The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1904-02-25
RAILROAD MERGER MUST CONE
Northern Roads Plead With Shippers---At Request
of J. 6. Eden Committee Holds Meeting Yes
!. terday but fiatb Refuses any Concessions
= Wiling to Treat With the Companies but in the
Z Meantime Work Goes on.-.Rai|road Representa-.
tiveS Make Offers.


meet the txMno mon Of the railroads
entering spokane, II they como to-
gsther, but pending such q meeting,
the work OF signing mp the shippers
Of Spokane will continue"
Such was the substance of a reso-
luton adopted yesterday by the ex-
ecutive committee of the Spokane
Shippers association, which has in
charge the fight being waged against
the merger railroads.
The meeting was called at the re-
quest Of the railroad men and the
resolution was the only reply to ar
gumepts for delay on the part of the
railroad officials.
Called at Eden's Request.
The meeting of tho executive COM
mittee was called by two of the
members--L. r. Boothe of Boothe-
McClintock company and John w.
Graham--at the request Of j. G. Eden.
western traffic manager of the Great
Northern at Seattle. The meeting was
ness place and almost every member
of the committee was present.
Eden. in company with II. A. Jack
son, local Hill representative. had
been calling upon shippers throughout
the day. Edens argument was that
the local men had been hasty that
the Chicago meeting was not neces-
rtlx IaI M
occasion for such radical action at
this time.
Eden willing to Help.
In the afternoon Messrs. Boothe
and Graham were persuaded by Eden
70 get the committee together and
say for him that IL they would calm
down and desist from their organized
efforts he would either go east or
through eastern influence work to
secure change Of the Spokane rate.
He said he would go SO far as to
try to have the Chicago freight meet
ing reconvened with the especial pur-
pose of considering the Spokane sit
uation. These statements Messrs
Boothe and Graham laid before the
Without n dissenting voice the com
mittee passed the resolution. the sub
stance of which is stated above, and
which shows that the shippers are
ready to consider any bona fide propo-
sition presented by the roads In uni
son. but that they want no foolng
and that in the meanwhile the work
will go ahead.
copy of these resolutions We're
conveyed to Mr.. Eden by l.. +. Boothe.
The members of the committee agreed
to give out nothing concerning this
meeting yesterday afternoon but the
facts were secured from one of the
members.
New signers.
The committee was unable to do
any work yesterday owing to bust
ness engagements of its members.
but several names were sent in,
among them the Sloane Paine COM
: ,pany, the Spokane Extract and Spice
company and the Inland Cracker com
pany. Secretary Dillingham; express
ed the wish today that shippers would
send in their names whether called
upon or not, as 1t would facilitate
the committees labors, also that all
the shippers in town should attend
the meeting at the Hotel Spokane
Saturday afternoon.
The list Of shippers who have sign
ed now represents over S1,250,0e0 in
freight charges. All the farming and
mining machinery companies in the
city have signed except the J. l.
Case company, and Manager Lewellen
has written east for instruction and
has no doubt authority will be grant
ed to sign. The lumber interests will
have a special meeting of their assoc
citation to consider freight matters
and their signatures In body are
expected
Frank T. Miles Of tho Simon Piano
company left this morning for the
east to buy for his house He goes
by way of the o. r. & N. and the
Union Pacific system and has instruc-
tions to ship all goods this way.
Paterson Talks.
r. d. Paterson of the Spokane Dry
Goods company. whose concern yes
terday signed the resolutions of the
shippers association, today gave to
The Press the following statement
of his idea of the situation:
I'VE believe that the action of the
Spokane Shippers association will
quickly bring about an adjustment OF
Spokane rates Mr.. Eden, general
western traffic manager of the Great
Northern, and Mr.. Fulton of the
Northern Pacific are both here and
they each insist that the action taken
was hasty and i'll advised-and that
It was also based to some extent upon
misinformation. If II can be shown
that we have made an error in the
premises, there are means at our
command whereby the same may be
corrected. On the other hand, If there
are differences OF opinion among rail-
road interests as to methods of ad-
Justment of the Spokane situation.
the present course of the shippers
will doubtless reveal the relative po-
sition of such contending interests"