The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1905-02-25


railroad commission in Washington,
through?
l am asked this question repeated
Iy, regardless of the fact that the
measure known as the Crane-Dickson
bill, which is not expected to pass
the senate, defines the powers and
duties of the commission, even to the
point of the initiative
Many letters have been received
during the past few days bearing
questions on what the commission
could do. Some of them are based
on common sense and others verge
on nonsense.
But through them appears to wind
the one mistaken belief, pounded into
the people by the politicians and the
political newspapers, that the COM
mission will be all-powerful and thus
be able to do as they please when it
comes to rate making.
This extract from one letter is a
sample of how the people at large
misunderstood the conditions, chiefly
sentations:
you say the shippers of Spokane
have to be favored by railroads so
they can compete with the coast be-
cause the rates are against them.
Now, isn't that Just what commits
sion is for? Won't the railroad COM
mission protect the little fellow
inc J.
Goodall and Comstock who went to
Olympia to defeat the bill? Did any
little fellow go there?
Now If the commission gets to
work can 1t not say here, when those
goods come to this state we tell you
what the rates are? The minute the
goods reach Spokane can't the COM
mission say the rate on those goods
shall be so much to points in the
state up to middle spot in the state
and when the point is reached, the
rates being more as the haul is
longer won't they be so that up to
that middle point Spokane can ship,
and then from the coast those rates
will be scaled so that up to that
the coast man can sell in half the
state?
''rhis is what the commission
would have control and would draw a
line which would divide the state
for Spokane and the coast to trade
in. The railroads would have to
charge that rate as soon as the goods
toto h. nv.
Spokane and the coast equal rates"
i overheard this same arguement
used orally yesterday. 1t demon
strates the manner In which the
question has been garbled by the
politicians and the political news
papers before being handed out to
the people.
On such a line OF reasoning the
"little fellow" the small merchant,
is to be benefited and protected
against the big fellow" All the
commission has to do is to say to
the railroads: You must charge
just so much from the eastern border
of the state to the town in the CEN
ter and so much, or like amount,
ATonl tHe coast 10 tIldt central punt.
But let me tell you that very
equalization of rates is what would
destroy the Spokane jobbing business.
1t would not protect the little fell
low" by whom. l presume, is meant
the small retailer. And 1t would de-
stroy the big wholesaler.
Let us assume that railroad COM
mission Is I'm existence with the
power to initiate rates. Let us say
that the commission does follow out
this argument OF the politicians and
the political newspapers and estab-
fishes equalizing rates from Spokane
and the coast to- equi-distant points
In the state.
Take the present distributing rate
of $1.4S across the state and cut 1t
In two. Say the charge for hauling
from Spokane to Yakima, or We
natchee, from the coast, or Spokane,
shall be "a cents. Make II lower IL
you wish. but these figures will serve
to illustrate.
The railroad company is told that
when goods reach the state line they
must be hauled the distance equal to
that from Spokane to Yakima or We
natchee for "a cents a hundred
pounds.
The railroads will acquiesce. On
state hauls they can do no less than
obey the commission. provided that
commission Is vested with the power
TO 80 order.
On the surface 1t would look us II
matters were evened up between Sc