| Show EXAMINER HOLDS SHORT HEARING Alleged Discrimination in Express Express Express Ex Ex- Ex- Ex press Rates Is Aired by Boise Men I ARGUMENTS TO FO FOLLOW LOW Complainants Show How Flow Oth Other r Cities Are Receiving Just T Treatment I i Cost of if the service r rendered n Is not nol only nl left fen out of consideration in makII making mak mak- II lug Ins ingup up the express rates charged by bythe bythe bythe the companies com serving Utah an and Idaho Idaho Idaho Ida Ida- ho but hut the tariff experts who make m makeup up lip lp these rates do not know what whItt Jt It co cots ts ls the express eires- companies and the tho railroads for Cor transporting and handling han liati- dung the packages and the they have no knowledge of the contracts between the express s companies and tho the railroads This Information re regarding the In Inside inside In- In side glde workings of oC the rate makers was ono one of oC the Important developments at atthe atthe the tho hearing hN of or the th complaint brought against ar the express companies of or tho the country before Frank Lyon sp special ciol examiner for fOI the Interstate commerce commission I the federal court room yesterday The admi admission slon regarding reg i rates was was was' made by M. M I C C. I superintendent of tariffs for tor the Pa- Pa elSie Express company compan who was ns brought all the wa way from front Kirkwood Mo to testify In behalf of the express express ex ex- press companies Mr r sal said saks in a general way i that tho the char charges es of the express companies com corn were based on freight charges Influenced sometimes by bp local conditions condi condi- and he further said saM that the express charges were usually from froni 2 2 to times the first class freight rates Yester Yesterdays Yesterday's ns hearing was on a complaint complaint com coni- plaint of or shippers in Southern Idaho brought through h the Boise Com Commer- Commer mer elal club to 10 the effect that through h the schedule of oC prices charged charge for express shipments from New ew York the rate on packages under 7 v. v pounds j it Jl si lower to Reno an and Portland than than It Is to Boise Dolse these points beIng beIng being be be- ing named to make ml the complaint specific although the tho discrimination Uon exists In favor favol of oth other r cities clUes anda and a against Boise The Bol Boise e Commercial club was represented b by Reilly Atkinson Atkinson Atkinson At At- kinson secretary of or the club who alone Was waa pitted against C. C V. W. Stockton special attorney for for the Fargo Wells and the Pacific Express companies and F F. B. B Harrison special special special S cial attorney for tho Adams American Amen Ameri can and United States Express com corn panics In addition to these attorneys John JohnT T T. Daniel assistant RESIstant general of or the Pacific Express compan company com corn pany pan J J. 1 W Yo Rogers general superintendent super super- of or the tho Pacific company compan west of or Green River Wyo and M M. I. I C. C superintendent of ot tariffs for tor the same company compan were wore arrayed against Mr Atkinson Reno Rena Enjoys EnJo's Ix Low Lw v Rate The fhe complaint of or the Boise bU business busi busi- l- l ness SS men inCa set forth that lint Reno which enjo enjoyed ed a lower rate for small packages packages packS pack pack- S ai ages 1 was a n non-competitive non point as tl a. a as Boise and the distances 5 from view 5 e C York to the various cities hav having having ing Jower rates were compared with tin th distance from Boise Mr Atkinson Atkin Athin- son on too took the witness stand and outlined outlined out out- lined hued the complaint of or the Idaho I aho people saying aInt that up to about 18 months ago Boise had hod a through rat rat- of 12 or 1250 from New York and that the express c companies had canceled canceled can can- this rate and substituted others which were made up of tho sums of the local rates from tram New York to Missouri river rI points an and from rom Missouri Mis Us souni river to Boise The effect of or this change was to tomake tomake tomake make the charge on a 7 72 pound package from New e York to Boise while the same package would be carried from New ew York to Reno Retie o or to Portland for Mr Atkinson Atkinson Atkin Atkin- son Bon explained that It was WiS the small package that interested the merchants of or Boise Doise most and that with the graduate scalo scale now nosy In force torce the discrimination die dis crimination was keenly felt A table of or figures wa was Introduced in evidence showing that tho the discrimination against Boise ranged as high as as- 15 cents a pound higher than charges to other cities according to the weight of tho package Attorney Questions Atkinson C. C VC W. Stockton attorney for tor the Fargo Wells and the Pacific Express companies attempted to probe the ex extent ext ex- ex I. I t tent nt o of Mr Atkinsons Atkinson's knowledge of ot the express business by asking all sorts of questions technical and otherwIse otherwise other other- wise concerning the average size and weight of oC packages received in e Iloise e efrom from New lew York York- This line of or questIoning questioning ques- ques finally ended with Mr Atkinson's Atkinsons Atkin Atkin- s spas sons ns n's suggestion that possible tho the express ex ex- press companies might be pc able to furnish furnish furnish fur fur- nish such information Mr Atkinson said Id tho the merchants of ot Boise Dolse were compelled corni com corn i to engage people in New York to collect their consignments and bunch hunch them PO so that the Boise Bolso shippers could get pound rates which were accorded accorded accorded ac- ac corded Reno and other merchants without that extra expense He said the tIme Boise merchants competed competed com corn with other cities on on every ery line linet t 4 of o 1 goods that could bo be shipped by b ex ex- press re s. s FI Figures res were produced b by the express companies showing that on an average lot from New V York covering two months month shipments Boise paid 1 G cents a pound against a pound rate ate of 13 j cents to Portland Your S. S own figures show an injustice t tc te Boise said Mr Ir AU Atkinson Asks m About Capital F. F B. B Harrison attorney fur for the thi United States Wells Fargo and American Express companies n asked lcd about the nature of the business transacted transacted trans trans- acted by b the time Boise merchants merchant and whether whether the they had capital enough I dont don't believe there i is a company compan doIng doing do do- JoIng Jo- Jo ing business In the United States State to toa today today to- to day a that has all the capital It needs neeJ unless it night might be a Harriman corporation corpor replied the man maim from Boise Bols Mr 11 Atkinson said Mid fr freight rates were so o adjusted that Boise could coul break I even with Salt TAke at Minidoka about half way but express rates did not allow this showing a discrimination tion of or about DO 90 O cents on a pound 7 package e against Boise lIe He said further fur tur- ther thor that the express companies had put him lo to most unreasonable trouble to get tariffs James Rogers Roger Western estern superintendent n- n dent for or the Express company explained d that the old competitive rate was as allowed to remain In effect for tor Boise through h an oversight after the Wells Wens Fargo sta stage e lines withdrew rew On cross cross examination tion Mr Atkinson drew from Crom Mr lr Rogers the me admission that although the tho express companies had a special rate from New York to Portland on shipments of ot 00 an and 1000 poun pounds s there was no such rate to Boise M. M C. C gave the successive I e charges In tariffs from the Missouri H ouri river to Boise which had haJ been reduced I from 1 1250 50 In 1884 to 10 1050 50 In 1907 t to 10 in 1890 1390 and to 8 in 1893 wh where re it remained Through Rule i Discontinued H John T. T Daniel assistant general all manager of or the tIme Pacific Express compan company com corn rate pany pan said gald the former through to Boise was discontinued on account of ot the conCu confusion lon and expense Head Ho Tic said ad that during the last ten years ears I while express rates had been reduced the actual cost cot of carr carrying the goods had increased This he explained by several cars of ot saying that formerly express could be sent In one train in charge of or one messenger Now Xo it was wasa I Ia and much less a case of more trains train car ear room to the train while it wa necessary to o have a messenger Oft o receiving ever every car ear and they were higher pay Most o of the testimony at atthe atthe the tho afternoon session was regarding the relative cost cot of oC shipping hipping goods g through from New York h by two companies com corn panics with one wa way bill or transferring transferring transfer transfer- ring and the goods 1 I Ito The plaintiff was given until May to file me a brief and the defendants allowed al allowed ll- ll lowed until May 15 H. Oral arguments will be presented before the Interstate Interstate interstate Inter Inter- state Commerce commission at a date to be set b by the commission Frank Lyon special examiner will leave for Denver tonight to take tale up another hearing S. |
