinental
lines west Of the Missouri 1t contained
three grievances. The FIRST that there
ing to mileage. That hat is that e St. af Louis
and Chicago firms should pay but q
small proportion more than their pro rata
Ran YoT rs ih On fne iresn. rate fr1m
would enable them to deliver goods on
the Coast at a less freight cost than
"A second grievance was in regard to
Y articles contained in car. The railroad
rules compel articles Of one class to be
packed separately, SO that they can take
petition asked that all articles should
be put into car and shipped at a conf
mon rate. which would enable them to
as any number of small retailers might
order at less rate of freight than Job
bers who were buying in carload lots and
shipping under the classification were
1.-THE third item of the grievance was
regarding differentials or rates between
carload or less than carload lots. The
Eastern firms want rates made whereby
they can ship one-half or one-quarter
car of goods at but small advance over
that proportion of carload rate, which
means TO allow them to ship small bills
of goods to the Coast at about the same
rates as the Coast jobbers pay for car
load lots.
THE investigation at St. Louis deveI-
oped that the Eastern houses were strug-
Cling for the markets of the Pacific coast.
They all showed in their testimony that
should the transcontinental rates be re-
duced they did not propose to reduce the
price of their goods, but the movement
was for the purpose of awarding them a
handsome profit on their Coast trade. 1t
the Coast from the home jobbers with
out establishing houses here without
paying taxes here or contributing in any
way toward the development of the
Coast. They simply mean to peddle out
without any investment
Coast Rights as Argued.
Now. the Coast position is that 1t Is
entitled to the benefits of its geographical
position In securing portion OF it's goods
by way Of the Horn at cheaper rates. Yet
the Coast jobbers have transferred large
amount of their trade to the transconti-
permanently. They have aided in build
ing up the Pacific coast, and are entitled
to the greater portion of the trade. The
Pacific. coast merchants realize that the
Coast and can further the importance Of
this territory by giving fair and reasonable
rates OF freight. 1t is a fact that. should
the railroads be compelled to give rates
hn mil n IN mn ,et