The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-12-23


Action, Citing the Enforced Dis
solution of the Joint Traffic Aa-
sOciatiOn-Suit VIII BE Brought
by the United States Attorney
General-Rnte Wars Predicted.
WASHINGTON. Dec. 22.-(Special.>
Inc antitrust law is to be inyok
against the official classification comm
tee controlling freight rates throughout
the country. This is the statement mado
here today. 1t is asserted that the cues
ton Will be taken into the courts by the
United States attorney general, and 1t Ia
Claimed that the probable result will be
the Wiping out Of the classification conf
mlttee, as was the Joint Traffic associa-
ton. The result of this action will be. IL
Is asserted, the sweeping away of freight
rates throughout the country. and ths
precipitation Of rate wars among the rail-
roads in the struggle for freight business.
HEARING IS CONCLUDED.
The hearing before the interstate COM
merce commission, called on account Of
complaints made by shippers against the
proposed new classification of freight by
railroads operating under the official
classification" was resumed today.
BY agreement, Mr.. Frank Harriott gen.
eral traffic manager of the Erie railroad,
and a member of the Official classified:
ton committee" went on the witness
stand to testify as to the new classical
ton. He reiterated Mr. GiHs statement
or yesterday that the new classification
was adopted because the railroads abso-
luteiy needed the increased revenues. On
many carload rates no advance, 1t was
felt by the committee, could be made,
but 1t was felt that on short hauls the
less than carload lots could afford to
pay added rates. This arrangement would
enable shippers to take advantage of car
load rates to general distributing point
the railroads there getting soma advan-
tage from added rates on the short hauls
from distributing points. The classified
ton committee did not consider the mar
ket prices of articles on which the elias
sihcation was raised. Mr.. Harriott said
the controlling reason In raising the elas-
sifcation was evident necessity for more
revenue, and this was deemed the best
way to get 1t. So far as was practicable,
the committee and the railroads were
ready and anxious to remedy, so far as
possible, any injustice that might exist
in the classification He said 1t would
be necessary for the sixty odd roads US
Ing the Official classification to follow not
only the classification, but also to main
tain existing commodity rates in order
to obtain additional revenues.
The attorneys for the shippers offered
to furnish testimony showing that the
operation Of the new classification wouIu
be in restraint of trade, and to that ex-.
tent violation of existing law.
1t was determined finally that the ship
pers would offer some testimony, and
B. w. Brown, representing Sehofeld,
Schurmer & Teagle, of Cleveland, O., was
sworn. He said the new classification on
petroleum would be absolutely ruineus to
small shippers. On less than carload lots
the increase above the rates on carload
lots was in some instances as much as
279 per cent, and in no case was it less
than IS per cent. Mr.. Brown said the
small shippers Of oil could not success
fully compete with the Standard Oil com.
pany, because the rates given to the
Standard on carload lots were so much
less than the small shippers could get on
less than carload lots that the latter
practically were shut out Of much ter
ritory.
This closed the testimony, and the hear
ing was adjourned.
SHIPPERS TO PROTEST.
KANSAS CITY. Mo, Dec IA mass
meeting Of thu shippers and 1obbers from
the Missouri river towns. t. take steps
to resist the advance in railroad freight
rates announced to take effect the 1st q
January. has been called by the local
transportation bureau. The. meeting we
be held in this city, in the rooms OF tho
Commercial club, on Dec. q. The Com
mercial clubs Of st. Joseph, Atehison
and Leavenworth have already taken sim
liar action, and many Individual mer-
chants have already Endorsed the move
ment.