Omaha daily bee., 1910-06-30
SHIPPERS SCORE
FREIGHT VICTORY
Interstate Commerce Commission
Rules Against Roads in Pacific
Coast Cases.
TARIFFS IN DOWNWARD DROP
Intermountain Country Big Gamer
by Decision.
SPOKANE AND RENO REJOICE
Heavy Reductions Are Ordered TO
Nevada Points.
MISSOURI VALLEY AFFECTED
Existing westbound Rates from
Hs.,torn IofntA 20 Nevada De-
Intermountain Country Big Gamer
by Decision.
SPOKANE AND RENO REJOICE
Heavy Reductions Are Ordered TO
Nevada Points,
MISSOURI VALLEY AFFECTED
Existing westbound Rates from
Eastern Points TO Nevada De-
cIared Highest In United
states.

WASHINGTON, June 29.--Decisions were
handed down today by the Interstate COM
merce commission, countrywide In I'M
portance. They affect freight rates-ootn
class and commudty-on all trans-con-
tinentai lines operating between the At
lantic and Pacific oceans. Extensive re-
ductions were ordered
The decisions are In what popularity are
known as the Pacific coast cases. The
cases were heard last autumn by the COM
mission on it's six weeks trip to the Pa
cific coast and inter-mountain territory
and have been under consideration ever
since. The commission realized the im-
mense Importance of the cases, not only to
the railroads but TO the shipping public
and It prepared its opinions with the great
est care.
Large Reductions Ordered.
In every instance iGudctions in the rates
complained of were made ana IN some IN
stances they amounted to nearly 90 per
cent The commission found through its
inquiry a remarkable rate situation eX-
istinE on the Pacific coast, and even
more remarkable one In the inter-mountain
territory This is notably true of the rates
from Spokane, Wash, and Reno, New
The Spokane rate case mad been before
the
several years. The shippers Of that city
complained insstently of the rates which
they were charged on freight classes and
| commodities from eastern points or origin.
| because they were required to pay the Pa
clfic coast terminal rates, plus the local
| rates back to Spokane from those ter
minals, although the freight was discharged
| AZ Spokane by the railroads on the western
! trip.
Back Haul Rates High.
subsequently the same state of facts ex.
| listed at Reno and other Nevada points,
which had to pay the rates to San Fran
| cisco and the baok-haul local rates from
! San Francisco or Sacramento TO the point
| OF ultimate destlnaton-fThese local rates
| in most instances amounted to two-ffths
or more of the entire rates from eastern
points of origin to Pacific coast terminals.
AS noted above, the decisions OF the COM
mission in these cases affect all class and
| commodity rates between eastern points
and the far west. No complaint was made
! in any of the cases OF the rates Of eastern
lines. between Atlantic points and Missis-
sinpi river transfers and all OF the reduc-
tions ordered by the commission affected
| the rates from Mississippi river and Mis-
souri, river transfer points to Pacific coast
terminals and inter-mountain territorial
| points.
Prouty writes Decision.
The decision of the commission in the
case of the city OF Spokane, against the
Northern Pacific and Great Northern Rail-
road companies, and other carriers was
prepared by Commissioner Prouty.
1t is held by the commission that this
present rates charged by the Great Moth
ern and Northern Pacific from eastern
points to Spokane are unreasonable and ex-
cessive The rates established for tho
future are materially Approximately
20 per cent of both classes and commod-
ities-but they will not be effective inn
mediately.
In fixing the rates to Spokane the COM
mission did not use the rates to Seattle
as a standard, but adjusted the rates to
Spokane upon what II considered to he
reasonable basis taking into account that
water competition at Spokane was not
material. The commission held that both
class and commodity rates should be
slightly lower from Mississippi river points
to Spokane than from Chicago points
In the Spokane opinion 1t was also held
that the rates to Baker City, LaGrande,
and Pendleton and Walla Walla, Wash,
were excessive insofar as they exceed the
new rates fixed to Spokane.
In the Nevada and Arizona cases, in-
cluding the Sacramento, Reno case,
against the Southern Pacific company and
the Maricopa County Commercial club
against the Atchlson, Topeka & santa FS
and other carriers, the decisions were pre-
pared by Commissioner Lane
In each of them heavy reduction in
class rates is ordered some Of the reduce
tons being as high as 1874 per cent.
In the case of the railroad commissioI
of Nevada, against the Southern Pacific
company and other carriers, the comm, S.
sion condemns the existing westbound class
rates from eastern points to Nevada.
Some Gases in Point.
In this connection the commission de.
clares these rates to be the highest msr
line found in the United States" for carry.
, ing a carload of first class traffic con
tainlng2OO 600 pounds from Omaha to Reno
, the Union and Southern Pacific lines
! charge $s5s. II the same carload goes 15i
miles further to Sacramento, the charge is
but 5000 The first class rate to the more
!, distant point, Sacramento. is 50 per 100
pounds and to the nearest point, Reno
S42O per 100 pounds.
II the same carload of freight originates
at Denver, 500 miles west OF Omaha, the
same rates 10 Reno and Sacramento apply;
dan II the freight originates at Boston.
LOO miles east OF Omaha the rates are
the same. The figures lead the commits
sion to the conclusion that Nevada traffic
is no longer as inconsiderable as has been
generally supposed.
sOuthern Pacific Gets Money.
The commission finds that only 25 per
cent OF the traffic into Reno from the
east originated east of Chicago, while rs
per cent originates between Chicago and
Denver
Turning to the division OF earnings be-
tween carriers on traffic from the eas TO
Reno, the commission finds that the lions
share acerues TO the southern Pacific
company.
II is significant. as indicated IN the opin-
ion that the lines OF ogden, Utah. receive
lexactly the same divisions out OF the so