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About The Oregon daily journal. (Portland, Or.) 1902-1972 | View Entire Issue (June 26, 1921)
12 THE OREGON SUNDAY JOURNAL, PORTLAND, SUNDAY MORNING, JUNE 28, 1821. OREGON REQUESTS I. C. C JO ENFORCE ITS RATE DECISION Urges Commissioners to Issue a Mandtaory Order in Important . Columbia River Basin Case. Washington. June 25. (WASH INGTON BUREAU OF THE JOUR NAL.) Request for' a mandatory "order to enforce the commission's ruling and end obstruction by Puget Sound 'interests in the Columbia basin rate case hs been received at the interstate commerce commission office from Oregon and the commis sion is expected to consider the question next week. In recent cases wherein state com missions have attempted to set up dif ferent rates from those prescribed by national authority, or to thwart its au thority, the state commissions have been overruled one after another, and the fact that the commission's decision in this . case has not yet taken the form of a mandatory order is considered among rate men as a 'technicality with which the commission is likely to have little patience. - The commission frequently follows the procedure pursued in the Columbia rate case, assuming that Its conclusions will I ' be carried into effect in good faith by ' t he defeated party, the reason, it is un-I 1 derstood, being that the commission is Ip? enabled to make a saving in checking j . and administration expense because fol- lowing the course taken in this case. . jr : "By what is termed a Shreveport' f order the commission can make its deci- j i . mo. effective and the fact that it has;: this ower has nearly if not always been U;: sufficient to restrain cantankerous litl- . ; pants from adopting mere dilatory tac-'-: tics. ;fes ACTION BI WASHINGTON IN RATE CASE IS PUZZLING Whil the absence of a mandatory order from the interstate commerce com mission is not alleced as a paiiha of in. dependent action by the Washington de- iiurtment 01 public works, local rate ex- jerts are at a loss to understand how the latter could . otherwise have found vwarrant'for its extraordinary proct-dure. Sheer effrontery is, however, suggested as an impelling element. The Washington department of pub lic works, which is also the Washing ton public service commission, was fni lntervenor in the Columbia basin tase a pleader on the side of Seattle anu against both Vancouver and Eastern Washington. It Joined with Puget Sound in seek ing a rehearing of the decision which ordered a 10. pr cent preferential in favor of Portland. Vancouver ' and the cone south of Snake river. . Incident to the petition for rehearing, the Washing- j . iou puuiiu Bcrvice commission uesired to sit witn tne interstate commerce commission in reviewing the issue i which it had previously appeared as special pleader. The extraordinary feature of the pres ent situation is the fact that the Wash ington body which recognized and was a .suppliant before the authority of the interstate commerc e commission, and which went through the entire contest, 'now arrogates an authority superior to that of the federal commission, and, in ordering a suspension of the intrastate rates .involved in the Columbia basin decision, avers that it has not yet had sufficient time to pass upon their reason ableness. Jt is believed that the mandatory order asked will promptly "put the Washing ton commission in its place," or that if the Washington department continues truculent, the railroads will know whom they must obey, the Columbia basin de cision will be made fully effective and the ' recalcitrant Washmg-toniana be forced to go to court, where preceding decisions afford them no hope of success. .- , . ,, , , . .. . College Men Give $1105 Toward Fund For Y. M, C, A. Work Seabeck, Wash., June 25. A total of $1105 was subscribed by college men at tending the Y. M. C. A. conference here for the support of the field budget of the V. College men from 18 educational institutions of Oregon, Washington and Idaho, numbering more than 140, are winding up a 10 days' vacation confer ence at camp on Hood canal, a branch of Puget Sound. Lyle Bartholomew of Salem, president of the University of Oregon student body, was electett president of the stu dent government conference held at the . same time. Forrest Foster, student president of Reed college, is secretary. Glenhaven School Teachers Guests Of Fifty Parents Teachers of the Glenhaven school were guests of the parents or pupils at a dinner . spread the day before the fechool closed for the summer vacation. Wore than SO parents were in attend-J nmA (feferv. tnlb. J 1 . 1 1 uuvib latRO v!7lo IliauB vy Li 1C teachers to which the parents responded, 'in the afternoon pupils of the school gave a program. Afterwards the Paf-ent-Teacher association of the district elected officers for the ensuing year. A feature of the day's program was ' an exhibit placed by pupils in the sew ing class : of the school. It attracted much aUention from visitors. Service Men - We h to installed a department tit will riTe jroa 11 the infor mation relative to the obtaining "of the $3000 under tha ataU boaua bill. , f Write op Phone to Us Today. ELWOOD WILES & SON, INC. -BUILDKRS OF HOMES", SSJ Stark, at 4th Phone A. 524-5S $25 a Day Off Until Sold 1118 Chandler Toerlvg Car. Good Tires. Good Finish Seat ' Covers. Regular price $! ow dowa to.. tS COYET JIOTOU CAB COMPACT COLUMBIA RVER WATER GRADE NOW AN ESTABLISHED FACTOR IN RATE STRUCTURE MJr2gZe,P-''-: r?- - - .J00d j 1 I : j , I ' . 6REUT NORTHERN RAILWAY u I " J i ; . L0 CHICAGO. MIIWAUKEE &. $T PAUL RY. ? Jjfc ? 1 N0RTHFRN PACIFIC RY. ; : " . SPOKANE, f ORTLAND & SEATTLE ; RY , ,; ' r "Sy .coo I I ! : ; - j - - I I OREGON -WASHINGTON RAILROAO & NAVIGATION JCO.- g ... 1 ' - . . I - Jw ;' - " " t wmmmm - , 2 -a. w. . W IJ 200 : 250. '300 ISO 400 Above Scenes along the Columbia and in the Inland Krnpire shdwlns a rail and water terminal at an up- river point; a general view in Umatilla- county and a glimpse of highway, railroad and river at Utehell Point tunnel, on the Columbia river highway. Center Portland's municipal terminal No. 4 and publicly owned bulk grain elevator; an Inland Empire wheat ranch. Below- Profile map showing grades on leading railroads from tho interior to Northwest ports. The three top grades are on roads crossing the Cascades to Puget Sound ports; the two lower t grades are on routes traverse the Columbia. Portlands Advantage in New Columbia Basin Rates From Walla. Walla TVaitsburg Pendleton . . Dayton . . . . Fomeroy Mileage. 294.9 315.1 . 319.1 349.3 2S5.7 305.9 828.7 348.9 312.3 To Portland. . . . . Seattle Portland. . . . . Seattle ...... Portland . . . . . Seattle ...... Portland. . . . . Seattle Portland 856.1 ClaneS 1-4 Teoresent 1cm than rarbuil . .vvwwwij iHiucu u in commocuij raiea Between . Carlos f Commodity Rate. Pendleton ; and Portland. Seattle. Orain-and flour...... 20 22 25 Haj ........ . i. ... 23 Potatoes and onions... 21 Canned goods 66 Baes and baesSn . . . 56 iresh fruits 44 Packing house products 56 Structural Iron A steel 42' Painte 56 . Paper ........ i .... 64 teed, poultry and stock 20 Sa.vh, doors and blinds. .42 Lumber ......... .8 . Sugar ......... ... 66 Syrup . j . . . . 66 23 62 62 49 2 .47 . 62 60 22 47 25 62 62 or snake river. The rates shown are in cents per hundred weight. The .difference of 2 cents a 40 cents a ton. a differential sufficient to control the shipment of the greater part if sot all grain and its products produced in the 4200-4quare-mile snne. Ratee to Vancouver. W ash., are the same as to Seattle. The mileage shown is that over the lines of the S. P. 8. railroad. - llAJL?KrZVT ,-A J f .n,, B .. .-I j I Ui , Sill jsi ; : CLASS BATES" ' ' 1 2 S 4 j B A B C D K 121 H 103 85 73 lft 61 49 86 H 31 24 134 115 94 91 67 67 64 41 ' 84 ' 26 130 111- 92 79 i 65 65 62 38 88 26 144 123 102 87 72 72 58 42 86 29 113 97 79. 68 56 .56 44 34 28 23 125! 107 87 75 62 62 49 38 81 25 133 114 94 80 67 67 53 40 34 26 4 147 126 104 88 74 74 59 44 . 38 . 29 149 3-27 105 89 "75 75 59 45 37 30 184 158 130 ,111 92 02 74 65 47 37 Tiinm.nf, r MHv.f;a oeiow. Between . Between Waitsburg -and Walla Walla and Portland. Seattle. PortUnd. 21 24 -21 65 69 44 69 44 69 -67 21 -44 23 65 65 20 22 23 21 61 56. 44 56 42 56 34 20 42 23 61 61 25 23 67 62 49 62 47 62 60 22 47 : 25 67 67 3 - .. ; s w j'- , , x " b : " Claaa S and Classes A-E represent carload shipments of freicht Between Dayton Between Pomeroy and and Seattle. : Portland. Seattle PortUnd. Seattle. ,23 21 23 25 28 27 . 24 27 . 28 81 23 21. 23 25 28 72 t 7 74 . ' 75 .. 92 65 69 65 59 65 49 i; 44 49 X. '44 49 65 69 65 59 65 49 44 49 44 49 65 ; ; 69 . 85 59 - 65 74 67 74 67 74 23 21 28 21 23 49 44 49 44 49 25 23 25 23 25 72 67 74 75 92 -72 67 " 74 75 92 and Seattle and several key shipping points in the zone south hundred pounds in grain and flour would mean of the 10.000.000 to 15.000,000 bushels of the same as to Portland. Rates to Astoria are - . -. - 1 !v''''4iwW'i RATE SCHEDULE EFFECTIVE JULY 1 Down-Grade Haul Given RecogT nition After Long Insistence; Journal's Fight Ends in Victory Continued Prom Page One) private interests, the great river of the West can also be made to serve the public in irrigation, i in power develop ment and in supplemental boat transpor tation. The public rights In the Columbia must never be lessened, abridged,, alienated or lost. With its manifold fcids to. reclamation, electrification and transportation capi talized underL public control exclusively for public benefit, the development of the Columbia basin, its cities, its farm lands, its forests, its mines and its industries can be made one of the world's wonders, and its yield in human life, in manhood and womanhood a challenge to - any other spot cm the globe. A SIGNIFICANT VICTORY, ; The victory of the people' in the Co lumbia basin rate issue has . back of it a long story of far vision, devotion, sac rifice and intense effort. ; The city of Pendleton is located in the great interior grain belt of Oregon and Washington. Years ago, when C S. Jackson, now publisher of TheJournal, was publishing the East Oregonian; at Pendleton, he began to wonder why the Columbia river did not exist in the minds of railroad rate makers.. From Pendleton it was 218 miles to Portland and 304 miles to Seattle. - A car loaded at Pendleton and give(n a slight push would roll by force of grav ity down the Columbia. The same car and nine others, if consigned to Seattle, would ,call for the services of two mighty , engines to lift them over the mountains. - .-,. ''' '' ' There "wasn't any easy road to Puget Sound. . If the car was sent by ? way of the Northern Pacific it had to be lifted 2852 feet through the Stampede tunnel. If by way of the SJreat Northern, the peak of the lift was 3375 feet through the Cascade tunnel. Then came the Chi cago & Milwaukee line which has two tunnels 2562 feet through the Snoqual mie tunnel - and 2300 feet through, the Boylston tunnel. But Pendleton, 216 miles from Port land by water grade, and 204 miles from Seattle : over the) mountains, paid the same rates ' to both places, i Walla Walla, 241 miles from Portland and 312 miles from Seattle, paid the same rates to both places. In fact, it -was, the rule throughout the Inland Empire that where distance and grade favored Port land the rate would be the same as to Portland. But where distance, not grade, favored . Seattle, as at Yakima, then the rate would be lees to- Seattle. AN IDEA EXPANDED - . Mr. Jackson became Imbued with the idea . that : the . Columbia river ought to I ft 4. r? ' 1 -wH i: : x , : A-; : be worth more to the people.' He had some preliminary investigations : made while he was in Pendleton. lie brought the idea with -.him to Portland. He found here a sympathetic friend and co worker in the person of Joseph N. Teal. As. the years went by the idea ex panded. It became evident that the issue would be resolved only by a trial of strength. Some interstate rates were involved, it -was not a question that Could be settled by appeal to the pubLc service commissions of Washington and Oregon. It must be carried to the inter state commerce commission at Washing ton, D.-C. . ' -. The Inland Empire Shippers' league was organized. With The Journal back of it. the league directed the attention of the commerce commission to the fact that the Northwest rate structure was based upon the longest mountain haul, that of the Northern Pacific, and had been since 1887. The mountain haul with its hazards, delays and costs had, for a - third of a century, taken toll from every bushel of wheat, every ton of agricultural production and every pound of merchandise moved to or from the Inland KmDire bv rail. Th -wnnnVrful J water grade cut by the Columbia directly across and through the Cascade range was absolutely ignored as a factor in rate making. . The appeal of the shippers' league was n general terms, for lower rates. When Portland and Vancouver came into the fight they asked specifically for lower rates between the Inland Empire and the er ports of the Columbia. The dock and port commissions, the Portland Traffic St Transportation association and the Chamber of Commerce were Port land's spokesmen. The city of Vancou ver, its port commission and the Cham ber of Commerce and Clark county Joined with Portland in the formal, ap peal for justice. STATE COMMISSION JOINS The Oregon public service commission supported the demand for a lower rate to Hortland on the basis of a notable study into transportation costs as affected by distances, grades and curvature. This study showed startlkigly the economy of the -water grade. For instance, in resist ance mileage' Pendleton was found to be 215 miles nearer Portland than Seattle, and, in equated mileage, 348 miles nearer Portland than Seattle. Resistance and equated mileage, of course, translate grades and curves into the terms of level track. It takes the same energy to lift a carload of wheat one foot vertically as to move It 344 feet on a straight, level track. Pendleton and Kennewick joined In the iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiinir Sacrificing Three If loors Packed With Standard , and Up-to-Date Footwear, Made Especially for Us Back to Normal Prices - When a few weeks ago we announced a general reduction on our prices we had no idea what effect on the purchasing public this would have. Our stock has been melting away like snow in -summer, and we have kept the wires hot for up-to-date Oxfords and Strap, Pumps and they ate arriving every day. We do all, we can to supply you with the latest in good footwear at normal ptites. Goodyear Shoe Co. BRUCK & STONE, PROPS. NEW PRICES ON REPAIRING MEN'S Best Oak tanned leather Halt Moles . 1 s5 tO-Day guaranteed raato Half Sole 91. 25 All Rabber Heels.. ......15? Leather Heels ........450 Leather Bottoms with Heels for .....92.50 149-151 Fourth St. Fiiimiiumiiiimiiuiiiiijiiiuiiimimii.u appeal ; for recognition ... of the water grade. Spokane asked that any recogni tion of the water grade should apply to that city as well as to the porta of the Columbia. f . j With the energy of desperation,- Seat tle, Tacoma and Everett, aided by the Washington public : service commission, opposed' any modification of the artificial rate structure. . Astoria successfully concluded in 1915 long, tedious contest. In which it had the cordial support of this newspaper, for rates on a parity with Puget sound. In the 1919'contest Astoria Joined with Puget sound in resisting and lowering of rates to Portland. Its fear .was that a I .-eduction won by Portland would be met ;"y Seattle and Astoria again would be ift "hanging on the long end of the Tole." It Is apparent now, however, that inch a contingency is unlikely, if notim lossible. Astoria with its proximity to he ocean and Portland-Vancouver at he head of deep sea navigation have an importunity that doubtless will be utll zed to Join in gaining the: very large rade which should be theirs -by reason f geographic location -and natural acj- i vantages. , . t : On July 21, 1419, Interstate Commerce Commissioners Eastman, Daniels and Hall, attended by Henry Thurtell. then 2hief examiner of the 'commission, opened .'n Portland the hearing of the Columbia Basin rate case. The United -States rail toad administration, then In control of the railroads, and the carriers Northern pacific. Great Northern. C. M. &' St. P., S. P.& S.. and O-W. R. & N. appeared s defendants, with the Puget sound ports and Astoria as hostile interveners. After a week of evidence-taking in Portland, the hearing was transferred to Seattle where another week Vas con sumed in the same way. The filing of formal briefs followed. . On January 8, 1920. Chief Examiner Thurtell, filed a tentative decision, rec ommending that the rates'betwecn Portland-Vancouver and the zone south of Snake river should not exceed 90 per cent of the rates to Puget sound or Astoria. All Involved in the case, plaintiffs, de fendants and Interveners, took exception to the recommendation. - The plaintiffs thought he order should apply to all that part of the Inland Empire in which it had been shown that operating costs were less to. Portland than to Seattle. The defendants, especially the northern lines, trembjed at the thought Tof a break in "sacred rate structure.", The Puget sound lntervenor were aghast at the thought of what might happen to them if their artificial advantage should be removed, even in limited degree. The decision of the interstate com merce commission was announced De cember 2, 1920. It came as a wonderful Christmas present to Portland, Vancou ver and the interior. It confirmed the examiner's recommendation. It in structed the railroads to file amended" rates granting Portland and Vancouver a 10 per cent preferential to and from the interior zone. It suggested that the new rate be obtained by: raising the Puget sound tariff 5 per cent and lower ing the Portland-Vancouver rate by an equal amount. 1 , The railroads had by that time been returned to private operation. They ac cepted the order of the commission with out protest.. It is evident that the O-W R. & N. and S. P. & S. were given an advantage in what bad been highly com petitive territory. ' j DECISION Vi rKOTESTtD . But Seattle, .Tacoma and Everett kicked high over the traces. The Wash ington Public Service commission, which had disregarded the claims of Vancouver and Interior Washington in order to sup port, the Puget sound contention, main tained its partiality to the political cen ter of Oregon's daughter state. . Astoria, with lesfe fear of ill than In the begin ning, joined, however, with Puget sound in petition for a rehearing of the case. The Issue had been so thoroughly, so exhaustively reviewed by the commission, its report had been so unanimously given and its order so emphatically entered, that it "was difficult to see upon what basis a rehearing could be asked. In point of fact, Seattle was merely striving to escape Judgment by prolonging delay. Had it not been for the petitions for rehearing, the new rates would have be come effective in April. The commission announced on April 23, last, its formal unwillingness to re hear the case. It gave no long state ment. It .made) do apology. It stated simply: .i "Upon further consideration of the records in the above entitled proceedings and of petitions for rehearing, filed on behalf of the public service commission, state of Washington, on behalf of the I 1 BACK 110 '-NORMAL I ' IW ONE JUMP! I ARRIVING DAILY BY EXPRESS Oxfords and Strap Pumps for Women and Growing Girls - On Sale Now $4.95 and $7.45 brown and black kid pumps, one and two straps, french and baby french leather heels, aul Sizes and widths, back to normal price - 7 $745 SAME. STYLES IN GREY SUEDE LADIES' i Bottom with ! Faneo Entire Faneo Bottom with ! Faneo Heel for I 92.SO Best Oak Tanned Leather Half Sole 81. lO 9-Hay Guaranteed Faneo Half bole 91. OO Alt kind Rabber Heel,....... , ...,tOO Fixing Leather Heels. .................. .aO?' New Cnban or Military Heel..... ..Kl.OO Sew In place of wooden heels.. ..... 91.50 isaiB..as.s..BMsBsssis.saBi.M...B Port of Astoria and on behalf of certain Seattle, Tacoma and Everett. Wash., in-, tervenors, it Is ordered that the said pe- I -tltiotis be and they are hereby denied by the commission." . ' The preparation of the tariffs modified to accord with the Interstate Commerce commission's order was turned over by., the railroads to the North Pacific freight -bureau with headquarters at Seattle. It was first announced that the new rates would be published effective June 20. Mechanical and clerical reasons were offered as a reason for extension of the time to July 1. VICTORY ESTABLISHED The Columbia basin cas waa1closed and -won with the denial of the petitions for rehearing. The- fuming forces of oppo sition are' beaten.. Portland, Vancouver and the Interior zone have come- into their oun. They have won what should have been enjoyed as a matter of rfght many years ao. The principle wltjch stands today is worded thus by the in terstate Commerce, commission in 41s order : e e tne rates for interstate ap plication on classes and commodities be tween points in said Columbia river basin south of the Snake" river on the one hand and Portland and Vancouver on the other are unduly prejudicial to Portland and Vancouver insofur as they poraneously upplied on like traffic be-.' tween the Columbia river basin points on the one hand and Astoria, Seattle or Tacoma or points -on Grays Harbor and Wlllapa Bay on the other." The decision applies to gruin rates, and the first evidence of its value to Port land and Vancouver is the strengthened establishment of grain handling and milling Interests in this district. It ap plies to livestock, lumber, canned goods. musical instruments, groceries on all classes and .commodities. There are no exceptions. . 1 1 ne zone kouiii ui oiiitne river nea in the Washington countios of Asotin, Gar field. Columbia and 'alla Walla and the Oregon county of Umatilla. Tha new rates apply to such important shipping points and - communities as. Pendleton, Walla Walla. Wallula, Milton, Athena,' Freewater, Pomeroy, Dayton and Turner. The effect of the order will doubtless be felt in the rate arrangement and the competitive opportunity Immediately north of the Snake river, including Ken newick and Pasco. The interstate commerce commission obeyed the immutable law of economy. The mountain haul can never be nego tiated as cheaply as the water grade. Anything contrary to this law cannot be permanent.- Puget sound cities un dertook to build their greatness in part ,on the oasis or arunciai ovampt. They have lost. Portland and van- couver and the interior have won. These cities, ranches and towns have been pre sented with -great opportunity. It is theirs to use. It gives enhanced value to every farm, every shipping station, every railroad, every grain elevatorand every port facility. It gives industry and business a chance, to turn the new 3 . ,A Jnll.ra n nA SAntl urffUlFlt Huvaiiisc i. v vj " ...... . . . - The Journal rejoices in this Buccesswon for the people which will mean so much to the progress and prosperity of the future. e States Suicide Wave Is Hitting California Sacramento, Cal.. June 23. (I. N. S.) That a "sulciae wave - is Bwerpms uci California as a result of business de pression and economic disturbances com mon to after the war periods, was the statement of L. VI Itoss, head of tha state bureau of vital statistics. In com menting on his official report on suicides, made public today, which states that 314 Callfornians took their own lives during k- tira four months of this yeax. Of this number only 78 were women. Six tli Man Is Convicted . Pasco, Wash.. June 25. George Ralney was convicted on a charge of criminal syndicalism Thursday and sentenced to the penitentiary for from six months to five years. Ralney Is he sixth man sent to the spenltentiary or; iuj reimm atory from this county for criminal syndicalism. $100,000 lieft Colorado College Denver Colo., June 25. ftT. P.) Colo rado college receives. 1100.000 by he terms of the will of the late Henry It. Wolcott, wealthy Colorado pioneer, it was learned today. A bequest of $25,000 was left to Yale university. immiiiiimmiiiimmiiiimiiimiiiini: GREY SUEDE BLACK AND BROWN KID AND CALF OXFORDS, GOOD YEAR WELTED SOLES. LOW AND MILITARY HEELS, ALL WIDTHS AND SIZES. BACK TO NORMAL PRICE- CHILDREN'S Best Leather Half Sole 81. l6 Fanro Half Sole ...:..$1.()0 Fixing- Heels ......40C Children's up to size 11 Kest Leather Soles 85 Flxlnt; Heels 3U? gruffer Bottoms p to size 11 at 91.25 Next to Honcyman Hdw. :i iiiiiitiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiin::!'