Lewiston evening teller. [volume] (Lewiston, Idaho) 1903-1911, 1907-01-15
HILL DOES NOT
KEEP PROMISES
Gets Valuable Concessions
from Spokane, and
forgets Pledges

Spokane, Jan. 15.-The personality of
J. J. Hill figured conspicuously In the
first days hearing Of the Spokane
freight rate case before the interstate
commerce. commission. H. M. Stephens
of Spokane, and Brooks Adams, of
Boston. counsel for the Spokane cham
Der Of commerce. put a number of wit
nesses on the stand and introduced ex-
tensive extracts from Spokane news
papers to prove that Mr.. Hill when he
obtained in January. 1892. q free right
Of way through the city valued at 81
000, 900. promised this city terminal
rates or better.
w. w. Cotton. for the Hartman lines,
and Attorney Cannon, for the Northern
Pacific, protested against their roads
being bound by any promise which Mr..
Hill might have made at that time.
Commissioners Prouty said In reply to
this protest that in hearing OF this
character the acts of one company
could not well be disassociated from
the others. II Mr.. Hits company
should be required to reduce rates In
to Spokane the other companies would
necessarily have to meet the new rates.
That, he said, was their misfortune.
An Old Interview Recalled.
N. w. Durham, editor Of the Spokes-
man Review, was put on the stand TO
identify an interview which he per-
sonally obtained from Mr.. Hill In
February, 1892, proof OF which was sub
mitted to Mr.. Hill and received his APP
prevail before 1t was published in the
Review the following morning.
In that interview Mr.. Hill said that
the policy Of charging Spokane shippers
the through rate to the coast plus lac
| local rate back to this city was illegal
| and that a jury Of u men couldn't be
found to approve 1t. He said that the
people Of Spokane who then had a case
before the Interstate commerce COM
mission, had made mistake in going
before that tribunal; that they should
! have gone direct to the United states
court. In this interview Mr.. Hill de-
clared that his company was not afralu
Of water competition, and II canal ten
| feet deep were dug alongside the
| Great Northern from st. Paul to Puget
sound his railroad would continue do
ing business.
! Spokane Enjoys Prosperity.
w. r. Norman, one OF the owners
I, of the Spokane hotel, and A. Doland
president OF the Spokane Drug COM
pany. testified that they heard Mr.. Hill
when in Spokane make repeated prom
ises that when his road should be built
! to this city he would give Spokane ter
minal rates and BETTER and rates
which would enable 1t to compete
with anybodv in the south or north .
Cross-examination OF these and other
witnesses by attorneys for the railroads
was along the line Of showing that Spo-
kane had enjoyed extraordinary pros
perity under existing rates and 70 snow
that under the present rates the job
bers Of Spokane are doing business al
points half way between Spokane "a
Puget sound cities. Mr.. Doland testi.
fled that his drug company breaks
even with the coast cities at venatcnet
on the Great Northern, Kennewick +,
the Northern Pacific and 4'endleton OF
the O.. r. 4 N, although the termina
carload rate on drugs is so cents {
hundred less than to Spokane and tn,
less than carload rates As $l.55 hun.
dred less.
The large court room in the count,
court house was llled to overflowine
all day by interested spectators.
FROM THE. COUNTY RECORDS