Omaha daily bee., 1908-06-21
RATES ARE REDUCED
Former Tariff from Northwest to
Missouri River Restored.
OTHER SCHEDULES INVOLVED
Part of Increase 60 Point Farther
Fact Allowed to stand-New
Through Rout 60 a.
. Refused.


WASHINGTON. June @-sweeping re-
ductions In lumber rates west Of the Mis-.
souri, river and a 5 per cent reduction In
the advanced rates in the east, as we'll
as other changes in the tariff. are ordered
under decisions announced by the Inter
state Commerce commission today.
THE rulings are made In a group of i'm
portant cases. involving the rates on
lumber. shingles and other forest products
from points in the Willamette valley &c
San Francisco ard from Washington,
oregon, Idaho, Montana and British Co
lumbia to eastern and southern markets.
In the cases OF the oregon and WASH
ington Lumber Manufacturers association
against the Union Pacific and other roads,
the Pacific Coast Lumber Manufacturers
association and others against the North
ern Pacific and others, ard the Southwest
Washington Lumber Manufacturers es-
ISOLATION against the Northern Pacific, in
volving a general advance in lumber rates,
in many cases % and Is per cent, from
north Pacific coast territory TO points east
thereof, which became effective in No
vember last. the commission make a geo.
graphic decision in its action. On the
ground of unr~easonableness 1t orders the
restoration Of the previous rates west Of a
line drawn from Pentina, n. D.. through
Grand Forks, Sioux City. Council Bluffs
and Kansas 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 dis
tant markets lying east of the Missouri
river is permitted to stand.
DiRerentinIs from Spokane.
Differential rates from Spokane rate
group points, M~ontana-Oregon group rate
points and Hood River, Ellensburg and
Leavenworth districts, which lie east OF
the Cascade mountains. embracing parts
of Washington and oregon. and all of
Idaho, to eastern territory, are established
under a decision in the case of the Pot.
latch Lumber company and others agains.
the Northern Pacific and other roads.
Rates from the Spokane district are or
dered lower than from the Pacific coast
and the commission directs more uniform
differentials under the coast rates than
were in effect prior TO last November.
In the case of the Western Oregon Lum-
Der Manufacturing association against the
Southern Pacific company the commission
decides that the advance of IS per ton from
all mills in the willamette valley. not in
Guiding Portland. is unjust and unreason-
able; that from both the east and west
banks south Of Corvallis the rate should
not exceed 50. 20 per ton, and upon the west
bank north of Corvallis 1886 per ton. Be-
cause OF the water rate the Portland rate
Is not reduced.
New Line to Utah POInts.
In the case of the Pacific Coast Manu-
factureF's association against the Northern
Pacific and other roads, the commission
declines to establish another through route
from Washington to Colorado common
points and eastern destinations. 1t requires,
however, the Northern Pacific railway,
the Northern Pacific Terminal company
of Oregon, the Oregon Railroad & a
igation 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 a 10 cents per 100 weight rate
on fir and spruce lumber and so cents per
100 weight on cedar lumber and shingles is
prescribed for through traffic.
Chairman Knapp and Commissioner Har-
Ian dissonted from the conclusion reached
by the majority in these cases on the
ground that most Of the advance in rates
was reasonable.
The Hill and Hartman lines from the
Pacific northwest raised the rate on lum-
Der to eastern points about one year ago
and a fight was at once precipitated. The
lumbermen on the north coast combined
to fight against the raise in rates and
gathered quite a fund for that purpose.
The railroads raised the rates about 10
cents 10 the Missouri river. To head off
this raise the lumbermen secured an in
junction ard gave bond. This forced the