The Saint Paul globe., 1900-06-22
TARIFF RATE HEARING
COMMISSION NOTIFIES RAILROADS
THAT INVESTIGATION WILL
BE BROADENED
NOTICE CAUSES SENSATION
officials Held Session Yesterday
The COMMISSIONS Action Cen
sured-N. P.'s Freight Depart
ment Recrganized.

A notice was issued from the Offices
OF the railway commission yesterday,
which enlarges the scope of the hearing
on merchandise rates, adjourned after a
brief session until June 26 1t was a tip
from the comm. .ssioners that they will
take under consideration the various
complaints against freight classification,
IN addition TO rate matters, which have
come before that body since the original
Investigation was ordered on January 25
The notice was issued yesterday to the
various railways OF the state, and is as
follows.
Please take notice that the railroad
commission have under cons deration the
reaSouabeness of all tariffs of rates,
charges and ciaSSilicatiOnS us stated in
the notice Of January Is, 1860, of each
and all the railroad companies doing
business in this state, for the tranSporta-
ti1n of merchandise other than grain and
naNsecd in carloads and in lots less than
carloads, between stations in this state,
including the reasOnableness OF all ter
minal charges therein for said transporter
ton, except as aforesaid of said COM
palLCS and each of them.
The commission viii at 10 o'clock a. m.
ON June 26, 1900, to which date said hear
ing was adjourned, inquire and inv esti-
gate as to said tariffs, and will continue
such inquiry and investigation from Gay
TO day untll its final determination there
or and VIII on sad daVS investigate.
among other things the questions whcth-
eI the said tariffs, both distance and ter
minoI, with the exception aforesaid.
should not be reduced in order to be lust
and reasonable as to each and all of said
companies, and as 10 each and all the
classes OF merchandise adopted by said
companies respectively, and whether the
classification of merchandise as to each
OF stld companies and as to each classi-
nCauOn are just and reasonable
You will please take further notice
lhat upon the day above named, and
uIcn each OF the days TO which the
hearing in said matters may be contin-
ued, You VIII be afforded an opportunity
TO be heard, and to present testimony
touching upon the questions of the reas-
tons.
The receipt Of the notice by the officers
of the various railways concerned Occa-
stoned a small sensation and the usual
whirlW.nd of protest. An executive ses-
sion Of the higher officials of all the lines
interested In the hearing was held yester-
day forenoon in the general Offices of
the Chicago, St Paul. Minneapolis &
Omaha, and the commissions notification
was given extended discussion. The legal
departments of various roads were rep
resented and from every road traffic off
cials We're present. A considerable cur
rent Of opposition to the commission
developed and several of the officers pres
ent were somewhat free in censuring the
action.
The notice, upon its face, is more
sweeping than 1t appears when the his
tory of the rate hearings is considered
The first move towards adjusting rates
In the state occurred when the COM
mission issued its initial order on Jan
uary z. This order called for the inves-
legation of the reasonableness of the
tariff rates now in force for the transpOr-
tation Of grain and flax seed to Mime
apols from the various stations on a
number Of lines which We're cited. The
order further called for an investigation
of the tariffs now in force for the
transportation Of merchandise in car
loads and lots of less than carloads be-
tween the various stations on each and
all of the different lines within the
state"
In the first hearing the scope OF the
questions brought up appeared so large
that the commission divided the investi-
cation, at the request of the different
roads, commencing first with the adjust
ment OF grain rates. This was disposed of,
and the comission, according to the orig
inal plan, took up the question Of mer-
Chandise rates. This matter was brought
up for a hearing with the result That
but very few roads were represented
and the case was adjourned to the pres
ent date, June 26. Following the first
hearing, numerous protests against
freight classificatiOns were received and
the issue Of terminal and distance tariff
rates became prominent. The commits
siOners notified the various railroads at
the time Of the first hearing that these
petitions would be considered upon the
termination of the merchandise hearing.
F.r this reason the commission sees
fit to include in the notice of the coming
hearing, issued for the purpose of en-
abling the various officials this time to
place the date accurately, the notifica-
tion that classification matters are also
to be considered.
Several of the traffic officers present
at Yesterdays meeting openly charged bad
faith TO the commission, on the ground
that Gen. Childs, attorney for the body,
limited the scope of the coming hearing
to merchandise rates. The text of the
notice will give the commission broader
powers than indicated in the first no
1ice, within the laws of 1887 and amenda-
tory acts, yet the matters to come up, ac-
cording to members of that body, viii
be those already proposed in the previous
hearings.