Salt Lake Tribune | 1905-05-19 | Page 1 | Lower than If Fixed by a Commission

Lower Than If Fixed by a Commission Opinion of Commissioner Prouty as to Treight Rates Discrimination Worse Than Rebate3. "WASHINGTON. May 18 Commissioner Prouty of tho Interstate Commerce com-rtislon com-rtislon today gave testimony before the Bftnata CotnmtttM on Commerco on Ihe puhject of rognlatlon of freight rates. He takl that neither the commission nor any court hnd pnw.T to determine a reasona-ble reasona-ble rate for the future, He would create a department of railways before which Informal In-formal complaints could he filed, and also a commission which should decldo all questions of rates to go into effect at or.ce, to be reviewed by a court. No More Competition. In his opinion the railway rates are lower now than If they hnd been fixed by a commission. Competition In rallwas, he declarr-d, hnd ceased or would ceaso in ti very short time Discrimination, he predicted, pre-dicted, would be a greater evil than rebates re-bates In the future I'rder present conditions condi-tions the Standard Oil company had an absolute control of the oil business on the New York. New Haven & Hartford railroad. rail-road. Spokane Hr.s a Kick. Brooks Adims. rrprci entlng the Spo- l:.ine V.-,sh ) "u:iniber f l 'ummcrr.', .tld rate Injustices wero pmetlcel against Spo-kane Spo-kane On six ataple articles th discrimination discrim-ination was 8rt per cent. Where I rate n.-,s fLK to Spoknre from Chicago the rate was 1 to Puget Sound points. This w.is effected by euepenelon of the long and short haul clause of the law because of water competition. Railroad classification in some cases, h charged, had closed manufacturing establishments at Bpokane.