Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1903-12-23
BIG CORPORA
TIONS FIGHTING
fContinued from page two.l

it all. II is a problem with which ev.
cry community is struggling. The in
crease of traffic, the growth of popu'
lation seems to be outstripping the
development of the transportation
companies and their facilities.
FIGURING Mill Lost Trade.
The first letter | will read from is
a letter from a Touring mill man in
the Willamette valley.
It congratulates this committee by
saying 81 am very much pleased to
learn that you as body, have taken
steps to see what can be done with
the poor transportation service we
have had during the last three years,
during shipping season, as we have
been inconvenienced to a great ex.
tent. In the fore part of August
placed an order for five cars for San
Francisco shipments, and as could
not get these cars. and seeing no pros.
pect of getting them, withdrew from
IudI buSlutsS WHICH, udu Dttu OhOlCu
us"
/ want to call your attention to the
Importance Of this matter Here wac
a shipper who had an order for five
carloads OF -four to go to a jobber in
California. Failure of cars compelled
him to withdraw from that field, and
he lost this business.
You understand that in the Touring
mill business they build up trade;
they get the wholesale houses to dis
tribute their -four, and there is great
competition to get a trade up so as
to call for regular shipments at Ger.
tain times, and If they are knocked
out, their -four is displaced in the
retail trade with other flour seeking
that trade, and they lose the bust.
ness.
Wants Railroads to Pay Damages.
This Touring mill man makes a
suggestion, and want to read that:
Make the railroad company pay de,
murrage on all cars ordered by the
public after the cars have been or.
dered 4S hours, as IL is a poor rule
that will not work both ways. This
will give the shipper a little encour-
agement." The railroad company ex.
acts demurrage from a man who gets
a car II he keeps it more than 4S
hours in loading or unloading
Warehouse Mans Statement.
The next letter is from a very
prominent business man, and state
ofiicial, and warehouse man.
Our difficulties in the matter of
car shortage have extended over FIVE
or six years, this past season espec.
tally 1t is impossible to say now
just how many cars we needed and
were not furnished but each season
I could have shipped at least 100 cars
more to California points than have
done, had the transportation service
been better"
Now geneltmen, this remarkable
statement is affecting the interests OF
our farmers as well as our ware.
house men. He says that If he could
have had better car service he would
have been able TO sell 100 cars more
each season in California, than he has
boen able to sell on account OF not
getting cars.
Hurt Marion County Farmers.
This car shortage it seems runs
through the shipping season, and
this is very important so far as the
interest Of the farmer and producer
are concerned. He says that this year
he was compelled to sell all OF this
produce in the Portland market, be
ing cut out entirely from the Califor
MIA market And happen to know
that this gentleman was one of the
buyers OF a large amount Of grain In
Marion county, and inability to gel
cars after he had been able TO secure
that grain as the highest bidder com,
PEELED him to stop all the farmers
from hauling. and they were two or