Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1906-05-28
joint wheat RATE
RAINROAD Commission HAS ITS
COMPLAINT READY.
Points Covered Are Joint Wheat
Rate, Empty Bag Rate, Bel.
lingham Terminal Rate, Mini.
mum Freight Charge and New
Passenger Depot at Pasco.

Olympia, May 23.-The complaint
in what is known as the "joint rate on
wheat" case has been prepared by the
state railroad commission, and is a
document of fifteen typewriter pages.
The case is entitled 1.-THE Railroad
Commission of Washington, plaintiff,
vs.. the Northern Pacific Railway Com
pany the Oregon Railroad, & Naviga.
ton Company and the Great Northern
Railway Company, Defendants and
embraces the following subjects, which
will be taken up for investigation at
the hearing set for Colfax, June 20:
/. Joint rate on wheat
2. Freight rate on empty grain bags
3. Terminal rate for Bellingham.
4. Minimum charge on small ship
ments.
8. New passenger depot for Pasco.
Better Market on Sound.
That part of the complaint relating
to the rate ON wheat alleges that the
principal industry in Eastern Washing
ton is the raising and producing of
wheat, which finds its natural market
through the ports Of Tacoma, Seattle
and Portland; that wheat is worth
from q to cents per bushel more at
Tacoma and Seattle than at Portland;
that the only market enjoyed by far
mers living on the line of the Oregon
Railroad 81 Navigation Company is
Portland, whereas the farmers who
can ship to Tacoma or Seattle get the
benefit of the higher prices prevailing
there; that if a joint rate we're estab-
lished and maintained farmers living
on the line of the Oregon Railroad &
Navigation company could compel
that company to carry the wheat to a
common or transfer point and there
transfer it to the Northern Pacific
Railway Company, to be carried to
Tacoma or Seattle, at the same rate of
freight as Is now charged for delivery
at Portland; that the present railroad
rule and regulation by which the sum
of the two locals is charged where
wheat is shipped over two lines of rail-
road is unjust, unreasonable and un-
fair to the shippers and producers in
Eastern Washington and to the mill
ing interests on Puget sound.
The grain bag complai vt alleges that
the railroads have adopted classifi-
cation of freight by which empty grain
bags in less than carload lots are class.
flied as taking third-class freight rates,
and that fair, just and reasonable
classification " ould be rate of one
half of fourth-class.
Bellingham's Complaint.
The Bellingham terminal complaint
alleges that all freight originating up
on the line of the Great Northern
is given what are known as terminal
rates for the cities of Seattle, Everett
and Bellingham, while on freight orig
mating on the line of the Oregon Rail
road & Navigation Company and car
ried by the Great Northern Railway
Company from Spokane, such termi-
nal rates are confined to Everett and
Seattle, and freight consigned to Bel
bingham must pay, in addition to such
terminal rates, the local rates from
Everett to DILLINGHAM;; that this is an
unjust and unfair discrimination
against the city of Bellingham.
The complaint as to the minimum
charge on small shipments alleges that
the railroads have promulgated rule
under which mo shipment will be
carried for less than would be charged
for 100 pounds second class freight,
and in no case for less than 25 cents"
and in addition thereto have provided
in their freight tariff sheets specific
charges which in all cases amount to
the nearest multiple of five to the Sec
ond-class charge for 100 pounds, which
charge, therefore, practically makes
the minimum amount charged for 100
pounds of second-class freight; the
commission alleges that such rule and
regulation is unjust and unreasona BILE
and is>an excessive charge on small
shipments, especially on articles TAX
ing less rate than the second class
rate, and such rule and regulation
should be abrogated and what would
be just, fair and reasonable charge
substituted therefor.
Poor Accommodation at Pasco.
The complaint in relation to the de-
pot at Pasco is to the effect that Pasco
is a point at which large numbers of
passengers are transferred from North
ern Pacific trains to the trains of the
line operated by the Washington q
Columbia River Railway company;
that in many instances great delay
occurs in connections at that point;
that the Northern Pacific Railway
Company has not established and does
not maintain sufficient and proper
waiting rooms for passengers or fair
and proper station at such point, and
that the station so maintained is, un-
der the circumstances, unreasonable
and insufficient.
To Raise Turkish Legation.