Polk County observer. (Monmouth, Polk County, Or.) 1888-1927, 1915-10-22
HAS ANOTHER SIDE TOIT
PORTLAND LUMBERMEN WAGE
BATTLE AGAINST VALLEY.
Freight Rate Agitation Stirs William
ette Valley Lumbermen to
Action.

in that city in a quarrel with the
Southern Pacific railroad company be-
cause of the company's alleged dis
elimination against Portland lumber
mills and merchants. Quite an agita-
tion has been started to force the
company to lower its rates on lumber
to California points, the paper claim
ing that Willamette valley mills are
getting the trade and the profit be-
cause of the higher rate from Port
land. The Willamette Valley Lum-
Der Manufacturers association has
taken the campaign under considera-
tion and denounces the attempts OF
the Portland Telegram and the Port
land manufacturers to compel the
railroad company to reduce its rate,
and vigorously maintains the right
of valley manufacturers to lower
rate. 1t is only within the past year
that the Southern Pacific has awak-
ened to the needs of the industry in
the valley and should be given credit
for a desire to cooperate.
"In the first place." say the mem
bers Of the association, "the mills OF
Portland have never worked in har-
mony with one another. For instance,
in the case of hearing by the Inter
state Commerce commission in the
California rate cases, they have never
been able to go before the commission
as a unit to advocate their wants.
But after the commission fixed rate,
then they cry that they are not get
ting fair DEAL and endeavor to stir
up strife through the press. By a
cartoon, the Evening Telegram shows
PortlandPortland bottled up. The man
in the bottle should be labeled evil
lamette Valley Manufacturers" in
stead of "Portland Manufacturers. +"
Until June 21st of this year Portland
enjoyed a 212 cent better rate into
Utah territory. Portland has had for
years and is still enjoying 4 five cent
better rate to Eastern Oregon and a
large part of Idaho. Portland ships
to California by water. Some of the
Portland manufacturers will say chat
they cannot compete with the VIII
lamette valley mills by water and that
the boats will not take small ship
ments. This is not true and even on
the 171a cent rate it will not be pcs
sible to ship much lumber to San
Francisco or bay points by car, ow-
ing to the low rate by water.
The Southern Pacific company vol
unfairly reduced the rate from Port
land 312 cents so that the differential
would only be A cents between Port
land and the Willamette valley. Val
ley manufacturers believe that they
are entitled to this slight difference,
that they may, in measure, com-
pete with water competition. Port
land protests because the line has been
drawn, as they say, at the city limits.
The nearest mill in the valley to Port
land on the west side is Hillsboro;
on the Portland, Eugene & Eastern is
near Molalla; on the Springfield
branch is Silverton and on the main
line is Salem. If the line had been
drawn 20 miles farther south, what
difference would it make? There are
no mills between these points and
Portland and never will be. The mills
at Hillsboro, Molalla, Silverton and
Salem are not cargo shippers. Ger
tain mills in Portland have in the past
tried to influence the Chamber of
Commerce, Commercial clubs and 9th
err like organizations against the val
lev dealers securing any benefit in
rates. They have threatened to boy
colt certain jobbers if they did not
line up on their side. Are the people
of the Willamette valley going to
stand idly by and allow few people
in Portland to jeopardize their
rightsq
The Portland mills are very selfish,
wanting the best of the deal all the
way through and are unwilling to al
low valley manufacturers even an ev-
en- break Only few weeks ago the
Portland mills filed a complaint with
the Interstate Commerce commission
against the valley mills being placed
on an equal basis with them on all
shipments destined to what isl
commonly known as the Utah
territory. Willamette valley mills
are allowed to ship to points
in this territory on 3712 cent rate,
which is the same rate that applies
from Portland. The Portland mills
evidently do not consider this fair
and ask for differential of at least
21b cents. They are trying to take
away a very small advantage which
applies to the very limited territory
in California while on the other hand,
through their complaint to the Inter-
state Commerce commission, they are
irving to shut Willamette valley deal
ers out of Utah, which is one of the
largest lumber consuming districts
tributary to Oregon mills. Does this
look consistent7 Never before has the
Willamette valley realized as it does
now the value of the lumber industry.
II knows now that it is effected di-
reetlv by its weakened condition and
will do anything that will tend to
help existing conditions. Before the
lumber industry secured foothold in
the Willamette valley there was but
little development. In the past 10
wears large sums of money have been
invested in building saw mills for the
of lumber. 1t has been
an uDhill came even under the best |