Yellowstone monitor. [volume] (Glendive, Mont.) 1905-1928, 1911-05-04

eookane, Wash, May 1.--Sweep-
inc reductions in freight rates on
wool produced ii the territory
stretching from the Canadian bound
agv to the Mexican border and west
from the Missouri river To Chicago,
Philadelphia, Boston, New York,
Baltimore and other eastern and
Atlantic seaboard points are sought
in the proceedings just instituted
before the Interstate Commerce
Commission by the National Wool
Growers association, Of which
Frank r. Gooding, former governor
of Idaho is president.
In making the foregoing an
nouncement Frank f. McCune, traf-
fc expert for the people in the fa-
nous Spokane rate case and suits in
Colorado, Nevada and Oregon. who
has been retained by the growers as
commerce counsel. said in an inter-
view
The case promises to be one Of
the most important petitions thus
far presented to the Interstate Com
merce Commission, in that it practi
caIIy attacks the East-bound sched-
uIes Of the higher interior charge as
compared to Pacific coast cities, as
the intermountain cases attacked
the West-bound rates from the east.
With the wool schedule revised
downward the whole fabric of East
bound rates is imperiled.
The total production Of wool IN
the United States for 1910 was 1885,
896,903 pounds, OF which 70 per Gene.
was produced in L of the Pacific
and Northwest and Southwest states
and 80 per cent west of the Missouri
river. Practically all Of this product
finally lands IN Chicago, New York,
Boston or far eastern wool markets
and the wool grower has to stand
the transportation cost.
'"I'he wool produced in the wes-I
tern country is sold in the condition
II is sheared and is called wool iii
the grease, By which is meant wool
from which foreign substance has
not been removed. The trade pre-
fers to buy wool in sacks rather
than in bales, as the sacked wool ad-
mlts Of ready inspection and grad
ing. Western wool is subject to
heavy shrinhage, ranging as high as
VI per cent in Idaho, but on this the
WOOL grower has to pay a transpor-
tatlon charge, from which there u
no return to him from the carrier
or other source.
The freight charge from all Pa
ciae coast cities to Boston is ST. al
hundred pounds. but from easternI
Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Monta-
ma, Utah, Nevada, Wyoming and
other states in the same parallel, /
hundreds of miles nearer Boston. \
the rate is $2.13 a hundred pounds,
or $ll3 higher than from coast
points The cost to the wool grower
10 get pound Of pure wool to theI
boston market from the MesternI
Territory is $50 cents a noued while
lie railroads will transport WOODEN
cloth from Boston to the same terri
lory for 3.75 cents a pound Thus,
The raw product PAYS d transporta-
ton charge of nearly 100 per cent
more than the manufactured article. 4
The railroads invariably have
sought relief from the amended
fourth section of the aet to regulate
commerce On wool shipments 81 81
lag applications. with the interstate
commerce Commission 70 allow
'fem to continue tie higher insaf-
mediate rate charge. These applica-I
nohs for relief by the carriers viii
oe heard at the same time as the
proceeding for 4 reduction il rates
as fled BY wool growers.
The railroads appear To have al
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