Omaha daily bee., 1899-12-07
MORE ADVANCES IN SIGHT
Railroad Freight Officials Will Consider
Important Questions.
CONTEMPLATE RADICAL RAISE IN RATES
Meeting of Western Trunk Line Conn
mittcc In Chicago Tuesday Will
lie SigniHcnnt-PropOs Ad-
Nnnccs Apply to Omaha.

Freight officials Of the transmississippi
railroad lines having membership in the
Western Trunk Line committee will meet IN
special session in Chicago December r. AZ
that time questions OF paramount importance
both to the railroad companies and the ship
pers will be considered. II the propositions
advanced by various railroad officials re.
ceive the endorsement of the committee and
become effective there will be a pronounced
advance in numerous freight rates applying
to staple articles which form a considerable
share of freight shipments.
The most radical change proposed is the
advance of all fourth and fifth class rates
to tariff cents higher than the present.
This will apply on all shipments between
Chicago and Mississippi river points and
Missouri river points. Such a sweeping ad-
vance will affect many of the largest freight
patrons of the various railroads and will be
especially felt by grocery and hardware
wholesalers. Among the articles which take
either the fourth or fifth class rates are
sugar, canned goods and hardware. The
fourth class rate applies to many shipments
of less than carloads and the fifth class to
certain products and manufactured articles
which receive carload rates.
Another matter to be considered will be
the application of export flour rates to lin>
seed meal cake shipments from Missouri
river points to gulf points. If this change
shall be made it will directly affect the man
ufacturers of linseed meal cake in Omaha,
whose shipments to gulf ports are quite eX-
tensve
Minimum weights on Lumber.
The freight officials will once more take
hn Gil Of mi ttNr ptrbt nm
lumber, the question to be considered re-
lating to whether inside or outside measure
ments of freight cars shall be considered
with regard to the minimum weights de-
cided upon at the last meeting of the COM
mttee.
The program of the forthcoming meeting
also includes the proposition of applying
packing house product rates to shipments of
lard from Missouri river points. 1t is pro-
posed to change the rates on lard only where
the present rates are lower than packing
house product rates and consequently If
such change shall be decided upon It means
an increase of freight tariffs on the extern
sive shipments OF lard from Omaha packing
houses to outside points. If the increase be
agreed upon the rate on lard shipments from
Omaha to certain Mississippi valley points
will be increased approximately cents per
100 pounds.
The establishment of second class rates on
live poultry in carload lots instead of the
present third class rates Is another impor-
tant change which the freight officials have
in mind.
Among several other significant changes
contemplaItes are the cancellation of com
modify rates on chair stuffs, wooden spring
beds and mattress materials, applying to
carload shipments between Chicago and
Mississippi river points and Missouri river
points, and the substitution of class rates;
also to apply Chicago rates on all freight
shipments from Terre Haute, Ind, to Mis-
souri, river points.
Local freight officials are disinclined to
discuss the matters which will be considered
by the next meeting of the Western Trunk
Line committee. They agree that the meet
ing will be most important one but state
at this time 1t is impossible to forecast
whether or not any of the questions which
have been proposed for consideration will
be decisively acted upon. Every change
contemplated looks toward the increasing of
freight rates, and the officials explain this
as they have all other advances made within
the past few months by stating their belief
that the railroads should reap share of the
prosperous conditions now prevalent
throughout the country. They assert that the
cost of everything they are compelled to
buy has been materially advanced and argue
rates must be increased in order that
their earnings be maintained and to avoid
a deficit