The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1906-06-01
ROADS To AGREE ON DEFENSE
Two Complaints Won Before Rail-
road Commission
POLITICS MAY CUT SOME FSURE
COMEDY PREDICTED WHEN CON-
MISSION COMES TO WALLA
WAILA IN JUNE.


When Harry M. Adams, assistant
traffic manager Of the Great Northern.
returns from st. Paul. conference be-
tween the traffic and legal departments
of the Great Northern, Northern Pacific
and Union Pacific will be held to out
line a defense on the joint rate and
distributing rate fights to be made in
Colfax and Walla Walla this month
before the state railroad commission.
The three roads are interested to an
almost like degree in the defense of
these suits and will agree upon a
course of action, says the Seattle
Times.
The o. r. & N would be the prin-
cipal sufferer if a decision were given
by the railroad commission ordering
the roads to make joint rates on wheat
from O. r. & N. territory to Puget
Sound points. But the principle In
volved in such a decision is likely to
affect any of the lines elsewhere in
the state and might at some time be-
come a vital issue with one of the Hill
roads. For that reason they will assist
in resisting a joint rate order. On the
question of the equity Of distributing
rates the three lines have identical in
terests.
Chairman Harry Fairchild has in
sisted upon injecting Bellingham's
claims for terminal rates on state traf-
fic into the negotiations with the roads
and none Of the lines is yet in position
where it is willing to concede Belling-
hams claims The interest of Fairchild
in this fight has the dual aspect OF
a struggle by a citizen for preferment
of his home town and politician
seeking to control the affairs of his
county.
To PiIory the Roads.
1t will be extremely difficult to con-
vince the railroad officials that they are
not to be pilOried at Colfax and Walla
Walla for political effect. The original
Colfax hearing was set down for June
6, after a great deal of elaboration.
Then commissioners Lawrence and
/ McMillin. accompanied by the newly
appointed secretary, Clinton A. Snow
| den. hurried off to attend the Wash
/ ington, D. c., convention of the rail-
road commissioners gathered from va
rious states AS side feature all the
commissioners journeyed to Cuba. pre-
sumably for the purpose of studying
railroad problems. Secretary Snowden
contributed to current Literature a
brouchure dealing with that journey,
the most valuable literary effort the
commission has produced from the
$4,000 appropriation given by the last
legislature.
This junket was made the excuse for
putting off the Colfax and Walla Walla
hearings until the fall campaign had
drawn nearer. Chairman Fairchild in
sisted that he would not prepare the
complaints until his fellow members Of
Z ter dragged.
Played to Poor Business.
Once before the roads have beer
hauled before a Whitman county com
; mission hearing for series of unprOf
; liable matinee performances. The com
mission sat in Colfax listening to ar
| gments on joint rates on merchandis.
and coal. A series of hearings extend.
, ing over nearly week was held bu
II the audience was most aggravatingl.
disappointed. Finally as thee~coup d.
grace in the political duel between
the roads and the commission the
final hearing. was postponed until Sat
urday afternoon, when the farmers
would congregate in the burg and the
gri1ling OF the roads. would furnish a
Roman holiday for the rural populace.
A. solitary citizen wandered into the
court room and sat stolidIy through
the performance. The hearing was
abruptly adjourned. That the. CONS;
| mission ultimately accepted the joint
rates the roads voluntarily granted is
matter of history.