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Show RATE HEARING BEGINS TODAY Lowering of Tariffs to ln-termountain ln-termountain Points Is Sought. Association of ' Western Shippers Will Present Petition. With the railroad administration and the railroads themselves represented by oue of the largest gatherings of high transportation officials that Salt Lake has seen in many months, and the shippers ship-pers represented by counsel for state commissions and civic bodies from seven different states, the stage was set yesterday yes-terday for the opening of a hearing this morning before examiners of the interstate inter-state commerce commission on the granting grant-ing of proportionate distance rates on commodities from eastern points to in-termountatn in-termountatn points. Both the railroad men and the freight traffic experts of tho various parties initiating the complaint held continuous con ferenees yesterday in prepara t Ion for ; the actual opening of the proceedings this morning in the federal building before be-fore Federal Examiners Henry " Thurtell and Harris Fleming. The Traffic Service Bureau of Utah will this morning present a petition of intervention for the transportation department de-partment of the Salt Lake Commercial club - supporting the allegations of the complaint. The bureau will be represented repre-sented by Stephen H. Love, president; Y. t-'. McCarthy, vice president, and H. W. Prlckett, .manager. To Present Complaint. The complaint will be presented by, J-B. J-B. Campbell,, attorney for the Intermediate Inter-mediate Rate association. After the presentation of the complaint will come the presentation of evidence, reports and documents in support of the allegations allega-tions of the complaint. When the evidence evi-dence In behalf of the complaint has j been presented, the railroads, through counsel, will give their side of the case. It is known that the evidence for sub- j .mission by the complainants consists of cranis, maps and other material which will be used to support the contentions of the complainants that the "director general of railroads is maintaining to all said tntermountaln sections commodity rates which are unreasonable, unjust and discriminatory," to use the language of ihe complaint itseif. It is the okl story of the difference in rate for long and short hauls. Concea-aioas Concea-aioas have been made to inland points during the past year, and rates that were once higher to Salt I-ake from eastern potnta for the same commodities than were the rates to the Pacific coast were Ocst to the point where the freight charges to Salt Lake were at least no more than to the Pacific coast cities. Proportionate Rates Asked. The Intermediate Rate association asks now that proportionate rates be granted which will give the intermountatn points , the benefit of their lesser distance from the eastern points. The complaint petitions peti-tions that: "Ail transcontinental commodity rats from a?i eastern defined territory to said Intermountaln territory and to other territory ter-ritory in which the same rate is charged from eastern defined territory as to the Pacific coast shall be graded, taking Into consideration the distance of the haul so that all shippers and receivers of freight in all localities in the said Intermoun-tain Intermoun-tain territory shall have reflected in their rates the benefit of their geographical geograph-ical location. " 'That Jol n t t hrough class rates be established from all territory east of Chicago Chi-cago to a-I territories in Montana, Idaho. Utah. Wyoming and New Mexico and all ' other intermountaln territory where said ! joint through etas rates are now not f maintained, and for such other and fur- j tjer relief as to the commission may ( eem Just and reasonable." Railroad officials declined to say yes-terday yes-terday what opposition they wi'i offer to! the complaint, further than to indicate that the water competition which is anticipated an-ticipated for the near future will be a matter of serious consideration for the railroads in determining the question of transcontinental rates. Hhippers of t'tah and. the intermo'in-tain intermo'in-tain territory have been long contesting against tie alleged discriminators rates which put Utah manufactures and Industries In-dustries on a par v;th those on the Pa- flc ooast so far as freight rates from J the east are concerned. T;ey have organized or-ganized committees In every city of the section Involved; state railroad and industrial in-dustrial commissions Iiave studied the j question, and some concession have been yAtned in tbe past few years. Plan Worked Out. The hearing which opens thla morning Il a continuation of the matter which waa presented In documentary form to The federal railroad administration by the int :rmedlati Ilat; association In July of last year. As a result of a bearing held at that time lefore the western district dis-trict freight traffic committee of ths railroad administration, the freight committees com-mittees at Portland and flan Krandsco Were Instructed to work out a plan for grading (ha lommodity rates. They mapped out such a plan and submitted sub-mitted their findings and proposals to the railroad administration at Washington, Washing-ton, whir, in turn presented them to the interstate ommerce commission. The petitioners of the Intermediate P.ate association Inrjude the Halt f.ke GOWi maatrial club, tiie Spokane Alerchants aa- viatlon. the Hpokane chamber of com-moTr'f, com-moTr'f, the Monta na Prelgh I Jia t a s sso- ' iatlon of Great Kails. Mont.: the Mon- :ana state railroad - omrnlsslon, the pub- ; Ho utilities, commission of Idaho, the 1 tJolse, Idano. Commercial r'ub, tha public' I till ties commission of Utah, the Traffic Hervt.e Bar OO U of I'tah, the railroad (pOlfbiaafon of Pfew Mexico, the railroad (QSJimtaalon ' of Nevada, t he Keno, Nov., Comrner'la! rlub and the Ariisona corporation cor-poration com mission. rWenda-its named In the petition begin be-gin with Walker f. FHne, dl rector gen-'ral gen-'ral of rallroaJw, and Include nsarly ZQi r iirHl ''ompanles. wMch embraee all roads handling freight d'-stlned fo ln-14 ln-14 rrnoun'al n jlrita from "astern points, j |