Omaha daily bee., 1907-01-16
RAPID WORK AT SPOKANE
Interstate Commerce Commission
May Complete the Present Hear
ing by wednesday NtEht.

SPOKANE, Wash. Jan. 15.-Such rapid
progress is being made in taking testimony
In the hearing of the city of Spokane to
compel the railways to lower their freight
rates from eastern points that It is be-
neved the taking Of testimony before In
terstate Commerce Commissioners Prouty
and Lane will be concluded by tomorrow
night so far as this city is concerned.
Much Of the. testimony being offered is in
reference to comparative rates and the
distances to which Spokane jobbers can
ship goods.
Tomorrow the railroads will have their
inning From present indications they will
base their defense mainly on the theory
Of water competition, compelling lower
rates to coast points, and will also set
forth that average profits of operation for
a term of years are not exorbtant They
point to the prosperity and. growth Of
Spokane as evidence that the city is not
suffering from existing freight rates.
A. w. Doland, manager Of the Spokane
Drug company, testified that in 1902 General
Agent st. John of the Great Northern gave
out a memorandum Of new freight sche-
dule prepared by that road. showing reduc-
! tions of Is to 35 per cent in class rates from
the east to Spokane Instead of putting this
schedule in force. another was issued in
February 1893, leaving out all the big
reductions, the greatest cut made being 10
per cent.
Larue Pernine, superintendent of the
Spokane Dry Goods company, wholesale,
testified that reductions of freight rates on
| dry goods were followed by reductions in
the prices charged to consumers.
| I'VE are unable to compete in Wallace,
! Idaho. and other points In the Couer
D'Alene mining country with the coast job
/ bers. Their rate to the coast and back is
/ less than that on which we can lay down
goods in the same territory" stated B. L.
Gordon, a wholesale grocer of this city, in
| his testimony
"Is it not the fact that there is a whole
| sale house in Wallace and for that reason
you are unable to enter that territory
asked Chief Counsel Cotton of the Oregon
Railroad and Navigation company.
mo, sir; 1t is because there is a large
wholesale house in Portland" was the reply
of the witness.
How far outside of Spokane can you
ship sugar?" asked Attorney Bausman OF
Seattle.
"As far as Cheney. sixteen miles from
here" said the witness
"On a large number of commodities we
are unaDle TO sell goods OUTSIDE OF the city
limits of Spokane in competition with the
coast jobbers," stated Mr.. Gordon.
He stated that the only commodities or
which lower rate was given to Spokane
than to coast Jobbers vas on articles similar
to these manufactured here thus tending
to retard the growth of local industries.
A. A. Kraft, engaged in wholesale
saddlery business, testified that about two
years ago an old freight rate was discovered
which allowed Spokane to ship I'm on termi
equal with the coast
AS soon as he began to ship under thii
rate the railroads cancelled it. the witness
attributing this action to the influence O
the coast jObbers.
This afternoons session Of Che commits
sioners was largely devoted to the Offering
of tabulated figures by the attorneys TO
Spokane.