Heppner gazette. [volume] (Heppner, Morrow County, Or.) 1892-1912, 1909-05-27
SWING PORTLAND
GATE BOTH WAYS
Roads Ordered to Sell Through Tick
cts to East and West.
Northern Pacific Objects to Joint
Traffic With the Hartman Lines,
Which Are Required to Make Like
Concessions the Other Way-WiIi
Appeal to Courts.

Washington, May 22.-Tbe first de-
cision in the Portland gateway case is
in favor of opening. but this is only
the beginning of what promises to be
a long contest. In decision rendered
by Mr.. Prouty the Interstate Com
merce commission today ordered the
Hartman lines and the Northern Pa
cifc to join in the sale of through tick
cts and the through checking of bag
gage between Eastern and Pacific
coast points via Portland. Chairman
Knapp and E. E. Clark dissent from
the decision.
The commission sustains the COM
plant against the Northern Pacific for
refusing to sell through tickets via
Portland to points on the Union Pa
cifc and Chicago & Northwestern, in
cluding Omaha, Kansas City and Chi
cago, and sustains also the complaint
against the Chicago & Northwestern,
Union Pacific, Oregon Short Line and
Oregon Navigation company for refus-
ing to sell through tickets via Portland
to points in Washington.
By the terms of the decision, which
is highly important to the travelling
public and to the Western and North
western railroads, the Northern Pacific,
the Union Pacific lines and the Chica-
60 & Northwestern railway are ordered
to join in the sale of through passenger
tickets between Seattle and other
points in the Pacific Northwest and
Eastern destinations, via Portland, Or,
and to accord through facilities, like.
the checking of baggage, over this
route.
The commission found in the present
case that substantial part of the en-
tire body of travellers moving between
these points in the Northwest and
Eastern destinations reasonably desire.
to travel via Portland, and that there
fore the commission has jurisdiction to
open that gateway.
1t is also held that public interest
requires that this gateway shall be
opened; but that the terms under which
that service is rendered should be Just
as between the carriers themselves.
The commission was also of the opinion
that the through rates via Portland
should be the same as those in effect
via the Northern Pacific and its present
connections, but no opinion is express
ed touching division of these rates.
The decision orders first, that the
Middle West lines complained of and
the Northern Pacific shall establish be-
fore July /, 1909, and maintain in
force thereafter for not less than two.
years, through routes and joint rates
between Chicago, Council Bluffs and
Colorado common points via Portland
and points in Washington between
Portland and Seattle, including the lat
ter, the joint rates to be the same as
the joint rates contemporaneously in
effect between said points via the
Northern Pacific and it's connections.
Second, the carriers named are order
ed to establish before July /, joint
rates and through routes for passengers
and baggage from points on the North
ern Pacific via Portland to Omaha, Kan
sas City, Chicago and other Union Pa
cific and Chicago & Northwestern
points.
1t is understood authoritatively that
it is the intention of the Northern Pa
cific, in connection perhaps with other
roads, to seek an injunction restrain
ing the commission from putting it's
order into effect. Should such an in
junction be granted, it would prevent
the enforcement of the order during the
period of the Alaska Yukon Pacific ex-
position at Seattle, as it is estimated
hat it would require many months for
The courts finally to determine the case
IN its merits.