The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1907-11-09
|LUMBERMEN WIN
INJUNCTION GRANTED AGAINST
RAILROAD COMPANIES.
Restraints Putting Into Effect III.
Proposed Twenty Per Cent In.
crease Pending Decision Of
Interstate Commerce Comm;..
sion--Bond Is Required.


Seattle, Nov. Against the upited
power of the Hill and Hartman rail
roads in the Pacific Northwest tbo
hand Of the federal judiciary is now
raised to prevent the enforcement Of
the proposed 20 per cent advance in
the transcontinental rate on forest
products from Washington and Oregon
to the East and the most important in
dustry Of the North Pacific is saved
from what lumbermen contend would
have been q wellnigh fatal blow had
the new tariff schedules been permit.
ted to 60 into effect November /.
At the close of the hearing of what
by all odds is the greatest case ever
considered by q federal Judiciary of
the Pacific Northwest, District Judge
G. 81. Hanford last night ruled that
an injunction should issue temporarily
restraining the railroads from enforc.
ing the new tariff on lumber and shin.
giles. His decision was concurred in
by District Judge Charles E. Wolver.
ton, Of Portland. The attorneys for
the railroads and the complainants.
the lumbermen Of Washington and
Oregon, were directed to prepare the
necessary orders, which will be pre-.
sented to the court today for signature.
Bond of $3.50, 600 Required
The court ruled that the lumbermen
should file a bond of $3.50, 900 as Sc.
curity for the payment to the railroads
of the difference between the new and
the old rates on all traffic handled be-
ginning November 1, providing the
proposed new tariffs were, in the final
adjudication Of the case, held to be
just.
The deciscion was held to apply to
only those lumbermen bringing the
suit, but other lubmer firms will be
allowed to intervene.
That all the lumber and shingle
mills not members of either the lum.
Der or single manufacturers associa.
tions will be brought into the case was
decided late last night after a bur-
ried conference between W. A. Win.
bish and w. 81. Abel, representing the
legal end of the fight, and G. F. White,
chairman of the lumbermens' CON-
mittee in charge Of the suit. These
men went VITO the Rainier club after
the court adjourned and worked half
the night sending hurry up kilograms
tn the mill owners and shingle men
not members Of either organization,
to instruct them to enter their names
as parties in Intervention in the suit
today. By such action, it is believed,
the effect of the courts ruling will be
made to cover every lumber and
shingle manufacturer in Western
Washington.
Will Not Enforce New Rates
No expression could be obtained last
night from the attorneys for the rail-
ways as to their probable procedure.
It is believed. however, that the at
torneys for the railroads will advise
the heads OF the different systems not
to attempt to enforce the new tariff
in this section Of the country at least.
Judge Hanford and Judge Wolver-
ton, in ruling against the railroads
did so on the ground that no injury
would be done the railroads if they
were restrained from putting the new
rate into effect until such time as the
matter is passed upon by the inter-
state commerce commission. especially
as the lumbermen are requird to put
up bond for $3.50, 900 to pey the
difference to the railroads on the ship
ments that will be made pending final
decision, providing the higher rate is
held by the interstate commerce COM
mission to be just and legal.
From the wording of the courts Or
der it appears that in the end the ac-
tion of the Interstate commerce COM
mission will be we'll nigh tantamount
to final decision Of the issues on the
merits of the case. Lawyer W. A.
Vim bish for the lumbermen stated
that the amtter will be brought before
the interstate commerce commission
at once and every effort made to Sc
cure an early decision.
LOAD GRAIN CARS IN BULK
Elevators Being Erected by Two Com
panies in Columbia County.