The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1888-02-03

I'M eN'S AIe SOWMEb0Es
Nov Inc wholssnls Grorers ana Rails oaAs
Manage uscswcen Them 90 Esads the
Provisions u ths Interstate Censnercs
Law Explained 70 the Commission hy
Sllnos sscrne.
WASHINGTON. Jan. - The compl aints of
tho New York Board 81 Trade and Trans
portation, tho Retail Grocers' Associ ation
and Mr.. Leggett. representing jobbing
grccers Of New York City. against she
New York Central. and the four other
trunk lines leading out Of that city. came
M before tho Inter state Commerce Com.
mission Yesterday. The complaint In
these cases in brief Il. that the trunk
lines make an unfair aud unjust dIscrim-
ination In favor Of the larger shippers OF
grccerz' freight BY placing less than car
load quantities In higher class than car.
loads, and forcing the smaller shippers 10
pay more for his transportation than the
larger shipper who ships the same kind
Of goods In carloads.
Simon Sterne. of New York, represent.
ing the New York Board Of Trade and
Transportation made the opening argu-
ment. He held that this discrimination
was violative OF the first third aud
fourth sections Of the law which prohibit
a nreas enable preference 10 shippers and
chargi ling more for the short than tho long
haul He insisted that prior 10 the pass
age Of tho Interstate Commerce law,
freights on grocers' goods were on the
whole lower than they have been since
the law was passed. This in itself would
not show discrimination, but would
when taken In connection with
the fact that prior to the
passage Of tho law. no discrimination
was made upon these goods with tho sin.
gle exception OF coffee. and upon that
only for a short period OF time, and thar
upon all other grocers' freight no distinc-
ton between various shippers was made
between carload quantities aud less than
car loads, except such as was secretly and
privately made by rebates 10 tho larger
shippers. Prior to tho pas sage Of the law
this discriminate in favor Of the larger
shippers amounted to about twenty per
cent, but immediately after Il went into
effect q new condition Of affairs was
brought about more onerous upon the
smaller shippers than the rebate discrim'
nation. This was made, not BY charging
trifie more for the quantity less than .
car load than FOR the car load, but by put.
ting . shipment Of $4,000 pounds OF the
same article into different classification
from that which prevails with reference
TO shipment OF less than 1900 pounds.
Mr.. Sterne exhibited table Of CON-
PARSONS which he claimed showed enor-
NOUS determinations The per ccntage
Of advance in rates for small lots over
carload lots on west bound traffic from
New York to Chicago, as shown by this
table. ranged from IL 20 1l6 per cent. The
railroads, Mr.. Sternc said. had three
fold object In view in thus fixing rates.
First, 70 do what IL was claimed 10 Dc
within the province OF the railways 20 DO
before the passage Of the In er-state act
TO build up jotbing centsrs In Western
towns and TO compel the retail grocer TO
patron xe that jobbiRg center instead OF
seeking his goods in the larger aud better
market. Second, 70 favor the larger ship
pers so rs to simplify the business Of the
railway as much as possible. and 20 deal
with the fewest number Of persons, the
tendency being, except in 50 far as II
| Is restrained by law and by
fbs operation OF the Inter State
Commerce law for capital TO coalesce Il.
4 self with capital as against the smaller
1 Ard poorer man; and the third object
/ had IN view in this enormous discrimina'
/ ton was TO reinposc in different form,
\ and. IN substance, in contravention OF
4 the spirit OF the fourth section Of the In.
! ter. state Commerce act. the charging OF
I the higher rate 10 the intermediate point
! as compared with the more distant point
1 He proposed 70 show that the distinction
\ made by the railroads. under the guise o.
4 carload lots. il an utterly arbitrary one;
4 that they are not carloads, but conven-
4 tional carloads: that the car which was
\ formerly OF ten tons capacity had gradu-
Ally risen to twelve. fifteen, twenty and
/ thirty tons with tendency to further in
I crease the capacity OF cars, 80 that
greater discrepancy will be made II this
discrim nation against the less thar car
load lot Is allowed 20 prevail
In closing Mr.. Sternc insisted that the
I d;scrin. nations now made are noe made
upon the basis Of any difference in cost
~ Transportation, but wholly for TIE pur.
nose OF circumventing the law, &c enable
the railway corporations, under tho guise
az making the unit Of shipments car
load. to do what they were forbidden 70
AZ az to continue 70 do under the provis-
ions of the law; in other words, that the
rebates. drawbacks and discrimi'
nations In favor OF the larger
shipper and In favor Of the
larger place as against the smaller
shipper and the smaller place, are intend
cd TO be fastened upon the community
and continued under the guise OF new
CLASH fication which makes disc~imi M
ton OF from 10 70 116 per cent.
against the small er shipper and the
smaller place, as against discrimination
Of 20 per cent which prevailed be-
fore the enactment Of the Interstate
law.
After finishing his opening argument
Mr.. Sterne spent the remainder Of ths
dav putting in and expIainin deposition.
n support OF the statements T. bad
made