The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1940-08-23
Tacoma Trade
Is Restricted
Rotes To Alosko
Hurt This City

Z. S. maritime commission hear
ings on steamship freight rates
between Puget Sound and Alaska
ended wednesday at Seattle. fol-
lowing testimony Of Tacoma ship
pers representatives charging the
steamship companies with restrict
ing Tacoma trade in violation Of
law.
Heard before Examiner James
A. Russell, Wednesdays session
concluded a series Of hearings
conducted In Alaska and Seattle.
The investigation was started last
month, originally in behalf of pro-
posed rate increases; neither Ia
coma nor Seattle shippers have
protested the proposals.
However, an outgrowth OF five
years unsuccessful negotiations
between Tacomans and the steam
ship companies, four local traffic
experts petitioned the maritime
commission for legal intervention
to obtain freight rates for Tacoma
equal to those applying to Seattle
regarding Alaska trade.
McCune Tesfifies
Jay w. McCune. traffic man
ager of the Tacoma Chamber of
Commerce, presented technical ex-
hibits showing that prior to 1888
Tacoma enjoyed rate parity with
Seattle, but since then the steam
ship companies have Disseminated
against Tacoma and thereby ex-
eluded local competition on 40
items Of merchandise constituting
a large portion Of trade which
otherwise could be expected with
Alaska. Il was also shown that
Tacoma is excluded entirely on all
items from competing for markets
In several Alaska areas due to
discrepancies in freight rates. Nc
Cune also brought attention to
blished rate disagreements
among the steamship companies
themselves. charging their rate
making policies are inconsistent
and arbitrary to the detriment Of
Tacoma merchants and manufac-
turers.
o. J. Metzler, sales manager Of
the Centennial FIGURING mills, tes-
titled against differences in rates
on northbound and southbound
merchandise between specific
points, pointing out such discrep-
ancies favored the flow Of trade
through Seattle.
Cites Other Instances
F. ]. Walsh, industrial engineer
of the Tacoma Chamber of Com
merce, cited specific instances
where new industries utilizing the
potentialities of Alaskan markets
had forsaken establishment Of
plants here because Seattle offered
arbitrarily lower rates to northern
markets.
]. T. Akehurst, manager of the
Wypenn Oil Co., testified that
rates on fish and whale oils from
Alaska were the same to Seattle
and Tacoma when establishment of
his plant here was contracted four
years and four month"; ago, but
when the refinery was put into
operation the rates to Tacoma
alone were increased to necessitats
extra freight costs amounting to
S34, 900 since that time.
Want Same Rates
It was also pointed out that
Tacoma shippers are agreeable tc
necessary overall rate increases
to enable the steamship companie:
to absorb trans-shipment costs be.
tween Tacoma and Seattle where.
by the two cities would enjoy the
same rate without necessitatins
the steamers actually calling here
Since Tacoma shippers previou,
negotiations with the steamship
companies have produced unsatis.
factory results locally, the hear.
ings just concluded were tanta.
mount to formal complaint filed
with the commission for a decision
and action several months hence