The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1907-08-27
TAKES ISSUE
WITH ]: J.H|LL
SECRETARY OF INTERSTATE
COMMISSION TEsTiFIEs TO
DECREASE IN EXPENSES.


who propose to contest the proposed
advance in eastbound lumber rates
take issue with President ]. ]. Hill.
of the Great Northern in the state
| ment credited to him that operating
| expenses on the western roads have
| Increased 20 per cent within the past
10 years.
According to the sworn statements
| filed by the Great Northern and North
| ern Pacific roads with the interstate
commerce commission, the lumbermen
! say the percentage Of operating ex-
enses to the earnings of these two
Dads has decreased in recent years.
For the year 1897 the percentage of
operating expenses to the earnings of
the Northern Pacific road was 67.15
per cent; for the year 1903, 52.16 per
cent, and for the year 1906, 5O.76 per
cent. According to these figures OPP
Grating expenses for the year 1906
decreased one and one-half per cent
as compared with 1903, and almost 16
per cent as compared with 1897.
Reductions Sworn TO by Roads.
Here are the figures as given III the
sworn statement of the Northern Pa
cific:
Income from operation: For 1897,
$6,059,233; 1903, $22,OS5,O11; 1906, $780,
103,O43
Operating expenses per mile of road:
For 1897, s2,735; 1903, $4,71O; 1906,
1915.
Percentage of operating expenses to
earnings: For 1887, 67.15 per cent;
1903, 52.16 per cent; 1906, 50.76 per
cert.
Hills own road, the Great Northern
its operating expenses in 1906, three
and one-half per cent as compared
with the year 1900.
Here are Hills sworn figures filed
with the interstate commerce cim-
mission:
Income from operations: For 1900,
$10,37O, 62O.47: 1906, $23S61 14546.
Percentage of operating expenses
to earnings: For 1900, SO per cent:
1906, 40 1-2 per cent
The only other argument used in
justification for the advance in rates
the lumbermen declare, is the empty
car haul. This argument the lumber
men say they will be able to prove to
be incorrect once they get before the
interstate commerce commission. 1t is
declared by the lumbermen that the
percentage of empty car haul on the
Great Northern and Northern Pacific
is less by several per cent than on
many other roads of the United States
Empty Car Haul Decreases.
The lumbermen through their in
formation bureau made this declara-
ton yesterday:
"a certified statement from E. o.
Moseley, secretary of the interstate
commerce commission, shows that
the percentage of empty car haul of
the Al leading railroads in the Unit
ed States is 1922 per cent The Great
Northerr's empty car haul is % per
cent and that of the Northern Pacific
q per cent.
But an increase in the operating
expenses of the building of additional
lines or Improvements is not justi-
ficatiOn for a radical advance in rates.
the lumbermen say, and such a posi-
ton on the part of the railroads is
not supported by the interstate COM
merce commission decided in the
Georgia pine case, and was supported
by the United States supreme court,
as follows:
THAT the advance in rates by the
defendants was not justified by in
creasing cost Of operating the roads,
for while the operating expenses have
constantly increased they have been
enlarged by the inclusion therein of
large expenditures for permanent i'm
provements and defendants gross
earnings have increased from year to
year to such an extent as to result
in a constant increase Of net earn
ings.
"This case involved an advance of
two cents in lumber rates from the
south and is identical to the case of
the Pacific coast lumbermen.''
There is more Catarrh in this sec