Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1914-07-08

agreement was repudiated, and the rate
of 8 cents was made, OF which the Pin
gets cents, a rate equivalent to that
once agreed upon by the Short Line for
the entire haul from New Meadows to
Boise and the Short Line gets cents.
Mr. Mott testified that the mill now
owned by the complainants mas a ca
pacity of 10000 feet a day and would
give permanent employment to no less
than 50 men If the same rates were al
lowed Boise hat are allowed on other
railroads but that the plant is now
closed down with no men employed be-
cause those rates are prohibitory TAX
ing all the profit out of the business.
He showed that the rate on legs into
Boise from New Meadows, a distance
of ITO miles, is 1920 per thousand feet,
while the rate from Rondowa to La
Grande, Ore, distance of 81 miles, is
but 81 per thousand.
He also declared that the cars, which
were furnished by the Oregon Short
Line, had to be equipped with stakes
by the shipper at a total cost of $50
per car, entailing an annual mainte
nance cost of about $40 year.
Drive Industry Out Of Boise.
Both witnesses testified that although
the distance from the eastern Oregon
timber belt is from 200 to $50 miles
from Boise, still lumber can be shipped
from there at a sufficiently lower
freight rate to drive the industry out
of Boise even when retail prices are
charged on the Boise manufacture. He
also showed that the rate on lumber
! from the Oregon mills to Salt Lake is
the same as from Boise to aSlt Lake,
although the distance from the oregon
mills Is from 200 miles to ESQ miles
greater than the Boise mills. This is
naddition to the logging rate. Adding
the two together. the logging rate of 8
cents, plus the lumber rate of 80 cents
| to Salt Lake, makes q rate Of 80 cents
as against the lumber rate of 80 cents
from the Oregon timber belt. In han
ding logs the waste is about 40 per
cent, but In Boise. even with the Bar
Der mill running at the same time, this
waste can be sold in the market, the
mills having a contract with the state
to use even the sawdust in its power
plant.
He said they had always been COM
PEELED to marike their lumber product
| III the bOlS6 IldIhGl OSCduSG NlAO Aeh1p
on lumber from Boise made it prohibit
tive to ship elsewhere. He said that
they usually received about eight cars
at a time the cars being brought in
on regular trains, that having been the
understanding when shipping was be-
gun that the roads were to pick up the
loaded cars at their convenience.
Before they began shipping by rail,
I.,,k
owing to the construction OF the dam
at Arrowrock logs cannot now be float
ed down the south fork and 1t had
never been profitable ofloat down
More's creek.
Floatin gof Logs.
Mr.. Tiffany, who said he has been
engaged in the lumber business for rs
years, explained more fully why 1t does
not pay them to float logs down the
Boise river. He said this could be done
only at high water and the expense Of
storage and losses is so great as to
make the operations expensive. He
said that in late years most great mill
ing companies transport by rail In
preference to floating logs by water.
He detailed his efforts at getting lower
rates with the railroad officials, be-
ginning DICK IN 1911 Wheh ne took inc
matter up with Frank PlAisted, then
with the hSort Line.
Our business Is not satisfactory
now" testified Mr.. Tiffany, because
the rate are so high the industry cannot
be conducted satisfactorily. II seems
TO me we should at least be placed on
the same basis as eastern Oregon, con-
sidering the distance Of the haul"
He said he believed the Short Line
would be given the outward haul on
at least 40 per cent Of the lumber that
would be manufactured In Boise. and
on cross examination by the Short