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Show LONG HAUL RATES ! ARE DEFEATED Chicago, Nov. 21. Defense of the low long-haul freight rates to Pacific coast pointB without proportionate reduction re-duction of Intermediate rates was offered of-fered by representatives of transcontinental transcon-tinental railroads before representatives representa-tives of the interstate commerce commission com-mission here today. Tho case, which has been at IsBUe for twelve years, involves controversies controv-ersies between shippers of the east, west and intermountaln territory and the railroads and steamship lines. Hearings will be held for a week in Chicago and dates have been announced an-nounced for sessions in Salt Lake City, San Francisco, Spokane, Portland Port-land and Washington. J. C. Campbell of Spokane Is leading lead-ing the fight of the intermountaln interests to force the rates to levels which the railroads contend would turn all the transcontinental business oved to steamship lines plying through the Panama canal and break business relations between the middle west and the far west, running into millions of dollars. It was asserted that (he railroads are willing to carry the goods in com-petitipn com-petitipn with the water-carriors at rales something above the costs "out of pocket" that they may keep tlie business and serve their middle western west-ern shippers. Otherwise, it was asserted, as-serted, the business will go to the Atlantic seaboard, nearer the watef-carriers, watef-carriers, and to the Intermountaln interests. in-terests. F. H. Wood and L. J. Spence, attorney at-torney and director of traffic respectively, respec-tively, for tho Southern Pacific company, com-pany, and Paul Hastings, assistant traffic managor of the Atchison, Tope-ka Tope-ka and Santa Fe railway, stated the case for the railroads and explained the proposed increases of ten cents a hundred pounds on carload and twenty-five cents on less than carload business westbound and ton cents a hundred pounds on California products eastbound. |