Omaha daily bee., 1889-08-15
MISSOURI RATE CONVENTION
Kansas City Smelters and Packers
Very Timid.
AN OMAHA MANS vlRILE SPEECH
II. N. Jewett Not Afraid TO "Dcmand''
That the Railroads DO Justice
He Routs Some Kansas
City Boosters.
A "Reauest" for Reasonable Rates.

ATcuIsoN, Kan, August 14-tSpecial Tel
egram TO TuE BEE The rate convention of
Missouri river cities held here to-day was in
session less than three hours. Fifty or sixty
delegates were in attendance, representing
Kansas City, wyandotte, Atchison, ST. Joe,
Omaha and Sioux City, II. N. Jewett repre-
sented Omaha although he said he bore no
credentials. Letters were read from Omaha
expressing sympathy with the movement.
The delegates were welcomed by ex-Mayor
S. 8. Kelsey, who formal Y called the meet
ing to order.
William II. Hail. of Kansas City, was made
chairman of the organization, and IL. r.
Bostwick, OF Atchison, secretary.
s. Il. Washer, of Atchson, stated the local
grievances against the railroads. Others
followed, and finally 9. f. Finley, of Kansas
City, brought the meeting to a head by intro
ducing the following resolution:
Resolved, That committee of twelve,
who shall constitute a committee of ways
and MEANS be appointed to provide for the
establishment of freight bureau and the
employment of an experienced railroad man
as freight commissioner"
This resolution did not strike the conyen-
tion just right and it was referred to COM
mittee of five, consisting of Miller, of Kansas
City; Coy, of Wyandotte: Washer. of Atchl-
son; Walker, of st. Joseph, and Jewett OF
Omaha. The committee retired and upon
setting forth the determinations against
Missouri river points, declaring that such
points are entitled to equal rates with Mis-
sissippi river points and demanding
that the through rates be made equal
to the sum of the locals. The committee
also recommended that the commercial bod
les represented in the convention be re-
quested to appoint two persons who together
shall act as an executive committee and that
such committee consider the practicability of
1iu hnr nd a T.
ment of a Commissioners.
The Kansas City packers and smelters
were timid about the use of the word ''de-
mand," they having just had their rates fixed
up satisfactorily, and after some discussion
the word request" was substituted. Jewett,
of Omaha, opposed the change, and said the
men who had no grievance had no business in
the convention. He was especially vicious
toward the Kansas City smelters and pack
ers He had the sympathy OF the conven-
tion, but 1t was voted to use diplomacy be-
fore war was declared. Jewett wanted the
smelters and packers and others without
grievances barred off the executive commit
tee, but the convention voted that it had no
control over these appointments, In the dis
cussion Finley instituted a comparison be-
tween Kansas City and Omaha, and Jewett
retorted that the Omaha smelling works
were the largest in the world and he de.
clared that his lumber firm paid five times
the freight paid by Finley's smelling COM
pany The convention adjourned at p. m.
Will Raise Iron ana Steel Rates.
CHICAGO, August l4.-[Special Telegram to
THE BEE. The freight committee of the
Central Traffic association to-day decided
that, beginning September 1, there shall be
an ali-round raise in iron and steel rates.
The exact advances are left to the joint COM
mittee of the Central Traffic and trunk lines.
Milling in transit rates will be continued, ex-
cept that the privilege of shelling corn In
transit was Abridged.
That the Grand Trunk ls growing restive
under the operation of tho present rates is
becoming more and more evident. In the
recent furry IN grain rates, caused by the
reduction to 20 cents by the Baltimore q
Ohio on corn, and the subsequent reduction
Of the Pennsylvania to 20 cents on all classes
of grain and their products, the final 30 tile
ment was that all roads should make 20
cent rate on corn and 25-cent rate on all
other grain. These rates were adopted by
all the roads except the Grand Trunk, which
resumed the old rate of 25 cents on all classes
of grain. Traffic Manager Reeve said to-
day:
1--WE are not in favor of discriminating IN
favor of corn. The grain rate always has
and should be the same. We are now charg-
ing 25 cents on corn shipments, as against 20
cents charged by our competitors, simply to
uphold what we believe is right principle.
We are in favor of an immediate advance of
the corn rate to a 25-cent basis, and of al
ways keeping grains and their products on
the same basis as grain"
Several of the Central traffic roads think
the Grand Trunk is meditatlng active meas
ures, and that to live up to its principles"
it will lower all grain rates to the same basis
or in some other way compel an advance in
the corn rate