Arizona republican., 1912-01-31
ORAL ARGUMENT
IN WOOL CASE.
Strong Presentation Made
Before Interstate Com
MERGE Commission.
DECISION EXPECTED
AT AN EARLY DAY


home Monday night from a trip. pri-
marily to Washington where nv assist
ed in presenting oral argument before
the Interstate Commerce commission
in the struggle of the western wool
j. growers for lower freight rates on wool
from all western points to Boston and
/ other eastern markets.
III The wool growers were represented
| by Mr.. Victor O. Johnson. who
throughout this important case has
| demonstrated ability as a traffic attor-
ney Of very high order. Mr.. Johnson
| resides at Shoshone, Idaho and is gen.
| eral counsel for the National Wool
| Growers association. DePass arrived
| in Washington in time TO go over the
rate features of the case with Mr..
Johnson before the argument was be
gun.
The Hartman lines were represent
cd by Attorney F. G billiard. the Bur
lington by r. b. Scott, the Santa Fe
by Evans Brown, the Western Pacific
by \. =. Matthews. the Boston Cham
her Of Commerce by ID. O. ives. the
Great Northern by J. d. Armstrong
TIE Merchants Exchange of st. Louis
by J. {. Lincoln and the Interstate
Commerce Commission by Special At
torney J. l. Marchand
At the close Of the case DePass went
10 New York for a day and on the
way home stopped few days at Chi
cago at both of which places he had
business Of Importance TO transact in
connection with the duties of his Of
flee.
The argument in the wool case was
opened by Nr. Marchand with a state
ment of the principal facts brought out
nj the various hearings and he closed
with a denunciation of the methods
under which the present rates had been
constructed.
! Y. .. Johnson followed for the wool
growers and made an argument for the
shippers. the equal of which, it was
openly stated had seldom been heard
before the commission.
Mr.. Johnson reviewed the history of
rates on wool and showed that as a
rule the rates eyacted today are higher
than ever before. OF this there were
but few exceptions He explained how
the roads east of the Mississippi riv-
or had increased their charges on
western wool about - per cent since
1896. This was done by withdrawing
the proportional carload rate of 44h
cents and substituting an any-quantity
rate Of 57iz cents. This increase was
made under the specious pretense Of
benefiting the small eastern shipper
bui was really scheme to increase the
rates on the large carload movement
from the west.
In western territory he showed that
in addition to many advances in the
rates there had been general increases
in the minimum weights. so that the
earnings per car to-day are often twice
rs great as they were fifteen years
ago.
| II was then shown that n sweeping
increase in the rates had been ac-
cOmplished by Withdrawing the
rebates which were customary a few
| years ago. Evidence of this kind is
always difficult to procure. and the car
riers fought it tooth ami toenail. But
| Mr.. johnson had patiently hammered
| away until he built a stone wall of
evidence too strong to be shaken by
the combined assaults of the railroad
| attorneys. He showed cOnclusively
that although the published rate was
usually above $500 after the rebate
was made, the shipper seldom paid
| more than $50 net. Now the growers
pay from $2O7h to S215. and some
pay more.
| He then demonstrated that on ac-
count of the vast increase of tonnage,
the greater density of traffic and the
splendid revenues of the wool carrying
| roads, the rates should have decreased
instead of increased.
II was pointed out that the freight
rates upon wool were much higher ana
in many cases twice as high as the
rates on other products. especially no.
ticeable from points in Arizona. At
the same time it was shown that con-
| sidering the ordinary equipment used.
the slow time given and the safety Of
| handling wool il cost less to haul il
than almost any other commodity. Mr..
Johnson followed this up by showing
that the sheep industry had become
so improbable that the traffic could
not bear the rates now imposed.
He also pointed out that there is no
practically no product of the inter-
| mountain TtSlbn NLtliitT VI lilt
the farm. the orchard, or the factory,
that carries any higher rate to eastern
market than applies from the Pacific
coast,-except woods, hides and pelts.
He demanded why woods from ArZo-
ma, Oregon. Nevada, Utah, Idaho. Wy
oming and Montana should pay twice
as much to Boston as the woods from
the Pacific terminals. while all other
eastbOund products We're handled at
terminal rates or less than terminal
rates In closing he made a powerful
appeal for the producing interests of
this er-mOuntain empire. demand
ing for them the same consideration
which the commission has extended to
the jobberS in the same territory.
Mr. Johnson was warmly ccngratu-
lated on his strong presentation of the
ease and the wool growers are conf
| dent that when the decision is an
Inounced it will fully Justify the effort
| which has been made.
III Representatives of st. Louis and
Chicago interests argued for transit
| privileges at these points against which
plan, Mr. Ives of Boston entered siren