The Twin Falls times. [volume] (Twin Falls, Idaho) 1905-1916, 1916-11-30
RATE CASES UP
IN SALT LAKE CITY
Examiner of Interstate Com
mUrCe Commission Present
IDAHO RAILROAD COMMISSION is
IN ATTENDANCE.
Vigorous Protest Against Diserimina-
tiOn Against Gem State Shippers is
Made.

SALT LAKE CITY-The petition of
the shippers of the intermountain ter
ritory to have the fourth section Of
the interstate commerce act construed
strictly and as a consequence to have
the freight rates to this section re-
duced to the level of or below those
to the Pacific coast, began Tuesday
before Examiner Thurtell of the in
terstate commerce commission. II. W.
Prickett, manager of the traffic ser
vice bureau of Utah, was on the stand
the entire morning, being examined
by W. S. Mccarthy, vice president OF
the local organization. The petitioners
are endeavoring to show that ths
rates to Salt Lake are unreasonably
excessive. The hearing is in the fed
eral building.
At the hearing are ]. A. Munroe,
vice president, in charge of traffic Of
the Union Pacific system; H. A. Scan
drett, interstate commerce attorney for
that line; representatives of the Boise
Commercial club and the Idaho Public
utilities commission; J. B. Jones of
the Arizona railroad commission; the
Campbell, representing the Spokane
Merchants association; Fred Wood,
interstate commerce counsel for the
Southern Pacific; Charles Donnelly,
interstate commerce counsel for the
Northern Pacific; p. p Hastings, in
terstate commerce counsel for the
Santa Fe, number of general freight
agents of various lines. Mr.. Munroe's
private secretary, ]. Elmer Anderson;
r. H. Countiss, agent of the Trans
continental Freight association; Steph-
en- H. Love, president of the traffic
service bureau, and others. All roads
west of Chicago are defendants.
The session this morning was de-
voted largely to the introduction of ex-
hibits and an explanation of their ma
ture and purpose by Mr.. Prickett.
They included schedules showing, the
witness testified that the rates from
points east and west to Salt Lake are
excessive beyond reason. One of the
schedules gave a long list of rates be-
tween cities 400 or 1,500 miles apart,
which are approximately the same as,
and in some cases less than the rates
between San Francisco and Salt Lake,
distance of slightly half as great.
Particular comparisons were made be-
tween rates from points in the east to
! Nebraska and the rates charged on
like commodities between Salt Lake
and San Francisco. In the compari-
sons it was shown, Mr.. Prickett said,
that the rates to Salt Lake are about
, equally high for only half the dis
tance.
Numerous rates between New York,
Pittsburg, Detroit and other eastern
nfc Do pf 10 CT
pared with those from the same points
, to Salt Lake City, and a general in
! crease of from 10 to 60 per cent was
shown on rates to Salt Lake over those
charged for hauls on to the coast.
O Many commodities were mentioned, in
: cluding pianos, plumbers goods, paper
c and paper furnishings, soap, starch,
tin, toys, etc, and the differences in
q the rates shown in costs per car from
eastern points to San Francisco and
from those points to Salt Lake. In
some cases the costs to this city were
, shown to be as great as $3.50 more
q than the charges for hauling the same
= commodities more than 500 miles far
II ther to the coast The witness testi-
4 fled that the discrimination was both
y unreasonable and unjust.
20 Mr. Prickett said it costs Sc more
n to have piano hauled to this city
from the points named than it does
to have the instrument hauled on tc
San Francisco; that a car of starch
cost $50 less when hauled to San Fran
u cisco from Oswego, New York. than
ii when hauled only to this city; that II
costs SIS more to have car of toys
l. originating in the east cut out from
81 train in Salt Lake, than to have II
hauled on to the Pacific coast, and thai
on many other commodities the excess
"a ranges between SIS and $3.50 on the
y on the rate to this city over that tc
:, the Pacific coast, over 500 miles far
- ther away from the shipping point.
- Water competition. the witness tes
~ titled in many of the commodities does
a not exist, as they are not shipped b,
- water, and for that reason, he said
- the rates to the Pacific coast shoult
not be considered justifiable becaus'
of such competition.
Idaho shippers are represented b,
- Avel P. Ramstedt, A. l.. Freehafer
. commissioners, and Leonard Way, rat
= expert for the commission. togethe
20 - with c. B. Graft, of the traffic bureau
~.