The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1910-04-03
| G Q Min u Z D
r O
P A @ F. Q N F.
DOLAND IS ASKED

one that they spend in this COM
munity.
Those who favor the requirement
of terminal rate and common user
provisions have been and still are
consistent with the rate fights
which have heretofore been waged
in the courts and before the inter
state commerce commission. The
interstate commerce committee OF
the chamber of commerce and the
Merchants association secured
funds from the city, county and
the public upon the representation
that the pending rate case was a
wise move and necessary, because
the railroad companies would not
give to the shippers here equitable
or Just freight rates.
Among those In favor of the at
titude of the city council are such
men as J. A. Schiller, who has been
through and connected with all the
rate cases heretofore prosecuted,
and no one In the city has had more
experience with those cases.
Among the many shippers who
favor the position of the council are
such men as H. N. Metzger. B. l..
Gordon, H. D. Turnkey, A. A. Kraft.
B. Gard Ewing, L. F. Ford, F. o.
Berg, l.. G. Adams.
Mr.. Metzger Is no doubt the best
informed man on freight rates In
this city and knows more Of the
inner workings of both the rail-
roads and jobbers than does any
man on the Citizens committee"
and probably more than the entire
committee combined. Mr.. Metzger
was freight agent of the N. P. for
many, many years.
Those who are favoring the
stand taken by the council have
contributed more literally in time
and money according to their
means) than have the Citizens
committee" or the real estate
agents who, at the instance Of Mr..
Strahorn, crystalized the Citizens
committee" railroad move.
There are many people who feel
that they have Intelligence" and
by means thereof believe that the
city of Spokane can legally and
lawfully make such contract as
is proposed by the terminal rate
provisions offered by Councilman
Ostrander. These citizens, who be-
lieve that they have some "intelli-
gence" are supported in their Views
by President Taft, whom they be-
lieve also has some intelligence"
Those who favor the stand of
the council feel that they have no
more reason to believe the officials
of the road who are now endeavOr-
ing to enter the city than they had
to believe Mr.. Hill in 1892. They
believe that any one road can en-
ter into the proposed contract with
out the consent of any other road.
They believe that the people OF
this city, if united, could do for
themselves what the courts or the
interstate commerce commission
have not done for them.
What are the North Coast and
Milwaukee roads coming for except
to participate in excessive freight
rates? The council or the people
are not undertaking to make the
Milwaukee or the North Coast re-
pay anything heretofore unlaw-
fully or unjustly collected by the
railroads here. but are simply in
sisting that the roads now asking
for valuable privileges shall not be
granted same, unless they agree
that they will not exact, charge or
collect anything in excess OF ter
minal rates" There is no attempt
to do anything to the new roads
other than to make a reasonable
contract with them for the future.
The interstate commerce commits
sion can only fix maximum rates,
the railroads can fix at any time
rates lower than the maximum
fixed by the commission. No doubt
the truth is that the commission
would be very glad If this city
would insist upon terminal rate
provision in the franchise and re-
lieve them of the burden of the
pending case. The fact that the
Milwaukee is not a member OF the
Transcontinental association is
strong proof that 1t can name what
ever rate is pleases. If the North
Coast railroad Is local road,
building entirely in the state of
Washington" then terminal rate
provisions in its franchise can not
do it any harm whatever so long
as it remains such local or state
road.
Mr.. Doland himself is the best
evidence of the fact that one road
can make a rate whenever they