St. Paul daily globe., 1888-05-31
THE CHICAGO SHIPPERS.
They Held a Meeting to Declare
Against the burlington & North

They Held a Meeting to Declare
Against the Burlington & North
ern Prorating.
The Chicago shippers who have been
complaining of the course taken by the
Chicago, Burlington q Northern road
in regard to through freights from the
East to Chicago, st. Paul and Minneap-
oils, held a meeting to consider the mat
ter and determine what steps should be
taken. They claim that the Burlington
d Northern is making discrimination
in favor of the Twin Cities as against
Chicago. The meeting was attended by
large number OF the heaviest shippers
of Chicago, and also by General Freight
Agent Hamblin, Of the Buring-
ton & Northern, and by Gen
eral Freight Agent Paul Morton, of
the Chicago, Burlington q Quincy,
both Of whom had been invited to be
present. The Chicago Times says Mr..
Hamblin answered the complaints of
the shippers with an explanation of the
situation, in which he took the ground
that his road was justified in the course
it had taken. lie explained that the
lake and rail rates from the Seaboard
to Duluth were the same as the lake and
rail rates from the Seaboard to Chicago,
and that the rates from Duluth to North
ern Pacific and Manitoba points were the
same as those from st. Paul and Mime
apOliS TO the same points. The Bur
llngton x Northern, having very little
local business, accepted fair proper
ton of the through rate already made
by other lines in order to secure a share
OF the business. He held that if his
road did not choose to carry the freight
at such rates it would go by the other
routes and Chicago merchants would be
no better off. Other roads could afford
to let the through business alone and
give their attention to. the profitable local
business which they enjoyed, but in
10y motives of self-interest. They
were protecting their own local
tariff, and not trying to help Chi
cago. Mr.. IIamblin said his road was
willing to abandon the through business
if the Chicago merchants could show
wherein they would be benefited by it.
1t came out in the course of the discus
sion that the Burlington q Northern
was not alone in prOrating on through
traffic. 1t was shown that other roads
have been, and are now, accepting as
their proportion of the through rate
from the Seaboard to Mississippi river
points less sum imam the local rate
from Chicago to the Mississippi. This
was revelation to some of the shippers,
who have believed that all the lines ex-
cept the Burlington & Northern were
living up to their agreement in regard
through rates, which are supposed to be
based on the sum of the locals. The
discussion did not lead to any definite
action, but steps were taken looking
toward a further investigation of the
matter. The merchants are not salts
fed, and there is no doubt that the in
tention is to prefer charges against the
Burlington 81 Northern, and perhaps
other roads, with view of making a
test case before the interstate commerce
commission. There is a feeling among
some of the shippers that the Chicago,
Burling S Quincy company is response
bic for the conduct of its offspring, but
the officials of that company deny that
they have any control over it.