Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1916-11-19
LONG and SHORT HAUL CASE
AGAIN CONFRONTS SHIPPERS

points east of the Missouri river the
commission allowed fixed arbitraries.
or rates from Chicago, Pittsburg and
New York which were higher than the
Z, 10 and % per cent. These fixed arbii-
traries were later discontinued.
CONDITIONS DIFFERENT.
"The entire proposition resolves it
self around the question as to whether
or not the coast terminal cities are go
ing to be built up at the expense of
the interior cities" stated one man IA
miliar with the situation. The ship
pers of the interior won a victory in
the Spokane case and at the coming
hearing they should see that part of
the victory is not taken away from
them. With the Panama canal open
to coastwise shipping thereby permit
ting the shipment of commodities at a
lower rate by water from one coast to
the other, it seems to me that the rail-
road carriers could well afford to pro-
coed to build up their freight business
on local rates establishing them so as
to reach the interior points. The is
sue is one that requires the closest
study and is of vital Importance to the
interior states of this country"
With the Panama canal closed tho
carriers claim conditions are different
than when the long and short haul case
was presented. With the slides in the
canal ships engaged in coastwise com
merce are gradually drifting into for
eign trade, it is claimed.
COMMISSION ORDERS.
The copy of an order of the inter-
state commerce commission on file with
the Idaho public utilities commission
states that the various carriers oper-
ating routes by rail, and by rail and
water between the Atlantic and Pa
ciflc coasts of the United States and
publishing rates on many commodities
(which are lower for longer than for
shorter hauls over the same line in the
same direction. the shorter haul being
included within the longer, in contra =
vention of the fourth section of the act
to regulate commerce by fourth sec
tion applications Nos. 205, 342. 343, 344,
S49 $50 and 1862, filed by r. H. Coun-
tiss, agent, on behalf of carriers,
parties to this tariff, named in said APP
plication, sought authority to con-
tinue-to charge and receive a greater
compensation for the transportation of
property for the shorter than for the
longer haul"
The commission by its orders au-
thorized the carriers, parties to the
above named applications in some in
stances to continue t. charge and re-
ceive greater compensation for the
transportation of property for the
shorter hauls from eastern defined ter
ritories to intermountain territory
than for the longer hauls to Pacific
coast terminals, subject, however, to
certain rules and restrictions respect
ing rates on a group of commodities
named in the reports and known as
schedule c commodities which are par
ticularly adapted to transportation by
water, differ in certain respects from
the rules and restrictions respecting
rates on other commodities known as
schedule B commodities.
SPOKANE FILES PETITION.
By a petition filed March II, 1916 by
the Merchants association of Spokane.
Wash, it was asserted that on account
of slides in the Panama canal and the
increased demand for ships for convey
ance of traffic between the United
States and the various European coun-
tries, the service by water between the
Atlantic and Pacific coasts of the
United States was in a large part dis
continued. 1t further asserted that
orders of Jan. 29 and April 10, 1915,
granting in part the relief sought by
the carriers, were based upon the then
existing necessity for the maintenance
of unusually low rates by rail from
eastern defined territories to Pacific
coast ports on account of the compe-
tition by water, which necessarily, by