Omaha daily bee., 1899-11-14
OTHER CITIES JOIN ST, LOUIS
Complain Of Discrimination in the Fixing Of
Western Freight Ratsr.
PACIFIC COAST ROADS ARE DEFENDANTS
Hearing ut st. Louis before Interstate
Commerce Commission-Chicng
Minneapolis, ST. Paul, Kansas
city Enter Complaints.

ST. LOUIS, Nov. 13.-The Interstate Com
mercc commission began the hearing today
Of the complaint Of the ST. Louis Business
Mems league against Pacific coast railroads
and their connections in the matter Of dis
elimination against st. Louis in the fixing of
freight rates. OF the commission only four
members were preeent-Chairman NJ A.
Knapp, C.. I. Prouty J. d. Yoemans and j.
C. Clements. Ex- Governor Joseph w. Filter
of Illinois. who was recently appointed a
member of the commission, is here, but has
not been sworn in.
All the defendant roads were represented
by counsel, as were also a number OF cities
other than st. Louis, which desired to join
with 1t in the complaint of freight rate dis
elimination
II. S. Christy and Hon. w. ]. Calhoun, a
former member Of the commission, appeared
as counsel for the Business Mems league A
delegation from Davenport, Ia, was present,
consisting of G. S. Baker, d. B. Home, T..
M. Sharon, j. S. T. jackson, e. w. Scott A.
G.. Godschmidt, NJ l.. Works and Lon Bry-
son.
Attorney E. s. Pllsbury read a lengthy pc
tition of intervention on behalf of the Pa
cific Coast Merchants and Manufacturers
association, who desired to join with the
railroads in replying to the complaint
other Complaints Are Filed.
On behalf OF the plaintiffs contention petit
tions of intervention were fled by the Chi
cago Merchants association. the merchants
and manufacturers OF Milwaukee, the job
bers and shippers of st. Paul and Minneapo-
lis, the Kansas City Transportation bureau
and the Commercial club of st. Joseph Mo-
After Attorney Christy had read the COM
plant, A. j. Nanlandingham, commissioner
Of the st. Louis Traffic bureau, was placed
on the stand as the first witness for the
plaintin. His testimony was largely techn-
cal.
From existing tariffs he showed how the
middle west was being practically excluded
from Pacific coast territory because of dis
elimination in rates. The points he aimed
to show were that unreasonable differences
exist between carload and less than carload
class and commodity rates and that there
were such variations in less than carload
rates on hardware and other articles that
st. Louis and middle western jobbers could
not ship such freight to the Pacific coast
at profit
At the afternoon session Mr.. Vanlanding-
ham resumed his direct testimony. He said
ho believed the tariff os June, 1898, was
adopted as the result of some kind of an
agreement between the railroads interested
and the jobbers of the Pacific coast, and cited
testimony given at a St. Paul meeting in
support of his belief. He did not know
of his own knowledge that such an agree
ment had been made, bue he had heard refer
ences to "a contract"
Attorney Harrin for the Southern Pacific
conducted the cross examination. He could
not shake Mr.. Vanlandinghams testimony
that in his opinion something besides a mere
question CT meeting of rail and water com
petition had entered into the framing of the
present tariff schedule.