Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1918-01-07
General Agent Of Railroad
Says Commercial Club
Secretary Is Mistaken in
His Statements.
Colonel Priest Cites Figures
to Prove His Contention
That Boise Valley Is
Treated Fairly in the Mat
ter of Rates.
By JOEL l.. PRIEST

General Agent Q. S. L. Railroad Coz
l was much interested In letter
signed by Byron E. Hyatt, secretary
of the Boise Commercial club, pub
lished in the Sunday Capital News. In
which he charges that freight rates
from this territory are discriminatory.
Mr.. Hyatt is a gentleman for whom
have the highest respect as COM
mercial club secretary, but l am In
clined to believe he has good deal
to learn about freight rates.
He makes comparison of the wool
rate from Portland to Boston with the
wool rate from Idaho to Boston and
states that Portland buyers buy an
nually millions of dollars Of wool from
this territory and ship 1t to Portland
and from Portland to Boston" l don't
know where Mr.. Hyatt gets his figures.
but they are grossly inaccurate.
Records of the railroad show that
very small percentage of Idaho wool
goes to Portland. certainly not to ex-
coed 10 pcr cent. and probably less:
and. after all. IL Mr.. Hyatt had taken
the trouble to inquire he would hav.'
learned that only few years ago the
Interstate commerce commission. the
highest rate making authority In the
country, established the existing rates
on wool from this territory to eastern
markets. If these rates are not fair
then the interstate commerce commits
sion and not the railroad Is to blame.
Mr.. Hyatt seems to infer that the
reason there are no wooden mills and
securing plants in this territory is on
account of the high rate on wool.
/ might say to him that as far as the
wool itself is concerned, wooden mills
established in this territory would have
to pay practically no railroad rate on
their raw material.
CANNED GOODS RATES.
Further along in his article Mr..
Hyatt speaks of canned goods rates
and says: 1T is not difficult to see
why Boise valley does not have any
canning factories In view Of the dis
elimination in rates" ! supposed that
Mr.. Hyatt knew about the canning
factory at Payette. which has been in
operation for a number of years with
constantly increasing output and a
steady widening of it's distribution.
I am advised that this year the Pay
cite factory put up the largest pack
gin and that every can of the prod
uct has been sold. Further. if the
factory had canned 100 per cent more
than it did it could have sold the out
put without even sending a solicitor
out to meet the trade.
| was under the impression that Mr..
Hyatt knew OF the condensed milk
factory which is under construction at
Nampa. He talks of the condensed
milk rate from Portland to New York
as compared with the rate from Boise
to New York. AS a matter of fact
there has never been a can of con-
densed milk shipped from this terri
tory to New York nor has there ever
been an application for commodity
rate on that product from this terri
tory TO eastern markets.
The people who are building the fac
tory at Nampa have had a very wide
experience in the manufacture of con-
densed milk and Mr.. Hyatt may rest
assured that they are not going into
this present undertaking without
thorough understanding as to their
rates.
HONEY SHIPMENTS.
Another item discussed by Mr.. Hyatt
Is the honey rate. l note he uses the
less than carload rate on honey for H.
lustration. Now. II Mr.. Hyatt were a
little more familiar with rate and pro-
duction questions he would know that
honey rarely moves in less than car
load lots any considerable distance. He
would know. too. that there is a rate
of 81 per cwt. on honey from the Boise
valley to New York in carloads which
is considerably lower than the less