The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1906-05-15
EXPLANATIONS ABOUT DUE.
Railroad Commission Accused Of
Playing Political Game.
WALLA WALLk'S COMPLAINTS UnHEEDEO
CITY SUFFERING FROM DIscRIM-
MATING RATES, BUT Sc
CURES NO RELIEF.
WAlLA WALEs COMPLAINTS UNHEEDED

CURES NO RELIEF.
II the great railway commission OF
Washington is to be judged by the rec
ord it has made in the matter Of
complaints submitted in good faith by
the business interests Of southeastern
washington. then it will have consid-
cradle explaining to do for itself and
for Governor Mead, who is supposed to
be responsible for its makeup, in the
next campaign, says the Seattle Times.
The first complaint of any Importance
that was submitted to the commission
after it was appointed nearly a year
ago, was by the Commercial club of
WaIla Walla. The club asked simply
that Walla Walla be not Disseminated
against in the interest of business men
In another city, either in the state
of Washington or the state Of Oregon.
The commission promised immediate
action. That was in August Of last
year. The commission now acknowl-
edges that it has as yet taken no &C
ton whatever in the Walla Walla
complaint.
At the present time there is no OPP
portunity allowed the business men of
Walla Walla to engage in tine jobbing
business farther than radius of about
fifteen miles from the city. Portland
has rate that shuts out the business
men of Walla Walla from their own
community.
Spokane's Jobbng Rate.
In the state of Washington Spokane
has a "jobbing rate" which gives that
city the business for a redius of 100
miles. Walla Walla is not complaining
against that, but the business men do
not understand why they are refused
like privilege when the railroad COM
mission promised nearly a year ago
that the law against discrimination
would be enforced; that if it was found
to be proper to allow Spokane to re-
tain it's jobbing rate. then Walla Walla
would be given like privileges; and
that if it was found improper to allow
Walla Walla a jobbing rate, then Spo-
kane would be shut off from the en-
joyment of the discrimination which
she now enjoys as against other cities
of the state.
However, Walla Walla business men
are not complaining so much about the
actual conditions as they are about the
duplicity that has been practiced upon
them by the railroad commission. Let
ter after letter has been written to the
commission by officers of the CONNER
cial club, and the only response that
has generally come has been a regular
ICON talk from the secretary Of the
board in Olympia, giving assurance
that the matter would have speedy at
tention at the hands of the commission.
Probably the secretary draws a salary
of $4,000 for this kind of work, and it
must be said to his credit that he is
an adept in the art of writing letters
h. &
believed by the business men of Walla
Walla to come nearer earning his SAL
airy than do the commissioners, who,
apparently, do nothing more than au-
| thorize the secretary of their board to
ing promises which they have no inten-
ton of carrying out.
To Make Political Capital.
1t is now reported that the railroad
commission is intending to visit Walla
Walla about the time of the opening
of the campaign-in July or August,
when an attempt will be made to make
political capital out of the hearing that
will be held on the Walla Walla COM
plant that has been on file with the
commission for nearly a year.
The commission has recently sent
word to the Walla Walla Commercial
club that it proposes to incorporate
into one hearing all of the complaints
on ell subjects, on file at the present
time from all sources, and one hearing
will be instituted to cover them ALL
This hearing, it is said. will last about
four weeks. 1t is easy enough to see
the possibilities. politically. that Gov
ernor Mead and Harry Fairchild might
dream of in such a hearing just at the
opening of the campaign.
Farmers from all over eastern Wash
ington might be summoned as wit
neSses to hear the railroads given a
dressing down by the commission,
causing the aforesaid farmers and tax