Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1908-06-20
Interstate Commerce Commits
sion Announces a Sweeping
Reduction in Them.
THROUGH RATES TO UTAH,
Oregon Short Line AMI Union Pacific
Required to Establish Them
Knapp and Harlan Disscntcd.

Washington June 19.--SweepinS re-
auctions IN lumber rates west of the
Missouri river and n per cent reduc-
ton In the advanced rates IN the east,
a. well az other changes in the tariff.
are ordered under decisions announced
by the interstate commerce commission
today.
The rulings are made in group of
important cases involving the rates on
lumber, shingles and other forest prod
uets from points In the Willamette val
ley TO San Francisco, and from Wash
ington. Oregon. idaho. Montana and
British Columbia to eastern and south
ern markets
In the cases of the oregon and
Washington Lumber Manufacturers
association against the Union Pacific
and other roads. Pacific Lumber Manu-
facturers' associations and others, and
the Southwestern washington Lumber
manufacturers association against the
Northern Pacific. involving a general
advance In lumber rates. IN many cases
20 and % per cent from north Pacific
coast territory TO points east thereof.
which became effective November last,
the commission makes a geogra phic de-
cision in Its action. On the grounds of
unreasonableness, It orders restoration
Of the previous rates west of line
drawn from Pembina. \. D.. through
Grand Forks, Council Bluffs, Kansas
City and Sioux city to Port Arthur,
Tex. along the Kansas city Southern
railway and including all points east
of that line, which now take the
same rates as any point between and
including Sioux city and Kansas
city"
A part Of the increase to the more
distant markets lying east of the Mis-
souri, river is permitted to stand.
Differential rates from Spokane rate
group points, Montana Oregon rate
group points, and Hood River. Eleus-
burg and LeaYenworth districts which
lie east of the Cascade mountains en-
bracing parts of Washington and Ore
gon, and all of Idaho. to eastern terri
tory, are established under n decision
In the case of Potlatch Lumber COM
pany and others against the Northern
Pacific and other roads. Rates from
the Spokane district are ordered lower
than from the Pacific coast, and the
commission directs that the uniform
differentials under the coast rates that
were In effect prior TO last November
In the case of the Western Oregon
Lumber Manufacturers association
against the Southern Pacific company
the commission decides that the adj
vance of So per ton from all mills in
the Willamette valley, not including
Portland is unjust and unreasonable;
that from both the east and west banks
south of Corvallis the rate should not
exceed $40 per ton, and upon the
" t bank of Corvallis 1886 per ton
Because of the water rate the Portland
rate is not reduced.
In the case OF the Pacific Coast
Manufacturing association against the
Northern Pacific and other roads the
commission declines to establish am
other through rate from Washington
to Colorado common points and east
ern destinations. II requires. how
ever. the Northern Pacific railway
the Northern Pacific Terminal COM
pany of Oregon, the Oregon Railroad
& Navigation company, the oregon
Short Line and the Union Pacific to
establish through rates for lumber
from the Northern Pacific line in
Washington. north of Portland as far
as Seattle. through Portland to ogden
and Salt Lake City and Utah common
points. and accent per hundred
weight rate on fir and spruce lumber,
and 30 cents per hundredweight on
cedar lumber and shingles prescribed
for through traffic.
Chairman Knapp and Commissioner
Harlan diysented from the conclusions
reached by the majority in these cases,
on the ground that most of the adj
vance In rates was reasonable,
WHAT DECISION MEANS.
Portland, or. June 19.-'The deci-
sion of the interstate commerce COM
mission UNFOLDING in the main, the
case of the lumbermen Of the Pacific
northwest ends the contention which
t.~I,. Ia,