The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1908-07-04
LUMBER RATES
ARE SMASHED
Sweeping Reductions Made by Inter-
state Commerce Body for
Coast Points.
FIVE PER CENT CUT ORDERED.
Many Important Cases Are Decided
Against the Rail
roads.
I'VE PER CENT CUT ORDERED.

WASHINGTON, June 19-Sweeping
reductions in lumber rates west of the
Missouri river and per cent re-
duction in the advanced rates in the
east as well as other changes in the
tariff are ordered under decisions an
nounced by the interstate commerce
commission today.
The rulings are made in a group of
important cases involving the rates on
lumber, shingles and other forest
products from points in the Villa
mette valley to. San Francisco and
from Washington, Oregon, Idaho. Mon
tana and British Columbia to eastern
and southern markets.
These cases include those of the Ore
gon and Washington lumber manufac-
turers' association against the Union
Pacific and other roads, Pacific lumber
manufacturers associations and 9TH
ers against the Northern Pacific and
| others, and the Southwestern Wash
ingtOn lumber manufacturers associa-
ton against the Northern Pacific.
| They involve a general advance in
| lumber rates, in many cases 20 and %
per cent, from north Pacific coast ter
ritory to points east thereof, which be-
came effective in November.
DECISION is GEOGRAPHIC.
The commission makes a geographic
decision in it's action. On the ground
of unreasonableness it orders restora-
| ton of the previous rates west of
line drawn from Pembina, n. D.,
through Grand Forks, Council Bluffs,
Kansas City and Sioux City to Port
| Arthur, Texas, along the Kansas City
southern railway and including all
points east of that line (which now
take the same rates as any point be-
tween and including Sioux City and
Kansas City A part of the increase
to the more distant markets lying
east of the Missouri river is permitted
to stand.
Differential rates from Spokane rate
group points, Montana-Oregon rate
group points and Hood River, Ellens-
burg and Leavenworth districts, which
|
bracing parts of Washington and Ore
gon, and all of Idaho, to eastern ter
itory, are established under a deci-
sion in the case of the Potlach lumber
company and others against the
Northern Pacific and other railroads.
Rates from the Spokane districts
were ordered made lower than those
to the Pacific coast, and the commits
sion directs restoration of the uniform
differentials under the coast rates that
were in effect prior to last November.
S. P. ADVANCE UNJUST.
In the case of the Western Oregon
lumber manufacturers association
against the Southern Pacific Company
the commission decides that the adj
vance of So a 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 SO. 40 a ton, and up,
on the west bank north of Corvallis
So. IS ton. Because of the water rate
the PORTLAND rate is not reduced.
In the case of the Pacific Coast man.
ufacturing association against the
Northern Pacific and other roads the
y commission declines to establish an
y other through route from Washington
to Colorado common ppOints and east
ern destinations. 1t requires, however
the Northern Pacific railway, the
Northern Pacific terminal company o
Oregon, the Oregon railroad and navi
= CATION company, the Oregon Shor
}, Line and the Union Pacific to estab
: fish through rates for lumber from
the Northern Pacific line in Washing
ton, north of Portland as far as Seat
- tie, through Portland to Ogden ant
: Salt Lake City and Utah common
S points, and 40 cents hundredweigh
a rate on fir and spruce lumber and 5
cents hundredweight on cedar lum
I Der and shingles prescribed TO
= through traffic.
Chairman Knapp and COMMISSIONS
Harlan dissented from the conclusion
reached by the majority in these case
{ on the ground that most of the ad
vance in rates was reasonable.