The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-01-14
THIS WIhL TEST IT
BANK OF BENSON FILES FORMAL
CHARGES AGAINST THE GREAT
NORTHERN EMPRESS
TO ASCERTAIN If THE LAW,
AS INTERPRETED BY THE ST.
PRENIE COURT, CAN BE EN-
FORCED EFFECTIVELY.
TO ASCERTAIN If THE LAW
ISCRIMINATION is ALLEGED
Claim That the Rates to Appleton
Are Less, Though for II Longer
Distance.

The Bank Of Benson has filed a for
NAL complaint against the Great North
ern Express company for alleged over
charging of express charges on a pack
age Of money. The outline of the COM
plant was given some weeks ago in
the q o b e, but the railway and ware
house commission declined to entertain
the complaint until it was presented in
regular form and duly certified to by
notary public. The formal complaint
was filed with the commission yester-
day. The matter is one of considerable
Importance, as it means a test of the
ruling of the supreme court that the
railway and warehouse commission has
jurisdiction over the express companies
as we'll as the railroads. The commits
sion has filed a copy of the complaint
with the Great Northern Express COM
pany, and the latter corporation Is
given twenty days in which to file it's
formal denial or answer. The matter
will be argued before the commission
at the end of that time The full COM
plant is as follows:
The Bank of Benson complains of the Great
Northern Express company and alleges:
FirSt-That complainant is a banking corpo-
ration duly organized and existing under the
laws of the state of Minnesota and doing a
general banking business at Benson, Swift
county, Mimi.
Second-That the Great Northern Express
company is corporation, duly organized and
Incorporated under the laws of the state of
Minnesota, and is a common carrier doing an
express business on the line of railroad oper-
ated by the Great Northern Railway COM
pany, between the cities of st. Paul and Min
neapolls and breckenridge, station on said
line of read in Wilkin county, in said state
and between st. Paul and Minneapolis, Mimi.
and Natertown, station on said line of road
ha lot md III
goods, wares and merchandise, money and
other property, between the places above
named and intermediate and other points, Of
stations. on said line of railroad in the state
of Minnesota
Thrd-That Benson is a station on said
line OF railroad to and froR which said Great
Northern Express company does an express
business and that complainant is a patron of
the Great Northern Express company and has
heretofore and hereafter will, continue to
snip Dy said express company large quanti-
ties OF money and national bank bills United
States treasury notes, United States gold GER
tlhcates, United States silver certificates
commonly known and designated by said car
rler, as currency. That the rate charged by
said Great Northern Express company, for
the transportation of money, of the kind
above described from Benson to Minneapolis
Is 20 cents per 81 Goo
Fourth-This complainant alleges, on infor-
nation End belief, that the rate charges by
said Great Northern Express company from
Watertown. S. D., to Minneapolis, is 40 cents
per $1,000. that Benson is an intermediate
station between Minneapolis and WATERFOWL,
,. d., aforesaid, and that the distance from
Minneapolis to Benson is 123 miles or there
abouts and from Watertown to Minneapolis
2l5 miles or Whereabouts.
Fffth-ThiS complainant further alleges on
Information and belief that the rate charged
by said Great Northern Express company
from Appleton, Swift county, Mimi, to Min
neapONS, is % cents per 81 Goo, currency, that
Benson is an intermediate station between
Minneapolis, Mimi, and Appleton Mimi on
the line of said road, and that the distance
lie and Ami ofav
line Of said road, is AS miles or thereabouts
and that the distance from Minneapolis to
Benson is 125 or therea bouts.
SiXth-Compainant further alleges that the
sLations OF WATERFOWL and Appleton, afore-
said, being competing points for express BUSH
ness, and the regular rates of said express
company, between said stations and Mime
apolis, being respectively so cents and rs cents
per Sl,OOO, currency, that said express COM
pany cuts its rate to meet said competition
TO the reasonable rates, for the services rem
dered as heretofore alleged, and in this be-
half complainant further alleges that the
rates charged to Benson by said express com
pany and its predecessor in said express
business, the American Express company, per
$1,000. currency, from Benson to Minneapolis
and st; Paul for many years prior to the
year 1885 was 40 cents per 81 ,0O0 after which
$ICOO ''' - '9i''S per
The rate of Is cents so charged bv said
Great Northern Express company for money
between Benson and ST. Paul, or Minneapolis
is unequal and unreasonable and 80 cents
per SIUVV would De reasonable rate, when
shipped in sums Of 81, GOO upwards. Com
plainant further shows: That the said Great
Northern company completes in the banking
business, with this bank. and other banks on
its line, by selling exchange, by means of
It's money order system, and/to give an undue
and unfair advantage in said business of
selling exchange, raised its rates to banks
for the transportation of currency, over it's
lines, so that the express charges at its pres
ent rates, on package of currency of $40 900
that weighs less than five pounds), from
Benson TO the banking centers of st. Paul
twice the amount required to pay railroad
fare for man to carry it down there and
shipper to accept a receipt for said package
which claims to release all or nearly all re-
spOnsibility of said express company for the
safe delivery of the same.
Wherefore, complainant prays that the COM