The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1911-09-21
HEARING IN THE
WOOL RATE CASES


against inland shippers and in favor
of Pacific coast shippers, appeared
again yesterday as serenely as ever
when Examiner Ward Prouty of the in
terstate commerce commission opened
hearing on wool rates of nation wide
Importance in the Federal court room.
The inquiry is to earn why and
wherefore a $2.13 blanket rate ON wool
shipped from inland points obtains
against a 81 rate from the Pacific
coast.
With the complacence that has
marked every other hearing of SINH
lar import the representatives of the
railroads took the stand and explained
all about the Pacific ocean, Cape
Horn and the water routes that make
it necessary to cut the coast rate on
wool to less than half in order to hold
the Pacific coast trade.
The chief contention of the wool
growers, however, is that while equal
ity Of rates are allowed ON many 9TH
er products shipped from inland and
Pacific coast points, the old wool
rates still are in force and are decid-
edly discriminatory Against this ar
rangement the old water route doc
trine is not believed to be applicable
and from the nature of the examina-
tion of witnesses by attorneys for the
wool growers and for the government,
the railroads will be forced to advance
a less threadbare explanation.
Ex-Governor Present.
When the hearing opened yesterday
morning there were many sheepmen,
wool shippers, railroad men and 9th
ers in attendance. The wool men are
represented by Attorneys Victor O,
johnson and C. B. Stewart, the latter
being president of the Utah Wool
Growers association. Attorney J. T.
Marchand of Washington is conduct.
ing the examination as the special rep.
resentative of the government. On the
other side are George H. Smith and A.
P. Matthews, of the legal departments
of the Oregon Short Line and Western
Pacific railroads, respectively.
Frank r. Gooding, former governor
of Idaho, and president of the Nation
al Wool Growers association, sat
through the proceedings, taxing an ac.
tive interest in behalf of the associa-
tion.
Three witnesses were examined
They were H. N. Adams, freight traffic
manager of the Western Pacific; j. A.
Reeves, freight agent of the Oregon
Short Line, and Joseph William Sum
merhays, manager of the Rowe Morris.
Summerhays company, hide and pelt
dealers.
Mr.. Summerhays testified under pro
test concerning agreements between
his company and the Union Pacific
whereby substantial rebates were al
lowed on every carload of wool, hides
and pelts shipped via that road. This
agreement dated back ten years to q
date preceding the Hartman merger
which placed the Union Pacific in a
position where no rebating was neces
sary to secure and hold traffic.
Fl. NJ Adams was the first witness
on the stand in themorning.
Chow does your road arrive at
wool ratesg' was asked of him by
Attorney johnson.
s'I don't know was the frank re
|ply.
He Doesn't Know.
"Why do you have rate of $2.1a
per hundred from Nevada to Boston
while the rate from the Pacific coast
to Boston is only $1' was the second
question.
In reply Adams said it was because
Pacific coast wool is baled, while that
from Nevada is shipped in sacks, and
also that the water competition via
Cape Horn made the reduction neces
sary. Asked what the water rate is
the witness replied that he did not
know.
He gave similar answer to a question
as to whether the railroads would be
willing to take baled Nevada wool al
the same proportionate rate as Sar
Francisco or Los Angeles wool.
Mr.. Adams testified that the wool
growers had not asked his road fol
lower rates. The compliments met
this with the declaration that forma
complaints had been made to the in
terstate commerce commission all the
way from Oregon to Texas against dis
criminatory rates on all the roads.
Mr.. Adams also stated that he die
not consider the wool growers the prop
er complainants in the case, inasmuct
as it was not them, but the wool buy
ers in the east, who pay the freight te
the railroads. This voluntary obser
walton drew retort from the wool
growers pndt Is IS tue Sutepucu VIII
bear the brunt of the heavy freight
rates by decrease in the prices ia
the buyers. The witness admitted this
under cross examination.
Rebates Explained.
Adams then suggested voluntarily
that in case an adjustment of wool
rates is contemplated by the commits
sioners, the fact that the Western Pa
cific is a new road should be taken in
to consideration.
"You mean by that queried Attor.
ney Johnson, "that the shipper should
pay a rate that would allow all rail
roads tomake money regardless OF
their condition and regardless of the
effect on hims"
81 do,'' replied the witness.
Then to several sarcastic remarks
concerning the science of rate making
Adams replied that there was no par
ticular science in the matter, but that
it is more in the nature of meeting ex.
isting conditions.
w SummarhayS WAS tho uaxt