Walla Walla Farmers Take On the Railroads
A $5,000 fund is being raised to bring a freight-rate case before the Interstate Commerce Commission, as farmers grow impatient with legislative inaction.
Walla Walla, March 9. — Special. — A well defined and organized plan has today been formed whereby a fund of $5,000 is to be raised to bring the case for reduction of freight rates, now pending before the Interstate Commerce Commission, to a speedy issue. W. H. Reed, of Tacoma, has had the case in hand, but owing to the farmers hoping to get relief from the legislature, the matter has been allowed to drop. The farmers are now thoroughly aroused. Negotiations are now pending to secure the aid of Turner & Graves, of Spokane.
“The farmers are now thoroughly aroused.”
Rural communities fighting railroad freight rates is a precursor to today's battles over transportation costs and corporate power. Then as now, farmers organized to challenge what they saw as unfair pricing, and the Interstate Commerce Commission was the arena.
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