The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1906-08-18
JQbbers Object 10 Distribut-
ing Rates Of Railroads
COMMISSION HOLDS CLUB.
If Merchants of this City Are Not
Satisfied, Distance Tariff
Prevails.

Ben c. Holt, local manager of the
Holt Manufacturing company and
Harry B. Strong, secretary of the G..
H. Sutherland company, are in Seattle
today comforting with James G. Wood
worth, traffic manager of the North
ern Pacific, and the state railway COM
missioners on the distributing rates
promised Walla Walla by the railroads
during the recent meeting Of the rail-
way commission in this CITY,
"Messrs. Holt and Strong have both
been active in securing better distrib-
uting and tariff rates for Walla WAL
la and when the present controversy
over the new rate allowed by the rail-
roads came up it was thought best
that they take the matter up personal
ly with the railroads and the railway
commission" said President Fred Ka-
ser of the Commercial club this morn
ing. "The railroads, it seems, have not
made Walla Walla shippers and job
bling houses the rate they agreed to
at the time of the hearing held here by
the state railway commission in June.
1t is a matter of vital importance that
these rates be granted Walla Walla. l
trust that the matter will be definitely
settled at the conference between the
traffic managers, the railway commits
sion and Messrs. Holt and Strong
which is being held in Seattle today"
Confer at Seattle.
Concerning the conference the Sc
attic Times last night said:
"a delegation of Walla Walla ship
pers came to Seattle this morning to
confer with James G. Woodworth, the
traffic manager of the Northern Paci-
fic, and the state railroad commits
sioners on the distributing rates that
are to be allowed Walla Walla. r. B.
Miller, general freight agent of the o.
r. & N, who was here yesterday in
conference with the commissioners, has
gone home, leaving the adjustment of
the rates to Mr. Woodwork and the
commission. If Mr.. Woodwork can
come to an agreement with the Walla
Walla shippers, the commission will
ratify any understanding made. If not,
the question will be taken up official
ly tonight or tomorrow morning.
90. r. & N. officials have given the
commission an intimation that the
road will resist the joint wheat rates
ordered the first of this month and
which should be put into effect August
"a Whether or not this threat is to
be carried out is a matter upon which
the commission is uncertain. The o. r.
& N. has given two previous lntima-
tions, but has done nothing toward
making either of them effective, and
the entire situation is clouded with un-
certainty
Hold Tariff as Club.
'The commission yesterday held
new distance tariff over the heads of
traffic officials as a club to drive them
into line on the Walla Walla distrib-
uting rates. What amounted TO an
was served upon the rail-
roads. for it was asserted if the roads
and the jobbers of Walla Walla could
not agree upon distributing rates, the
would put in a general
distance tariff that would be fairly sat
isfactory to Walla Walla. If the roads
conceded a Walla Walla rate satisfac-
tory to the shippers of that city the
commission stood ready to arrange a
general distance tariff mutually sat
isfactory.
Between the commission and the
roads there was no trouble about the
Walla Walla rates offered by the roads,
but the jobbing interests OF Walla
Walla did not like the arrangement
The railroads insisted the Spokane
rates are abnormally low and should
be re-adjusted and raised in some
instances as high as Is per cent. with
this raised tariff as a basis the rail-
roads proposed to add 121a per cent
and call the result the distributing
rates for Walla Walla. Then the
roads offered a further plan that
general distance tariff be based upon
the Walla Walla rates plus about 12A2
per cent.
"The railroad commission would not
consent to an advance in the Spokane
rates. though conceding that the Falls
City tariff was abnormally low ana
that the rates We're not worked out
properly. To points equidistant from
Spokane and where conditions are
practically the same, the o. r. & N,
Spokane Falls & Northern. Great
Northern and Northern Pacific have
different rates. The roads pointed out
this fact and offered to harmonic
their rates if the commission permit