The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1905-02-27
BY William Francis Guion,

themselves of revenue. Did anyone
ever hear of railway company de-
priving itself of revenue of it's own
volition?"
That rate combination, referred to
by Mr. Schiller, is the chief basis
of an argument against railroad
commission tinkering with the state
rates-that, and the fact that SPO-
KANE MUST BE FAVORED WITH
SPECIAL RATES IN ORDER TO
COMPETE IN HER OWN TERRI
TORY WITH PORTLAND AND Sc
ATTLE.
This is the very meat of the whole
contention.
What difference, to competition,
does it make if the rate from the
east into Spokane is so cents hun
dred--so long as the coast towns
would have a proportionately lower
rate of say q or 80 cents? Would
that improve the competitive condi-
lions for Spokane?
So long as the coast points, under
interstate commerce conditions, Sc
cure the lower rate, to which must
be added the cost of the back haul
across the state to make up Spo-
kane's rate-does not that keep the
coast points at an advantage?
In order to more fully illustrate
this I must revert to the original
argumentative basis of this series of
articles-that Spokane jobbers must
| m Of n IL, in, I,n 81, nr
able rates which it would be in the
power of the state commission to
abrogate.
Mr., Schiller hints at secret rebates.
1t was not a secret rebate which
the Spokane jobbers asked for, or
received, at the Chicago meeting. 1t
was a reduction of rates out of Spo-
kane to points within radius of 100
miles of the jobbing center--a reduc-
ton which would mean dispropor-
tionate rates for that distance, as
compared with the distributing rates
given the coast jobbers.
Or. to make it clearer, Spokane
must have an Illegal, or discriminate
ing rate, lower in proportion than the
system of distributing rates through
the state, in order to overcome tina,
interstate commerce rate to terminal
points and be able to compete with
and undersell the favored terminal
point jobber.
IT is THIS DISPROPORTION-
ATE, OR ILLEGAL, RATE WHICH
TWO COAST COMMISSIONERS
WOULD WIPE OUT OF EXIST
ENCE.
l tried to make clear In the article
happen If the rates were equalized.
Coast jobbers would be given big
advantage. Spokane would be cut
out of the trade up to her very doors:
This condition would prevail whe-
Their or not the local return rate was
cut. 1t would prevail until the local
rate to Spokane from eastern points
was reduced to such a figure, indie
pendently of the return rate from the
coast, that the difference between the
high local into Spokane and the low
terminal to the coast was wiped out.
Mr.. Schiller, in his support of Dur.
hamism. does not meet the argu-
ment against railroad commission.
1t lis not the reduction of the back
haul rate from the coast points that
Is feared.
IT IS THE RAISING OF THE
DISCRIMINATING RATE OUT OF
SPOKANE TO THAT 1O0-MILE
POINT!
1T is THE REDUCTION OF THE
DIFFIIRENTIALS NOW EXISTING
IN COMMODITY RATES ON CAR
LOAD AND LESS THAN CARLOAD
LOTS FROM THE COAST,
IT IS THE WIPING OUT OF EX-
| ISTENCE OF THAT BIT OF FA-
| VORITIsM WHICH PERMITS THE
| SPOKANE JOBBER TO USE A
LOWER RATE TO POINTS IN THE
RICH PALOUSE COUNTRY THAN
IS GIVEN THE COAST JOBBER!
| And this would certainly be done
were two coast commissioners given
the power to level, or equalize, the
state rates.
| Mr. Schiller also reverts TO that
hu'h uiScuSSeu nour rate out or
| Minneapolis.
VIII he not say that, when n year
ago James J. Hin personally granted
the lumber and shingle men low
emergency rates on lumber and shin
giles, Mr.. ill declared there must be
corresponding reduction on some
commodity to warrant the back hnuI
Of tho cars?
| Was 1t not then that rate or So
from Minneapolis to China and Japan
was put in for -four with a rate of