Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1920-01-04

CRIPPLE FRUIT RAISING
The railroad administrator, ,raa
m increase In the rates for raSr,Usr-
alton Of perishable commodities e.d
the establishment Of protective haafer
service Tor perishables during cold
weather from the western states. In
Guiding Idaho, to practically ali no;nts
OF destination within the United states
This department was active in the a.
Tense on behalf Of the fruit industrv
pointing out to the commission that the
varied proposals to increase the trans
portation charges on fruit would SER
iously cripple the fruit industry of the
state, and advocating the establishment
OF protective heater service. That mat
ter 10 also pending decision of the in
terstate commerce commission,
Another important case we had "a
do with was the Columbia river Grade
case. heard In Portland July last. and
which affected the relationship Of the
rates between Portland, Spokane. and
cities in northern Idaho. Certain
trade relationships are now maintained
between those cities which, IL dis
turbed. would have the effect Of putting
the wholesalers in northern Idaho out
Of business.
NORTH IDAHO CASE
An Investigation of the rate situa-
tion As regards to the local rates be-
tween Spokane, Lewiston and points
located on the Camas Prairie was made
at the request Of the Lewiston Com
mercial club with the result of find
ing highly discriminatory situation
with regard to Lewiston and Camas
Prairie points. The matter was finally
presented to the railroad administra-
ton in April, and we have since that
time been trying to get the matter
out Of the committees hands, where 1t
has evidently been pigeonholed.
Northern Idaho Is a large producer
OF beans, which in order to be market
ed, require cleaning in transit privi-
leges. Proposal was made to cancel all
cleaning in transit privileges except at
a greatly increased rate. The proposal
was cancelled after an investigation
and presentation of the facts to the
railroad administration.
MINE PRODUCTS
Another important case involved the
increase in the rates on mine and
smelter products from Idaho to east
ern points in a hearing before the in
terstate commerce commission in Chi
cago. The decision Of the committee
is still pending.
In addition to these formal matters
before the interstate commerce COM
mission and railroad administration, a
great amount Of work has been handled
on tentative proposals which never
reached the formative stage, such as
the proposal to increase all class rates
upon mileage basis, using a different
basis for respective ones in the United
States, In which Idaho was placed in
the highest zone and a proposal to
amend the coal rates upon a purely
mileage basis.
The task Of following these matters
Is stupendous: illustrating this. in our
department there was filed during the
last year over $500 tariffs, circulars and
dockets, involving changes in rules and
rates. The ever changing conditions
surrounding commercial and industrial
life demands an elastic system of rate
and requires industry and COM
merce to be continually on the job, ia
miliarizing itself daily with the needs,
and above all, it requires the closest
cooperation in order to obtain results
that will be beneficial to the state at
large.