The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1910-04-17
CULTIVATE VICTORY AWAITS
you, IF YOU STAND PAT"
HE DECLARES.

1.-THE Milwaukee and North
Coast railroads are putting up
huge bluff to the city of Spokane"
In these words George S. Lotus,
probably the best posted man in
the United States on the rate prop
osition, outside of few of the
railroad officials themselves, last
night summed up the local terminal
rate situation after days investi-
cation.
Lotus, famed as the man who
won the suit against the Pullman
company recently, which means
lower Pullman rates throughout the
country, spent yesterday in Spo-
kane ateN request of the Peoples
TerminaA.1ate committee. He left
the city last night on his way to
British Columbia to look after min
ing interests there.
Lotus is also known for his eff
forts in securing the Minnesota re-
ciprocal demurrage law, car
shortage remedy for shippers,
which was declared unconstitu-
tonal in this state, but which held
in Minnesota.
After Is years and moro OF rate
discrimination and fighting to Sc
sure justice, Spokane would be a
2ool indeed to allow the present
bluff of the railroads that they
aiil not come in on a franchise
providing for terminal rates, to win
aut" said LOTUS to a reporter OF
The Press.
THE road are doing exactly what
you and | would do under similar
sircumstances-trying to drive the
best bargain with Spokane they
can. If they can scare the city in
to letting them in without promis-
ing terminal rates, they have made
their bluff good 1t is up to the
n city council to protect the city's in
: tcrests. and | believe it will do so
and ultimately win out, If it stands
by its guns.
The North Coast and Milwaukee
can give Spokane terminal rates if
they want to, and make money.
What prevents them is the pres
sure of the coast jobbers, the other
railroads and, of course, their own
sell Interests. When they see that
the city is going to stand pat they
will go to the coast jobbers and
the other railroads and say, See
here, we can't pass up Spokane
and the business there. We must
give them terminal rates. They are
not going to let us in if we don't,
and we can't afford to go around
the city and leave all the bust
ness
The railroads can give Spokane
terminal rates and make money
unquestiOnably-a no traffic man
ever said otherwise flat-footedly
and honestly. though many avoid
Il direct answer when pressed for
one. If | thought that standing
out for terminal rates would mean
keeping the railroads out | would
not take the position | do, but
know that it will not. 1t is sim
ply standing up for square deal
and the railroads must come. They
will not go around the city because
we ask for terminal rates, because
If they can haul 400 miles farther
to the coast for terminal rates and
make money. they can make money
here. Where there is money to be
made they will come.
THE people of Spokane should
back up the city council in its &C.
ton on the terminal rate matter
They are the only ones who can
protect the peoples rights the
railroads have men to protect their
rights and get what they can for
the railroads. The council would
not have been serving the people
If it had taken any other course.
Just as an example, | recall the
granting of franchise by the city
of Minneapolis to the Twin City
Rapid Transit company for what
was known as the downtown loop
They wanted the franchise on the
loop for nothing, and declared they
would make no concessions to get
it, Their bluff held, and they got
the franchise for nothing. They
Immediately turned around and