The record-union., 1899-08-29


nounced It's decision in a case involving
relative rates on export and domestic
traffic in grain and grain products
The commission holds that in the alb
sence of some justifying reason it
would not be right for American rail-
roads to permanently transact business
for foreigners at a less rate than that
for corresponding service to American
citizens As to rates on exports and
domestic shipments of grain the COM
mission declares:
Market conditions sometimes. in case
Of wheat. but seldom in case of corn
may justify an export rate through the
port of New York somewhat lower than
the domestic rate, and Philadelphia,
Baltimore, Norfolk and Newport News
usually take rates which are certainly
deferentials below the New York rate
on both domestic and export traffic
During the period of closed lake navi-
cation the export and domestic grain
rates to New York and other ports
mentioned should ordinarily be the
same. Rates to other ports, including
Boston and ports in the Atlantic north
of Boston and Galveston, New Orleans
and other Gulf ports may perhaps be
properly made lower on export than on
domestic traffic to encourage them to
compete for the export business.
Such adjustment Of rates should be
to the advantage of the carrier and
just alike to the American consumer
and to the American producer. But as
the problem is primarily one for the
cin
no order is made in relation to this
grain rates should not be less to the
seaboard from any port than from an
intermediate point of the same line"
AS to the rates on export flour as
compared with export wheat, the COM
mission holds that public policy and
good railway policy alike seem to re-
Quire the same rate on export wheat
and export flour, but in view of the
conditions shown in the investigation
somewhat higher rate on export flour
than on export wheat is not in viola
ton of that statute. The published
difference in rates is too wide, and the
rate on flour for export should not ex-
ceed that upon export wheat by more
than cents per hundred pounds. The
relation of rates on domestic shipments
of -four and wheat is not involved in
this direction, as the export of domestic
freights are handled under different
conditions.
1t further appeared that carriers en-
gagged in the transportation of export
flour from Minneapolis at a rate which
was ~ cents less than the domestic
rate to the port of export refuse to
make any corresponding concession to
intermediate millers. The commission
says that this is an unjust and unlaw-
full discrimination against such inter-
mediate traffic, and that whatever line
participates in such lower export on
flour from Minneapolis must make a,
corresponding rate upon similar
traffic from intermediate points
The commission also decides that
rates on export traffic must be pub
lished and filed in accordance with the
provisions of Section 6, Interstate Com
merce Act. 1t is further held that So
called through export rates made by
adding the ocean rate, whatever it may
be, to the inland rail rate, whatever it
may be, are not analogous to rates
made by joint arrangements between
railroad carriers subject to the statute
in the sense that the total rate must
be published and filed, and it is enough
if the railroad carrier publishes and
maintains it's own rate to the seaboard
But if there is in fact such joint ar
rangement that the rate is a joint rate
under the sixth section of the Act to
regulate commerce, then the entire
through rate should be published, and
not the inland division, which, in that
case, might vary while the entire rate
remains the same.