Lewiston evening teller. [volume] (Lewiston, Idaho) 1903-1911, 1907-01-16
SPOKANE MAKES
GOOD SHOWING
Indispatable Evidence as to
Oppression BY the
Railroads

Spokane, Jan. 16-Spokane oratorical-
ly completed the presentation OF its case
before the Interstate commerce COIN
mission yesterday and the railroads and
intervening coast cities which are OPP
posing Spokane's plea for lower rates
for the inland empire will have their
hearing today. One Of the most in
teresting questions raised at the hear
ing today was as to who would de-
rive the benefits Of lower rates. the
jobbers of Spokane or the consumers.
La Rue Perrine, Of the Spokane Dry
Goods company. a wholesale concern.
testified that 1t was the policy OF that
company when granted reduced rates
to give the benefit Immediately to the
consumers.
Fight for the Consumers.
| B. L. Gordon, a wholesale grocer, fol-
lowed Mr.. Perrine on the stand and
in the course Of a colloquy between
himself and Mr.. Stephens. declared that
the fight waged by the Spokane cham
Der OF commerce was primarily for the
consumers and only secondary for the
jobbers.
| When Mr.. Gordon was asked what
would be the policy OF his firm in this
respect If he had lower freight rates.
/ Commissioner Prouty interrupted to
say that it was not worth while to
/ pursue that line Of inquir as the COM
mission had repeatedly heio that the
ultimate effect Of reduction in freight
rates was to give the benefit to the
consumers, as competition brought this
about even though the jobbers might
have been disposed at first to take
themselves the profits attending rate
reductions.
Benefit of an Electric Road.
Il Mr. Gordon testified that the rate
on sugar from the Corbin beet sugar
factory at Waverly, WASH. about 81
miles from Spokane. was IA cents until
the building of the Spokane and Inlanc
empire electric system into the Pa
. louise, when it was reduced to 10 cents
lie said that Cornell was the extreme
limit TO which Spokane wholesale gro
.eis could sell westward on the North
: ern Pacific and that on some commodi
ties it was impossible to get them Oh
of the city at all. On the Q. r. & N.
ne said, ne extreme limit was Winona
Mr.. Gordon testified that the genera
policy OF the railroads when giving Spo
y kane a terminal rate on any commodit
was TO put it on tnat commodity Whic
could be manufactured in and aroun
: spokane
! Discrimination in Cheese.
e I'VE make" he said, about tn
e same grade of cheese here which
n sent out from Wisconsin. Rates frol
:. that state here are $1.y1, while I
Seattle they are 81. On me other han,
> cheese brought here from New Yor
Il state of the quality which cannot h
Il manufactured in the inland empire cos
10 us $24O. while the coast cities pay onl
$500"
Have you ever imported anytniI
by sea-" asked Mr.. Rousman
le Yes sir and 1t all spoiled"
u Mr.. Cotton objected to all test
mony on the st. John tariff on Il
o. r.. & N. as being immaterial
~ the road presented.
rs One Shipment to Ellensburg.
'g do you make any sales in Nor
OF Yakima and Ellensburg? ?" asked M
a. Cannon, for the Northern Pacific.
Il have made one sale in Eller
burg in the last six months and tn
Us was caused by the freshet on t
Cd Northern Pacific"
w. s. Norman OF the Spokane II
tel Co. said that he had seen the
rs John tariff in 1892 and that the pr
posed changes under it reduced cls
IT. rates to Spokane about thirty p,
ed cent.
" THE Spokane Jcbbers ASSOCIATE
n: discussed the changes which seem
he to fulfill to large degree the pro
80 ises made by Mr.. Hill, and we h
:. quite publication over it," he sa
u Then in February, 1893. we learr
lis that the new rates were not goi
ed into effect / believe that the ra
g at chat time were lower than at pr
ent. In 1892 the number of co
modities listed to the Pacific co
re- was about 500, but in 1893 the nu
Tor Der was increased to 1900.
lar Benefit of Terminal Rate.
y" Commissioner Prouty gave not
that the commission would requ
q statement from the railroads GOV
e' ing the entire amount of good shipI
the into Spokane under class ratings.
In added that 1t might be found nee
,av sary TO go over the books of the roa
j. NJ. Fitzpatrick of the I'm
Iron Works of Spokane said IL