Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927, 1913-11-21
CITY BEGINS ACTION BEFORE
RAILROAD COMMISSION
AGAINST THE SOU. PAC. CO.
Want the Present Rate of S92 Per
Car From Portland Cut TO $50
Minimum Load

The papers have been served upon
the Southern Pacific officials In the |
action being brought by the city of
Grants Pass before the state rail
way commission seeking a reduction
of the freight rates on steel rails and
structural iron from Portland to
this city. This action was authorized
by the council some time ago, but
before commencing suit the city at
torney took the application for the
reduction up directly with the rail-
road company. The attorney ad-
dressed a letter to the general man
ager of the company, stating that the
city was building railroad leading
out of Grants Pass toward the coast,
and that ten miles of the grade was
now about ready for the rails. That
the freight rate of 46 cents per hun-
dred pounds on these rails from
Portland to Grants Pass was deemed
excessive, and asking that the COM
pany make a material reduction In
the same.
Wednesday morning H. A. Hin
shaw, representing the freight de-
partment of the road, and j. M.
Scott, general passenger agent, were
in the city, and interviewed City At
torney Colvig regarding the request
made in his letter, explaining that
the freight tariff schedule as made
was not deemed excessive and could
not be changed, glad as they would
have been, of course, to make con-
cesslons to the city of Grants Pass
in its purpose of building road
Immediately following this refusal
on the part of the companys agents
for relief, the notice of the petition
to the Railroad Commission of Ore
gon was served on the local agent Of
the Southern Pacific Company, and
action from the commission will be
obtained as rapidly as possible. The
petition to the commission asks that
a reduction on the rate be made from
46 cents per hundred pounds to 10
cents, with a minimum carload OF
10000 pounds. II recites that the
present rate is exorbitant and ex-
cessive, and its enforcement works a
great loss and hardship upon the city
of Grants Pass. A copy of the let
ter written to the Southern Pacific
, people is attached to the petition, as
. is a statement Of the action OF the
company in dealing with the request
= Under the rate on steel rails anC
structural iron as now in force, the
city is forced to pay $92 per car o
I the minimum Of 10000 pounds fol
, the 300-mile haul from Portland t
Grants Pass. The city attorney IL
his argument to the railway official
, called attention to the great differ
ence in the rates as they apply T.
p rails shipped in for the building o
, this municipally-owned road and tn
cost of transporting other commo
: dities. As an example, he quote
cement, upon which a rate of 81 pc
4 ton is made for the same distance
2 or $40 per car, as against s92 pc
car for the steel. He also shove
n that the expense TO the company 1
= the transporting OF the steel wa
much less, with but fraction OF tn
j. liability. The rails are carried o
e fat cars, loaded and unloaded Will
d out cost to the company, and wit
l. no chance for loss by breakage {
Y theft or fire. Cement, on the othC
,r hand, must be carried in box car
and is constant menace TO the pro-
erty Of the company. II was ais
J. argued that the rate on rails fro
- Chicago to Portland was but a fra
tion OF the rate from Portland her
-, But the officials were dumb to arg
ment. hence the petition to the sta
% commission.
= The state commission will set
date for the hearing on the actlo