St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-02-15
DISCRIMINATION CHARGED.


Railroads Said to Be in CahOOts
With a Clique of Baltimore Grain
Men.
Special TO the Globe.
BALTIMORE, Md, Feb. A.. Three
members of the interstate commerce
commission-Aldace F. Walker, .Au-
gustus Schoonmaker and w. l.. Bragg
began an investigation to-day into the
large shipments of corn made to Balti-
more recently. Mr.. Walker, who con-
Quoted the proceedings, stated to
United press reporter that the inveSti-
CATION was due to complaints made by
members of the New York produce eX-
change and Philadelphia grain men,
and by certain railroad companies, that
New York and Philadelphia were.being
Disseminated against in favor of Balti-
more in the matter of railroad rates,
and by several Baltimore grain men
who charge that the railroads are play
ing into the hands OF three or four
firms. The witnesses examined were
Fred A. Wheeler, superintendent of the
Baltimore II Ohio elevators at Locust
Point; George Booth, chief clerk to the
auditor of revenue. Baltimore d Ohio;
OllFGi w. IlODlitLc1l. superintendent
Baltimore Elevator company at Canton,
which handles the Northern Central
railroad grain; Robert W. Granville,
local freight agent Northern Central
railroad, and William FL. Joyce, gen
eral freight agent of the Pennsylvania
railroad east of Pittsburg. The testi-
mOny and manifests showed that of the
grain coming to Baltimore over the
Baltimore & Ohio railroad, during De-
cember and January, nine-tenthS of it
was consigned to Gill d Fisher, and
that the freight originated in Kansas
and Nebraska. The most important
witness was Mr.. Joyce, Of the Pennsyl
vania railroad. He testified that the
usual rate from Chicago to New York
was % cents, and to Baltimore % cents.
In October, reduction was made from
25 to 20 ON Chicago basis. The 20
cent rate was in effect down to Dec. II,
when the usual rate was restored.
in effect, the rate from East st. Louis to
Baltimore was 300. MI. Walker-Was
there any reduction on the 20
cent rate. Mr.. Joyce-We carried
grain on a through rate from
Kansas City to Baltimore and from Lin
coin, Neb., to Baltimore. the latter rate
being "a. cents out of which the Wanda
liza line got II cents" 1t was customary,
he said, to make through rates from
Nebraska points to the seaboard. Mr..
Joyce explained that the cause of max
ing this through rate was that i'll the
latter part of November. his company
discovered that large. sales of grain
were being made in Nebraska for the
Baltimore market at prices higher than
the market This suggested that a cut
was made in railroad rates presumably
by the Baltimore g. Ohio, which was
verified. and then the Pennsylva-
MA made an open rate to
meet their competitors, which re-
suited in very heavy shipments.
Dec. Is. Of course. all grain in ears
OH that day had to be carried through at
the reduced rate and some of it did not
reach the. elevators until six weeks after
Dec. 16. His company had to rely upon
the statements of the initial company
,as to the time of loading. Mr.. Joyce
said the through rate applied to New
York. Philadelphia and Baltimore, but
Mr.. Walker stated, that the tariff sheet
showed that the through rate was for
Baltimore only, and told Mr.. Joyce to
give him definite information on that
point at the next meeting. In reply to
Mr.. Walker, Mr.. Joyce was aware that
Baltimore got the bulk of the corn ship
ments recently, that Philadelphia's re-
ceipts were very light. but thought New
York got a good share of it. The COM
mission then adjourned until Saturday.