The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-03-28

The opening session of the interstate
commerce commission inVeStiga ton OF
flour rates between Minneapolis and
the East occurs this morning at 10
O'Clock in the United States court room
in the federal building.
Yesterdays Chicago trains brought
in a large number of prominent rail.
road officials who are here to respond
to the summons issued by the commits
sion.
Commissioners James D. Yeomans
and Judson c. Clements also arrived
yesterday.
Among the railroad men are A c.
Bird, general traffic manager. and w.
n. u. Winnie, general auditor of the
Chicago, Milwaukee K st. Paul rail-
way.
The different roads are also repre-
scented by their general counsel.
George r. Peck. general counsel of the
Milwaukee, is registered at the Ryan
hotel. as is Charles F. Henderson, gen
eral counsel of the Chicago, Burling-
ton x Quincy. and H. Marley, acting
in similar capacity for the Union
Pacific. Both the last-named gentle
men reside in Omaha. Mr.. Henderson
is an eN-United States senator.
Commissioner Yeomans came direct
from Sioux City. In conversation with
a reporter for The G o b e he stated
that the investigation is due to the
fact that complaints have been made
to the commission by flour shippers.
He dwelt on the decentralization OF
the -four rates from minneapolis, and
the uncertainty of the situation as re-
CARDS the future. Mr.. Yeomans said
that Il was a constant story of first
one road thinking that competing
line was making lower rate, or one
shipper believing that another shipper
was reaping the benefit Of a lower rate.
1T does not naturally follow" con-
tinued the commissioner, that because
we are conducting an inquiry here
rates are being Illegally manipulated.
We are here to learn"
Mir. YeOmans was appointed on the
interstate commerce commission in
1894. He bears a striking resemblance
to the more refined weekly paper pic
lures Of Uncle Sam.
Commissioner Clements. of Georgia,
enlightened The Globe reporter on
many features of the case.
The only remedy for some viola
tiOns of the statutes said he. lis an
order from the commission for the
guilty roads to desist from such acts.
and then if the order is not obeyed to
enforce that injunction by a proceed
ing in court.
The commission has no authority
own decree. but must apply to the
courts for the enforcement"
General Counsel Peck of the Milwau-
kee road. said that ne understood the
investigation was to find out who is
responsible for Illegal rate quoting on
flour from the Mill City.
From the tone of the remarks made
by the commissioners and the railroad
representatives, it is understood that
unlawful rate manipulation has been
taking place among the local lines, and
that the examination of witnesses will
be most rigid. The various officials
interviewed yesterday denied any per-
scnal knowledge as to why their roads
should be summoned.
AS was stated in yesterdays G O b e,
only three of the five members of the
commission will be present during the
investigation. w. j. Calhoun of Hi
nOis, the third commissioner. who Will
sit at the local session. did not arrive
last night, but is expected this morn
ing.
Commissioner Clements was inter
viewed regarding an editorial appear
ing in yesterdays G o b e, referring to
the excessive rates charged upon grain
products of the Northwest on their
passage through the Erie canal to the
sea.
THE commissioner he'd an investiga-
ton" said the commissioner, who had
read the article in question, 'at New
York last fall, at the instance of the
produce exchange, when the subject re-
ferred to in the editorial was discuss
ed. l don't think the authority of this
commission is wholly understood The
courts have decided that the commits
sion has 10 power under the present
laws to fix the rates for the future. If
the charges are made by the elevator
companies and not the carriers the
commission has no jurisdiction in the
matter. And we could do nothing If
the present rates We're made by the
carriers, for the supreme court has de-
cided that the commission cannot fix
future rates, however excessive they
are found to be.
THE commission has no authority to
fix the maximum or minimum rates for
future operation"
Asked what the commission can do
to right such an injustice, he answered.
"WeI that's a hard question. The
most we could do would be to issue an
order commanding the guilty parties
to cease collecting the rates condemned
as too high. But no naming Of the rates
to be used could be done, for that is
held as a legislative act. That is ap-
plicable only in case the charges are
made by the carriers for a service
rendered by them in transportation"
The commissioner spoke strongly In