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Show RATE ON' POTATOES QUESTION IN IDAHO Special to The Tribune. POCATELLO, Idaho, Dec. 7. Commissioner Commis-sioner John W. Graham of the puhlic utilities utili-ties commission has returned from thej hearing of the potato rate case at Minne-appolis. Minne-appolis. The hearing covered a period of three days and much evidence was sub-milted sub-milted by Wisconsin and Minnesota potato po-tato growers to show that neither state could compete with Idaho in the Texas markets. The hearing was the outcome of a complaint com-plaint tiled by the Northern Potato association asso-ciation of Minneapolis against a number of the western railroads. Minnesota growers are now paying a rate of 7'i cents a hundred on pot a toes io Texas common poinls and they ask that this rate be reduced re-duced to 6S cents. They also demanded that the Idaho rate be increased from til cents at Idaho Falls and HR cents at Twin Falls to 70 cents. The Idaho and California Califor-nia utilities commissions in terv en erl and objected to the rate being change!. According to Commissioner Graham, Tdaho potato growers will be shut out of the Texas markets if the demands of the Minnesota growers are complied with. He states that out of a toial of :i500 cars of potatoes marketed bv Idaho in IPI.t. nearly near-ly one-half were sold in Texas, and the closing of that market to the poiato growers grow-ers of this state would vitally affect iheir interests. However it has been found that there is some difference of opinion among local potato growers as well as those of the Idaho Falls riisirb-t as to the advisability of contesting the Minnesota case, as it is held that If lower ruP's are made from that state, Idaho would then bo entitled to a proportionate reduction in rates. |