The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-04-11
jlDB[RS PRESENT A CASE.
.yrxc BEFORE INTERSTATE
COMMERCE COMMISSION.
, How the Existing Unfair
piaerentiai- VIII Drive Pncihc
coast Jobber- out of Business or
VIII Force Them to water Routes

z.,rr.Np Or, April io-The inter-
Fpea-,rncrce commission arrived here
- and began hearng testimony OF
E-.iI.,d iobbers on the petition OF the 81
f ~ sehsers 10 compel Western railroad
49, -. maize the same rates on less than
Ah ~ to,s that are made on carload lots.
ai, .,asarv ~ a witness this morning was
= ne erect that a continuation OF what
termed unfair differentials VIII
~ VIZ. pacific coast job6ers TO water routes
~ n many Instances TO buy Foreign
gods. ,,., ,o,.o-a1 limos ~
.re examined. The evidence tend
- - .hoor that the Milwaukee diffcrential,
- ,s,sr the ST. Paul supplementary DIFF
s ~ adopted by the Northern Pacific
~ e,rea. Northern were unfair TO the
s...s ~ Pacific iobbers. The testi-
H. al these jObbers showed that since
~ lowering of differentials ny the NIL
sssnkse tariff water shipment had m
ssss.s N A very large degree; that Port
- sabbsrs Disseminated against the
.. ~. pacific and Great Northern by
ssaa,ng their shipments 70 other INES
...swss Of the action or these lines IN
,siing IN half the rates on paint, on ana
"a hat unless the rate in less than car
"a iets were raised or the rates IN car
80 lofs lowered II would drlve the Jop-
~, 10 depend enureiy upon water iatss.
rha u Louis and Chicago counsel at
,.rrntss 10 get witnesses TO admit that
~ phtec, Of the Pacific const toobers was
~, nut competition and deny 10 the
s,slIsr the right OF that competition
,sich they were Directing to In their
~ rseh witness said that what he object
a ,n was not TOO much competition.
-, @unfair competition" They objected
\ ,hs Middle West johbers leaving their
a nj linz
~ there and cutting up their trade. The
sbblng interests Of Portland represent
a rs1o0Oo, and was entitled to protec-
~ and as for competition--the retailer
ia the benefit OF the competition Of AL
ma could never be- erystalllzed into any
MA of a monopoly by which the retail
ifsAs would be made to suffer.
Alfred r. Biles, manager for W. r.
vsIsr A Co, dealers In paints and oils,
,stined that his firm dealt principally with
csicaso until the rate on hardware, paints
ina oils was cut by the two Northern
roads Since that time they had purchas-
n In any mace but Chicago. Mr.. Biles
vent into detail about the workings OF
,Ae rail and water differentiai as applied
10 Pacific coast tobhers vs.. Middle West
| .obters Formerly his firm bought most
81 IL glass from Germany, its dry colors
from England but OF late years IL had
besn decreasing It's foreign purchases in
hyor OF home products. lie thought that
4 continuance OF unfair differentials'
would force the firm to again buy abroad
and DEPEND upon the water routes.
higher dlrorential, witness said. would
not injnre the retailer, or make him pay
more hut on the other hand would protect
the Interior town against Middle West
hbterA The margin OF profit to the Coast
,obbep had been decreasing during the
last few years, and is too narrow to
admit Of unjust competition
Freieriok hottet OF the hardware firm
o. Hunt and Mottct Company. Tacoma, OK
planned that the goods handled by his fam
wsr~ affected by the reduction OF differ
entail al st. Paul In 1898 The dineren:tal
On hardware had before been made about
y cents at Milwaukee which figure, Mr.
Not,st thought, very reasonable and Just.
He ~isycd the Milwaukee differential fair