The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-11-15

ST. LOUIS. Nov. 1.-THE interstate
commerce commission resumed its hear
ing of the complaint of the st. Louis
Business Mems league against Western
railroads today. A few minutes prior to
the opening of the session, ex-Gov. Joseph
F1fer, OF Illinois. recently appointed a
member OF the commission, was sworn in
by United States Commissioner Gray.
n. j. Vanlandingham resumed his tes-
timony and again stated 1t was his belief
that the difference between carload and
less than carload rates, and between the
tariff and commodity rates was not legit-
tmately based on competition either by
land or water.
On cross-examination Attorney f. 8.
Pillsbury, representing the Pacific Coast
Merchants and Manufacturers associa-
ton, attempted to belittle the Importance
Of the st. Louis protest.
Mr.. Fanlandfngham replied that the
complaint represented the views of 9, 300
merchants Of st. Louis He explained the
organization of the traffic bureau, and
called attention to the fact that the
bureau, not being a corporation, could not
file protest under it's own name, and
hence it had to be filed by the Business
Mems league, which has a membership Of
2l0 merchants, representing all lines of
trade.
Mr.. Varlandingham filed as exhibits all
the tariffs and documents which he used
in giving his lengthy testimony These
included certified records of the St Paul
meeting, at which reference to a contract
between the railroads and the Pacific
coast jObberS was made
j. M. Allen. traffic manager of the New
er Bros. Drug company, of ST. Louis, tes-
titled that in many instances the profits
on drugs shipped by his house to the
West were almost entirely eaten up by
the freight rates, the burden being es-
pecially heavy owing to the difference
between carload and less than carload
rates.
Attorney Pillsbury endeavored to show
that the complaint was based on a mere
selfish business interest and the desire OF
St. Louis jobbers to extend their terri
tory further West.
Mr.. Allen said there was no such mo-
tive, and demonstrated that the rates
east from the coast were much lower
than those for the same distance west of
st. Louis.
ST. PAUL'S COMPLAINT.
At the afternoon session ]. R. Hick-
man, or st. Louis, traffic manager for O.
number of St. Louis firms; J. H MeKib-
ben, secretary of the Peters Cartridge
company, Of Cincinnati; B. P. Dutton,
traffic manager Of Kelly, Maus & Co., of
Chicago, and F. w. Hurry, secretary of
the Farwell Ozmun & Kirk Hardware
company, of st. Paul, Mimi, all testi-
fed that the present rates had practi-
cally driven them out of the Pacific coast
market. %2-f
Mr.. Hurry said that prior to the adop-
ton Of the tariff of June %, 1898 his firm
did large and profitable business on the
Pacific coast, from Los Angeles to Seattle
When the present rate agreement went
into effect his business was totally de-
stroyed, at least so affected that he lost
money every month He concluded to
stick 1t out, however, hoping that a.
change would be made soon and an op-
portunity given him to make a profit
On May /, 1889, he said the Great North
ern and Northern Pacific modified their
existing rates at a meeting held at ST.
Paul, giving them more favorable rates
AS result of this change, he said, he
sold in one month in the state or Oregon
$34, 900 worth Of goods, While in California
which he could not reach, he did not sell
1000 worth He insisted there was no
good reason for the difference in rates
between carload and less than carload
lots, and that the maintenance of the
existing schedule of tariffs by trans
continental lines was in violation of the
interstate commerce act, in that 1t was
q manifest discrimination in favor of
one particular. section Of the country
the Pacific coast