Omaha daily bee., 1898-11-13
OMAHA ONLY A WAY STATION
Chicago Lines Do Not Recognize the Gate
City in Grain Rates.
DISCRIMINATION OPENLY pRACTlceD
Elkhorn Refuses to Allow It's Cars 70
BE Switched TO a Local Elevator
-Rates that Are Not
Known.

omana Is To-Day a way station so 1r
an the movement Of grain is concerned
remarked Nathan Merriam OF the grain
firm Of Haines & Merriam yesterday after
noon. Continuing, he said: 1T is, per-
haps. only natural that the Chicago rail-
roads should want to take the grain right
through Omaha, so that they may secure
the long haul on the grain to Chicago. Stor-
age-in-transit rates, or a econsignment
privilege, would bring about a better order
OF things and materially help to build up
Omaha as a grain center.
III the men who are projecting another
exposition for 1899 would put their shoulder
TO the wheel and try to create a grain mar
ket here 1t strikes me they would be doing
more for. the permanent good Of the city.
1t may be some time before we can secure
the erection OF more grain elevators here,
but ] believe public sentiment can bring
sufficient pressure to bear on the Chicago
railroads to compel them to grant Omaha
the privilege OF having the grain stopped
here in transit. at proportionate rates. and
reconsigned, II a better market than the
original one is found. II a reconsignment
privilege were secured here as at Kansas
City and Minneapolis a great advance would
be made and more good results could fol-
low later. At present some Of the Chicago
lines are SO much opposed to stopping any
OF their grain shipments in Omaha that they
will not allow cars Of grain to be trans
ferred to the tracks Of other companies here
for any amount Of money"
How the Chicago Roads Act.
Evidence supporting this remarkable
statement is not wanting. 1t is an indis-
putable fact that several Of the Chicago
lines are helping to make Omaha a way
station In grain matters by absolutely re-
fusing to let their cars move off their own
tracks. II the grain Is to be ,nloaded at
an Omaha elevator situated on the tracks
OF another company the Chicago railroad
blocks the project quite effectually and as
nothing else can be done 1t Is allowed to
carry the grain on to Chicago, thereby Sc.
curing the desired long haul.
An instance OF this was furnished during
the last week. when several cars of grain
were shipped from a point in Nebraska on
the Fremont. Elkhorn & Missouri Valley
railroad to Haines & Merriam Of this city.
The elevator of this firm is located on the
tracks of the Belt line of the Missouri Pa
CHIC railway at Seventeenth and Nicholas
streets. Haines & Merriam wanted to
switch the cars to the Missouri Pacific in
order to get them to their elevator. The
Elkhorn road refused to allow the cars to
be moved off the Elkhorn tracks, no matter
who paid the switching charges or upon any
other consideration. AS a result the grain
went OF to Chicago over the Northwestern
railway, OF which system the Elkhorn is the
western branch.
1t ie currently reported that this practice
Is quite general In Omaha. The Northwest
ern and the Burlington systems appear to
be most extreme In their efforts to keep con-
troll OF the grain shipped from points on
their lines in the west. The Union Pacific
allows q limited reconsigning privilege here.
The Rock Island does not bring In a great
deal Of grain to Omaha from the west and Is
therefore not a prominent party in the con-
troversy.
Grain Movement Tends Southwark.
Speaking Of the movement to force the
railroads to grant Omaha equal privileges
with other cities on their lines a local
freight man said: Omaha Is entitled to
have the grain in transit stopped here SO
that the grain dealer may have the oppor-
.unity to offer his grain to st. Louis and
Chicago and other grain centers and accept
the best offer. The truth OF the matter
is the Chicago lines are afraid to do this
for fear the grain will go south. More and
more grain is going south every year. The
Chicago lines know 1t and are getting des-
perate. So they will probably fight against
any scheme to stop grain at Omaha until
they are whipped. At one m pretty much
all Of the grain that came here went right
on to Chicago. Now there Is a big amount
goes to st. Louis and some to Galveston,
Port Arthur and other southern ports. A
great deal Of the grain that goes east takes
the lower Mississippi g%ateways, such as
Peoria and East st. Louis. The prospect
OF more grain going south Is increased by
the probability Of the Illinois Central enter
ing Omaha to compete for business.
III the Chicago lines would allow a re-
consigning privilege on grain rates here
there is no doubt but that 1t would do a
great deal toward helping to build up a
grain market in Omaha. These lines have
received very valuable favors from this city.
and enjoy an immense amount Of traffic
here. But when 1t comes to reciprocating
these favors, say to stop the grain here
and let new bills Of lading be issued, these
lines are too much interested In Chicago
to think Of making concessions to Omaha
Another illustration Of discrimination
against the Omaha grain market Is brought