The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1903-12-18
TO SHUT
OUT ALL
OPPOSITION
Seattle Steamship Manager Ad-
mits Of Agreement TO Dis
criminatGAyainst stIndependsnis

Washington, Dec. 1s-seventy repre-
sentatives OF the leading manufacturers
and exporters and of the great railroad
systems OF the country met in the rooms
OF the Interstate Commerce Commission
yesterday to discuss the law governing
the ruhng OF transportation tariffs. The
question is considered of the greatest inn
portance, as after thought inquiry into
the subject the commission will decide
whether IL is possible under the existing
statute to compel the railroads to publish
their export and import rates as we'll as
their domestic rates.
The feature of yesterdays hearing was
the remarkable admission made under
oath by Frank waterhouse. manager OF
the Boston Steamship company at Seat
tle Wash. that his company had an IRON
bound agreement with the Northern Pa
cifc Railroad company whereby that road
would not handle hemp brought into Seat
tie by competitors OF the Boston company
at rate which would enable the shipper
to make a profit In other words, the
agreement binds the Northern Pacific
company TO discriminate against all COM
petitiors OF the Boston Steamship COM
paiy so far as hemp Is concerned.
The testimony OF Waterhouse caused
something OF a sensation among the rail-
road men present, and the Interstate
Commerce commissioners were doubtful
at first as TO whether they understood
him Alright. At the suggestion Of Commis-
sioner Knapp the witness repeated his
statements.
| Under the law the Interstate Com
merce commissioners have no other alter
| N ttkrA thnY - tNttA fns
against the Northern Pacific company, as
| the law creating the commission express
| ly provides that IL is not necessary for a
complaint to be filed In order that the
commission shall take action.
CHARGED TWICE AS MUCH.
Mr.. waterhouse made his remarkable
statement I'm the course OF his testimony
concerning export and import rates be-
| tween Seattle and China, Japan and
other countries In the Far East He
said that the rates on hemp over the
| Northern Pacific from Seattle to st.
Paul, added to the transportation rates
| OF the Boston Steamship company from
the East to Seattle, made the through
rate on hemp from the point of origin
| to the point of destination. This through
rate was not published. he said. and 1t
was I'm his cross-examination on this
4
| discriminative agreement occurred. Mr..
| Waterhouse had already admitted that
! the rates of the Boston company and
| the rates of the Northern Pacific, which
went to make up the through rate. were
| uncertain quantities.
Chairman Knapp-Does Il not come 10
this. then, that you want the Northern
| Pacific to carry hemp from Seattle 10 st.
| Paul for 37Ia cents when IL is brought
| k,.t
on a tramp steamer you want them "a
charge twice as much as this proportion?
Mr. Waterhouse--It brought over In a
tramp steamer they won't take 1t.
Chairman Knapp-Why not?
| Mr. Waterhouse-Because they have n
contract with our line which prohibits
| them from taking II.
Chairman Knapp-You don't mean that
do your
Chairman Knapp-The Northern Pa
| cinc have an arrangement with yor
under which they VIII not carry any
hemp ecept you brin II over In. your
steamers?
Mr. Waterhouse-r mean they will MOI
take II at the same rate. They woult
not make the same rate TO tramI
| sailing ship or tramp steamship that ar
| rived In the harbor of Seattle or Tacoma
that they would make to the regular line
At the conclusion OF Mr.. Waterhouse''
testimony Chairman Knapp turned e
IN d. Grover general counsel for thu
! Northern Pacific railroad and asked hin
| II he had anything TO say on the subject
Mr.. Grover did not speak in specih,
terms Of the contract alleged by Mr.
Waterhouse TO be in existence, but con
fined himself TO general argument
against the publication OF export and i'm
port rates.