The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1906-06-28

commission would be glad to hear the
attorneys, but would not insist A re-
cess was then taken until 2 o'clock.
S. 3. CaIderhead Testified.
During the afternoon session of the
commission yesterday S. B. Calder
head. general freight and passenger
agent of the w. & c. R., was on the
stand for a short time. In giving his
testimony he said that the principal
business of the Eureka Flat branch
was that of transporting wheat, COW
ering a period of about five months
in each year. He claimed that the
company hauled considerable water to
the farmers on the upper fiat at the
rate of one cent per hundred pounds
handling the article.
Plumbers Shut Out.
Harry B. Strong, secretary of the
G. H. Sutherland Company, was put
on the stand and he explained the diff
given Portland in discrimination
against the Walla Walla people who
handled plumbers supplies. He
quoted the rates showing that the
Portland and the Sound jobbers were
Crix hxy q
panies. He claimed that if Walla
Walla was given distributing rates
equal to those at Spokane a jobbing
trade could be built up and main
tanned in Walla Walla.
Lessened the Territory.
Fred Glafke of the wholesale grocery
firm of w. B. Glafke & Co., cited the
fact that owing to the distributing
rate given Portland jobbers the terri
tory covered by his firm was restricted
to points as far north as Pomeroy and
west as far as Wallula. AT the former
point the Walla ,Walla jobber comes
in competition with the Spokane deal
err and at Wallula the Portland whole
saler was met. He claimed that If
Walla Walla was given the same rate
as Spokane his firm would be enabled
to enlarge it's territory for business.
Go After Woodworth.
When Mr.. Glafke finished his testi-
mony the state rested and the rail-
road company called ]. G. Woodwork,
traffic manager of the Northern Paci
fic The witness was called on to tell
the history of the reduction made in
wheat rates by the o. r. & N. COM
pany. He said that in 1894 the rate
from Wala Walla to Portland was
21A cents per hundred pounds. In
1895 the interstate commerce
commission made reduction to
1871 cents; in year of 1897 by
legislative action the rate was reduced
to 16A cents and in 1900 the railroads
made a voluntary reduction to 15A
cents He explained the reason of the
Northern Pacific in establishing the
present jobbing rate at Spokane, which
was done for the purpose of benefiting
the jobbers in that city who had built
up quite a business, but desired to
shut off any possibility of competition
of any other place in Eastern Wash
ington. The railroad companies, he
said, looked upon Spokane as the nat
ural commercial center of eastern
Washington and in order that the
transportation companies might in
crease their business the rate asked
for was granted.
Other Towns Would Want 1t.
He claimed that if Walla Walla was
given the same rates as Spokane it
would result in other towns in East
ern Washington demanding the same
and this would work an injury to the
railroads in the matter of freight
| rates. He claimed that the va,ume
of business had to be taken into con-
sideratiOn when rates were being fixed
and that in his opinion Walla Walla
| jobbers could not give the railroads
| sufficient business to justify the grant,
ing of distributing rates. He said he
did not believe it was good policy to
have too many points where distrib-
uting rates prevailed as it possibly
would result in the larger cities being
affected and in the end no one would
feel justified in attempting to MAIN
tain an extensive wholesale business at
these nOinfS This would result he