The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1907-06-22
0. R.& n FIGHTS JOINT RATES
Also Opposes Track Connections
With Competitors

OLYMPIA, Wash. June 22-Yester-
day the state railroad commission took
up again the matter of compelling the
railways to establish joint rates on
wheat, to compel track connections
between the lines, including the Spo-
kane & Inland Electric railway, and
for joint rates on potatoes and other
vegetables. The o. r. & N. has al
ready filed its answer, which is a
denial of the power of the commission
to make the orders on the alleged
facts. Tomorrow answers are expect
ed from the other lines. The COM
mission will proceed with the hearing,
despite the objection.
the foremost objection of the o. r.
& N. that it has built up an interstate
business, much of which is the haul
ing of wheat from eastern Washington
to Portland for shipment to California,
or foreign ports. 1t claims to have
invested millions and to have induced
others to invest large amounts in
eleN atOrS, warehouses and shipping
facilities for handling wheat at Port
land. all of which will be lost, if the
joint rate rule is established if as
the commission contends wheat IS
worth several cents more a bushel at
Puget sound points and should be
diverted to the sound. It denies We
hemently that Seattle and Tacoma are
better markets than Portland or that
joint rates will be of any benefit. 1t
also denies that it is necessary for
or is good to be done anyone by max
ing connections between it's tracks and
those of the Northern Pacific or Spo-
kane & Inland, and declares that Joint
rates have always been a matter of
special arrangement and never applied
to wheat, because each road wants all
the wheat it can get for its own ter
minals. 1t asserts that Spokane and
Puget sound millers can get all the
wheat they want from wheat sections
served by the northern lines. Belling-
ham and points on Grays Harbor, or
Nlilapa Harbor are not wheat mar
kets, says the answer, and should not
have terminal rates on wheat
AS to charges that the northern
roads deny these points terminal rates
the answer says if it is true, it does
not understand how the 0. r. & N.
can be held responsible or blamed.
AS TO trackage connections and in
tert lIaEge of loaded cars il says the
expense would be greater and it would
be absolutely impossible for the roads
to agree as to dividing the cost, as
well as taking of property without due
process of law and a denial of the
right of private contract The answer
denies that Cornell. Pullman. or Far
mlngton are important shipping points
or entitled to better facilities than
they now enjoy, and denies that to
ments is unjust or unreasonable
There are in all about 80 pages of
these Genials, and in addition about
six f9ges of affirmative defense. These
may be summed up briefly:
That the act creating the COM
IT . SIGN of 1905 is void That if the de-
fects in the act were cured by the 1905
Jaw the present complaint should be
dismissed because it was issued be-
fore the new law took effect
That the legislature has passed a
maximum freight rate law which is an
eNcess of the rates this commission
ror oses, and therefore the acts of the
Co.tr'' iSsion are illegal.
That the new commission law pro-
poses to give to the commission legs-
latlve, administrative, executive and
judicial functions and is therefore I'M
constitutional in score of places.