The San Francisco call., 1903-01-14
RATE EXPERTS
OFF FOR EAST
Business Men Of Coast
Have New Problems
to Consider.

Representatives from the commercial
community of San Francisco to the con-
ference to take place at Chicago relative
to the preparation OF new freight tariff
for the transcontinental railways will
leave this city for the East tomorrow
night. They are W. r. Wheeler, Harry
ID. Loveland. Wakefield Baker, A. G. Ru-
lofson and Z. s. Pillsbury. the last named
being attorney for the commercial inter-
ests involved. This conference is certain
to be attended with important results.
The Interstate Commerce Commission
having intimated that an agreement be-
tween the parties in interest would OBJ
viate the necessity of additional hearing
of the controversy, an effort will be made
to reach an understanding. and represen-
tatives will be present from all the trans
continental lines. and also from the Busi-
ness Mems League Of St. Louis the last
named organization being the one that
instituted the proceedings that led to she
long hearing before the Interstate Com
merce Commission. involving great COM
mercial and transporta tiOn issues.
While the Interstate Commerce Commits
sion established certain principles. much
was left in question. Here it is that di-
plOmacy and expert knowledge will come
into play on both sides to the controversy
The commission set forth that while the
tariff that fixes the differentials between
carloads and less than carloads from the
Middle West to the Pacific Coast cannot
be condemned as a whole many of the
details are in violation of law. The COM
modify tariff was censured by the com
mission because. so the commission found.
it unlawfully specifies a number of va
ried commodity rates. especially for the
hardware schedule. In the adjustment OF
carload and less than carload rates. so
found the commission. while the differ
ential is not prima facie. excessive. II
does not follow that every differential un-
der, the tariff may equal those now ex-
isting The differentials between the car
load and the less than carload rates were
found by the commission to be too great
in many instances and IL was also found
that the varied commodity rates in the
hardware schedule and perhaps In some
others, should be readjusted and perhaps
greater latitude should be given in the
shipment Of practically the same articles
shipped i'm mixed carloads. while the pres
ent record before the commission fur
nished no facts from which the commits
sion could intelligently determine what
ought to be done in specific instances.
In this wide range Of possibilities thera
is seen to be ample ground for discus
sion. The men who will be at the con-
ference will be among the keenest in the
matter OF ATelSht tarlHS IN the United
States. On one side is the Middle West
desirous of getting the iobbing trade OF
the Pacific Coast On the other side are
the business houses of the Pacific Coast
Much has been settled In favor OF this
coast by the decision of the Interstate
Commerce Commission. The remaining
questions have yet to be determined II
there is no agreement at Chicago the
Interstate Commerce Commission will sit
at St. Louis next month to consider what
is then undetermined