The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-01-27
SION RENDERS AN IMPOR-
TANT DECISION.
MILWAUKEE, THE WINNER
IN A PROTEST. AGAINST ALLEGED
DISCRIMINATION In GRAIN
RATES,
BUT WILL THE COURTS AGREEs
1t Remains for the judiciary to En-
force the Decree If They
Desire.

Special to the Globe
WASHINGTON. Jan. 26.-The in
terstate commerce commission gives
the Chicago ST Paul lines until
March l to comply with the terms Of
it's decision rendered today in the Min
neapolis rate discrimination cases, but
since it has long since been decided
that the powers of the commission are
subVersive to those of the courts, it is
very probable that today's decision
Will not be complied with The lines
affected by the decision are the Mil
Waukee, Omaha, Burlington and Min
neapolis & st. Louis. The case has
been pending a long time and was
brought by the chamber of commerce
Of Milwaukee, charging the railroads
with giving Minneapolis discriminating
rates on wheat and flour from Iowa
Minnesota and South Dakota points.
Inc commission decided that Mime
apolis is given undue and unreasonab BILE
preference and that the roads have no
authority to make a higher rate on
wheat than on flour. This decision,
however, will have no bearing on any
point in Northern Iowa or Southern
Minnesota division Of the Milwaukee
road.
MILWAUKEE,. Wis, Jan. 26.-The
decision of the interstate commerce
commission in the case of the MilWau-
kee chamber of commerce against
various railroads in the Northwest Is
viewed with great satisfaction Secre-
tary Tangson, of the chamber Of COM
merce, said: THE decision is satisfac-
tory to the chamber of commerce.
Some time ago, rather than have the
case go on Indefinitely before the in
terState commerce commission, we
abandoned our demand for special diff
ferential rates from specified places
and asked for a differential rate based
on interstate distance tariffs, which
has already been established by the
railroads themselves"
A prominent member of the chamber
commenting on the decision said: 1T
is what we have been waiting for and
fighting for for three years. We do
not get all we asked for in the original
complaint, but there We're such num-
Der Of things to- be taken into account
that we made a modified demand later
and it seems that it has been decided
In our favor. If the provisions of the
decision are carried out it will enable
shippers in Iowa, Minnesota and South
Dakota to reach this market, instead
of being obliged to ship their grain to
Minneapolis as heretofore. The deci-
sion is very satisfactory and very
gratifying to Milwaukee merchants.
WASHINGTON, jan 26-The interstate
commerce commission today, in an opinion
by Chairman Knapp, announced its decision
in the of the Milwaukee Chamber Of
Commerce against the Chicago, Milwaukee
& st. Paul Railway company, and others The
commission ruled that distances by the short
est routes are the proper distances upon
which to base comparison Of differentials in
grain rates from the same points Of shipment
to such markets as Milwaukee and Mime
apolis Another point decided is that al
though
peting cities, may by reducing rates to the
city served by them prevent the correc-
ton of an unjust relation of rates to the two
places from common points Of supply, 1t is
nevertheless the duty of the commission to
condemn such a relation OF charges and to
indicate the basis upon which the rates should
be readjusted.
Milwaukee complained that the rates on
wheat and other kinds of grain from shipping
points in Iowa, Minnesota and South Dakota
to Milwaukee were unlawful in comparison
with the rates charged on like grain to Min
neapolis. 1t also claimed that the carriers
wrongfuily charged higher rates on wheat
than on flour from some of the shipping
points.
The commission decides that in many in
stances, and in varying degrees. the differ
entails In grain rates to Milwaukee. above
the rates in force to Minneapolis from ship
ping points on and south OF the Southern
Minnesota division of the Chicago, Milwaukee
e st. Paul railway, give preference to Mime
apOlis, and subject Milwaukee to unreason-
able prejudice and disadvantage. That just
and reasonable differentials in such rates
would be obtained by applying the Interstate
distances tariff of the Chicago. Milwaukee &
st. Paul, or the Chicago &c Northwestern
to the short line mileage to the several points
of shipment to Minneapolis and Milwaukee.
and just and reasonable rates to Milwaukee
would be made by adding differentials so OBJ
tanned to rates from time to time in force to
Minneapolis; that any higher rates to Mil
waukee would be relatively unreasonable and
unjust to that city. The commission further
decides that any higher rate on wheat than
flour between the same points and on the
same line is unjust discrimination and I'M
lawful.