The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1910-07-08
FREIGHT TARIFFS
REDUCED
INTERSTATE COMMERCE COMMITS
SION MAKES IMPORTANT
RULING.
Reductions Are From Coast to Coast
and Are to BE in Force Three
Months Before Permanently Fired
Fifty Per Cent Topped on on Some
Tariffs.

Fifty Per Cent Topped on on Some
Tariffs.
Washington, July 2.- Decisions
have been handed down by the inter-
state commerce commission, country
wide in Importance. They affect
freight rates-both class and commod-
ityon all transcontinental lines oper-
ating between the Atlantic and Pacific
oceans. Extensive reductions were or
dered
In what is known as the Reno case,
the class and commodity rates from
Sacramento, Cal, by the Southern Pa
cific, between Reno, New, and Cecil
Junction. Utah, were declared excess
sive and reasonable rates. were pre-
scribed.
In what is known as the Portland
back haul' case the commission de
cided that the freight rates from Sc
attic, Tacoma and Portland to points
in Washington, Oregon, Idaho and
Montana were unreasonable, and a re-
duction of 20 per cent was proposed.
In the Spokane rates case the COM
mission decide that present freight
rates were excessive and just and rea-
sonable rates on both class and COM
modify freight were established for
the future.
Utah Rates Also Cut.
Present class rates between Utah
common points and Mississippi and
Missouri river transfer points were
also found to be excessive, and they
were ordered to be reduced about Is
| per cent.
On complaint of the railroad com
mission of Nevada the interstate COM
merce commission held that the class
rates from Eastern defined territory to
Nevada were unreasonable and order
ed that rates materially lower be put
into effect by the carriers.
/ The decisions are in what are popu-
larly known as the Pacific coast cases.
The cases were heard last autumn by
the commission on its six weeks trip
to the Pacific coast and intermountain
TERRITORY and have been under consid-
Grafton ever since.
In every instance reductions In the
rates complained Of were made.
i spoI<Ane's Protest Years Old.
/ The commission found remarkable
rate situation sxisttug on the Pacific
coast and even more remarkable one
in the intermountain territory. This Is
notably true OF the rates to and from
ISpokane, Wash, and Reno, New. The
ISpokane rate case had been before
4 the commission in one form or another
4 for several years. The shippers OF
that city complained insistently of the
rates charged them on freight classes
and commodities from Eastern points
of origin, because they were required
to pay the Pacific coast terminal rates.
plus the local rates, back to Spokane
from those terminals, although the
freight was discharged at Spokane by
the railroads on the western trip.
i Substantially the same state of af-
fairs existed at Reno and other points,
which had to pay the rates to San
Francisco and the back-haul local rates
from San Francisco and Sacramento
to the point of ultimate destination.
These local rates in most instances
amounted to two-ffths or more OF the
entire rate from eastern points of orig
in to Pacific coast terminals.
i Eastern Rates Not Affected.
No complaint was made in any OF
the cases of the rates of the eastern
lines between Atlantic points and Mis-.
Esissippi river transfers, and all OF the
reductions ordered by the commission
AFFECT the rates from Mississippi river
land Missouri river transfer points to
Pacific coast terminals and intermoun
!. tain territorial points.
In fixing the rates to Spokane the
commission did not use the rates to
Seattle as q standard, but adjusted the
rates to Spokane upon what Is CON
lsidered 4 reasonable basis, taking into
Z account that water competition 81
81 snnkane was not material. Then the
slcommissfon held as follows: JONI
( through rates, both class and commod
! Iity. should be established from denneo
territories east of Chicago 70 Spo
kane
.where Joint through rates do not
erist now from points east Of Chicago
! Iunon certain lines. to Spokane, tne
!, lcommission finds there Is no reason
! able and satisfactory through route
ana such through routes ana joint
rates ought 10 be estAblisned.
: both Glass and commoony 49,.