Lewiston evening teller. [volume] (Lewiston, Idaho) 1903-1911, 1906-04-05

this country an undue proportion or
share of the wealth of the country by
its discrimination under the long and
short haul clause: by that ruling
which enabled the transportation COM
panies to charge the people in the state
which represent on this floor the rate
to the Pacific coast plus the local rate
back-700 or 500 or even a thousand
miles--to some Of our shipping points.
Laws Are Miseonstrusd.
"Under the plea that this discrim-
nation was necessary because OF the
enforced competition between water
and rail navigation the Interstate
Commerce commission, with its vary
ing personality, has construed the
laws Of congress as they were never
intended to be construed.
LET me call your attention to what
they are doing under the guise of
avoiding the evils OF competition be-
tween water and rail. 1 could have
obtained this information perhaps here
in Washington. wanted 1t from the
ground. Take hardware. In a coun-
try like ours that is a very large ftem.
1t amounts to a vast traffic in our
country. Sometimes in the equipment
Of single mill 1t will amount to a
quarter of a million dollars: there will
be train loads Of this material. From
Cincinnati and common points to our
central point Of shipment the rate Is
$1.25 per hundred. and to the Pacific
coast 80 cents. Where is the water
competition between Cincinnati and
coast points. Take canned goods-an
article Of consumption to a very large
extent From Chicago to our points
Of shipment the rate Is $1s5; to the
coast IS cents.
No Composition to Idaho.
II am merely calling attention to
the matter that we may see how the
present legislation has operated in the
Interpretation that has been placed
upon 1t. Take dry goods. From Chi
cago to Spokane the rate is $3.50 per
hundred. while from Chicago to the
coast 1t Is $500 per hundred: on agri-
cultural implements from Chicago to
Spokane the rate is $1.65. while from
Chicago to the coast 1t Is $1.S5. Now
take Boise. While the rate on first
class freight from Chicago to Port
land is So. the rate from Chicago to
Boise is $3.50 per hundred. There Is
not even competition there for there
is only one transcontinental railroad .
In reply to a statement by Senator
Dolliver to the effect that the proposed
bill Is entirely adequate to protect
Boise upon the showing that the rate
from Chicago to Boise IL exhorbitant
Senator Hepburn said:
Wants Justice for Idaho.
Yes. but want to be sure that this
remedy. That Is the reason have in
jected this question at this time.
want to be quite sure that the cons
mission is equipped by the provisions
Of this bill to remedy these evils
evils which enable the carriers to haul
OIL from Chicago to Portland for %
cents and from Chicago to Boise. SIS
miles this side Of Portland. for sissy
I'VE want this commission to b.
clothed with power, and we want them
to be blessed with the disposition t
grant relief against that condition
These are only instances. have here
complete schedules Of freights have
received from out there Of compare
tive rates. What ID it, and where Il
the competition that justifies them II
charging US a higher rate from Boiss
to Chicago than they do from Portland
TO Chicago. Chicago ID not q seaport
town; Chicago does not represent thu
proposition Of competition between
water transportation and railroads
not even that between competing rail
roads, because there II only one rail.
road to Boise. and there n not another
competing railroad within about 60l