Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1905-11-16
TO MAKE joint RATE
HEARING IN The MATTER AT
COLFAX ENDED.
commits sion, After Long Executive
Session, Hands Down a Memo.
randum-GoodS TO Eastern Wash.
inqfon Must Be Sent by QuiCke 81
ROute-Rafe on Coal.

ROute-Rafe on Coal.
Colfax, Nov. 14.-After an execu.
tive session of nearly three hours, the
railroad commission met in the supe.
rior court room at O'Clock last even.
ing and handed down the following
mem orandum Of its findings in the
joint rate hearing:
The commission has unanimously
agreed upon the following general
principles governing the decision of
this cause, viz:
1T is satisfied by the evidence that
the employees Of the Northern Pacific
Railway Company have for many years
followed rule, regulation or practice
of routing goods from Puget sound ter.
minsls to practically all points in
Eastern Washington situate on the lines
Of the Oregon Railroad and Navigation
via Portland, Or, and this practice
and custom has prevailed for such a
length Of time that the company is
chargesble with knowledge thereof,
and that such practice and custom,
under the circumstances, constitutes a
rule governing shipments us alleged in
the complaint.
Causes Delay and Expense.
That such rule and regulation
causes unnecessary delay and addition
al expense, thereby injuring both ship
pers and consumers, and is therefore
unfair and unjust and unreasonable.
| The commission will therefore
cause an order to be entered abrogsting
this rule and in lieu thereof will pro.
vide that such goods be routed via
such gateways in Washington as are
most expeditions and economical, un-
less otherwise directed by the shipper.
The commission is satisfied that
the sum of the locals now charged on
shipments over two or more railways
in the state is an unjust and unreason
able rate, and that joint rates on the
goods mentioned in the complaint 60.
ing in either direction should be estab.
lished.
THE evidence is practically uncon.
tradicted that for nearly eleven years
a joint rate was voluntarily established
and maintained by the o. r. & n. and
the Great Northern companies which
met the local rate of the Northern Pa
ciic railway and also the rate Of the
o. r. & n. to Portland, and the pre-
sumption must maintain that these
products can be profitsbly be carried
were joint rate established.
joint Rate Should Be Fixed.
The commission is satisfied from the
evidence introduced that joint rate
on coal from Roslyn to Colfsx and in.
termediste points should be esta blished.
From 1894 to 1902 a joint rate WIS in
force and voluntarily maintained by
the Northern Pacific Railway Company
and the o. R. e. n. company, when it
WAS sbrogsted by the o. R. g. N. com.
pany, as it frankly admits for the ben.
eft of the Union Pacific Coal Company
and the Union Pacific Railroad Com
psny, and a prohibitory rate was
placed on Roslyn coal from Wallu!a
junction to Colfax.
THE commission will tablish a
joint rate on coal from Roslyn to Col
fax and intermediate points.
1.-The details Of all these joint rates
will require careful consideration and
will be embodied in the formal find.
ings, which will be promulgated at an
early date
The entire day was given up to the
traffic officials of the three railroads
complained Of. Shortly after O'Clock
the last witness had left the stand,
and it was announced by the commits
sion that at O'Clock announcement
would be made of the findings Of the
board in the event Of an agreement on
the points involved.
o. r. & N. Puts In New Rate.
After the testimony was in, Attorney
James D. Wilson, representing the O..
R. & N, announced that within the
past three days on his recommendation
the o. r. & n had reduced the rate
on coal from Wslluls to Colfax from
1880 at on to 1855 a ton. This, be
says, will put Roslyn coal into Colfax
at the same price at which Wyoming
coal is sold here, and will at once dem
onstrate whether Roslyn coal is consid-
cred superior to the Rock Springs arti-
Gle, as claimed by the complainatns in
the coal case.