The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-04-30
NOOLGROWERS
FIGHT FOR LIFE
Existence Threatened by Ex-
cessive Freight Rates and
Schedule X. Agitation.
BRING PROCEEDINGS
AGAINST RAILROADS
Interview With Frank H. Nc
Cune, Who viii Conduct
Case for FIOckmasterS.
Special 70 The Tribune.

| special 10 Ihe tribune
SPOKANE, Wash, April 2o.-Sweep-
ing reductions in freight rates on wool
produced in the territory stretching from
the Canadian boundary 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 Woolgrowers association. Of
which Frank r. Goodng. former gov
ernor OF Idaho, is president
In making the foregoing announcement
| Frank III. McCune, traffic expert for the
people In the famous Spokane rate case
| and suits In Colorado, Nevada and Ore
| Son. who has been retained by the grow
! ers as commerce counsel. said in an IN
| terview;
The case promises TO be one of the
most important petitions thus far pre-
sented 10 the interstate commerce COM
mission, in that 1t practically attacks the
castbound schedules of the higher In
terror charge as compared TO Pacific
coast cities as the intermountain cases
attacked the westbound rates from the
east. With the wool schedule revised
downward the whole fabric OF eastbound
rates is imperled.
Total Production for 1910.
THE total production OF wool In the
United States for 1910 was 336. 500, ,903
pounds OF which 40 per cont was pro-
duced in eleven Of the Pacific and north
west and southwest states. and 50 per
cent west OF tie Missouri river. Prac-
Ideally all OF this product finally lands
In Chicago. New York, Boston or far
eastern wool markets and the woolgrow-
er has TO stand the transportation cost.
THE wool produced in the western
country is sold in the condition 1t is
sheared and is called wool in the grease.
wool u
eign substance has not been removed
The trade prefers TO buy wool in sacks
rather than in bales. as the sacked wool
admits Of ready inspection and grading
Western wool IS subject TO heavy
shrinkage. ranging as high as 81 per
cent In Idaho, but on this the woolgrow
er mas 10 pay a transportation charge,
from which there is no return to him
from the carrier or other source
THE freight charge from all Pacific
coast cities 10 Boston is 81 a hundred
pounds, but from eastern Oregon, Wash
ington. Idaho. Montana. Utah. Nevada.
Wyoming and other states in the same
parallel. hundreds Of miles nearer Bos-
ton. the rate is s2.13 hundred pounds.
or Sl.l3 higher than from coast points.
The cost TO the woolgrower 10 get n
pound of pure wool 10 the Boston market
a pound. while tho railroads will trans
port WOODEN cloth from Boston to the
same territory for 3.75 cents a pound,
Thus. the raw product paws n ,rS,nspor-
tatlon charge OF nearly 100 per cent
more than the manufactured article
The railroads Invariably have sought
relief from the amended fourth section of
the act TO regulate commerce on wool
shipments by filing applications with the
interstate commerce commission to al
low, them to continue the higher inter-
for relief by the carriers viii be heard at
tho same time the proceeding for a
reduction In rates as filed by wool
growers.
Railroads Will Fight.
''The railroads appear to have a sort
OF superstitious reverence for the
classification they have placed on wool
and because OF this they are prepared
classification. fearing that should wool
be reclasshed IL would open the subject
for general reclassifcation OF the thou
sands OF other articles enumerated in the
railroad classlfcations. wool being con-
sidcred the keynote In the classification
scale.
old cry OF water competition. when the
fact is that no wool is raised along the
ocean borders. Practically all of the wool
is s,,a grown In ,, the interiqE hundreds of
fore. that the excessive rates charged for
the transportation OF this product over
the rate as fixed at the ocean line is
arbitrary and unlawful.
sThe excess rates being exacted from
the wooIgrowers In the western country
approximate S2O0O,0 900 yearly, and this is
ing fought to save the American flock
master from ruin. As this sum is di-
vided among many transportation com
panies. the reduction To each carrier
would be as trifie to the enormous earn
ings which the carriers secure annually,
but to the hard pressed fockmaster IL
means his salvation.
The National Woolgrowers case will
attract nation wide attention. Indica-
tions are there will be several hearings
held by the interstate commerce com
mis- ci6rA ~ ~ 81.
try. west and east. TO gather all the
facts and figures available, so as to en-
able the commissioners to give proper
determination TO this question which |
means so much TO every individual of the !
United States because of the wide use 1
OF wool in the manufacture OF necessary |
articles.
Menace to Wool Industry.
With the extinction of the nockmas-
ter. Of the United States. especially In /.
the districts under complaint wool /
prices would soar beyond the reach of the
average individual. Even now the worlds !
years is 100000 600 while the population .
has increased 0o.o0o,oOo in the same ,
period. II Is clear from these figures ,
the menace that threatens the people By /
the treatment OF the carriers In charg- /
ing the woolgrower excessive freight
rates that are prohibitive to the indus
Try,
THE nockmasters of the United States.
those in the country west
OF the Missouri river. are engaged in "A
desperate battle for existence. On the
one hand the woolgrowers face re-
vision downward of schedule X the agi-
tatton of which has already caused a
heavy slump in the price of wool OF this
years production anS on the other hand
the railroads are charging excessive rates
from the western areas of production TO
eastern markets. In view OF these facts 7
The outlook for the woolgrower is not
bright.