Arizona republican., 1921-11-28
CASE IF SAL I LAKE SHIPPERS COMP LIFTED AT
 RATE HEARING
Utah's Opposition To Pro- posed Changes Now In Record-Declare Reduc- ton to Coast Would Be Ruinous to Interior

SALT LAKE CITY, Nov. 27.-| Utah's opposition to the proposal of the railroads to reduce freight rates from the east to the Pacific coast is in the record. Yesterday the wit nesses representing shippers, jobbers and manufacturers completed the presentation of their direct evidence before Examiner William A. Disque. With compelling earnestness, the witnesses, F. c. Gill, H. w. Prickett and H. l.. Harrington, asserted that to permit the charging of the lesser rate for the longer haul to destroy the existing relationship of the rates to Salt Lake and to the coast would mean the restriction of present busi- ness, a stifling of future enterprise. And to the voice of the inter noun tain shipper was added the plea of representatives of the American mar chant marine for the protection of that institution, the very life of which is threatened, they say. by the present request of the rail carriers. P. c. Gill, chairman of the trans portation committee of the Salt Lake Commercial club and secretary of the Strevell Patterson Hardware com pany. was the first witness yesterday | morning. Ills evidence was di- rected to the showing of the effect | the rate sought would have in the | limitation of the business of his firm and the broader effects upon the
 state as a distributing center. He
 expressed the belief that not only would the Salt Lake jobber lose business in the western territory af-
 fected in the commodities on which
 reductions are sought, but would lose
 much other business as well.
 | Tn an axcbanUa hetrVpa,, Karl knOy
 Gartner, attorney for the intermedi- ate rate association, and H. A. Seam | drett, chief counsel for the railroads, Mir. Gartner asked if the carriers would not seek sectional relief on ad-
 ditional commodities should the iri-
 terstate commerce commission grant I the pending petition Mir. Scandreti replied that the commodities named I in the present application are those
 in which the water carriers are now I providing the most competition and I which are moving to the greatest ex- II tent by water now. He added thai 1. applications for further exception, would depend in large measure upor the rates which the ships may pul
 into effect.
 Frank Lyon, representing the Luck
 enback and United American lines asked MT. Gill: Recognizing tha
 
 , would it affect your interests nor adversely to have lower rates to tn
 Pacific coast by rail than now exist | Are you more adversely affected b,
 the present variable water rates?" . To this MT Gill replied that wate : rates have as yet had little if an. effect upon the business of the inter
 mediate territory, while the effect O s the lowered rail rates, were not com r pensating reductions made to-the in : terior, would be immediate in thei n adverse effects.
 T Examiner Disque questioned NJ : Gill as to his opinion upon the mar
 kets to which Pacirlc coast purchas : CTS would go should the applicatio P be denied. Mir. Gill said that whil z 1t undoubtedly would be to the ad : vantage of the Pacific coast jobber : be able to purchase on a parity ( . freight rates in different market r that because it is impossible to get 2 full line of goods either at the Al IF lantic coast or at inland Easter = points, there would inevitably be n considerable volume of traffic move
 by rail to the Pacific coast from ii e interior east.
 . On the question of the uncertaint q of water rates, MT. Scandrett dre . attention to the desirability from Il 9 point of view Of the JobDcr or Know . ing what rates his competitor ws
 paving and MT. Gill agreed with h y views.
 A. J. Bidwell, traffic manager fC ;. John Scowcroft and company of Or - den. testified that the business if that company, amounting in 1920 if S6. 300, 00O.. would be seriously hand
 capped should the carriers get wh; " they want He testified that ov' .e s1, ,OO0. 900 in business was done
 his company in the territory whic n would be cut off. He drew alter n tion, under questioning by Mir. Gar l. ner. to the increase on business whiS s followed the decision of March, 1sl VI whereby rates to Salt Lake we
 made no higher than the rates to Il
 Pacific coast, saying that to distul
 the relationship thus created wou ,- work serious harm, not only to Il