Omaha daily bee., 1903-06-05

The eastern railroads using our bridge pay
the tolls or the Omaha merchants pay
them. We have long been in favor of the
abolition of the bridge arbitrary. but have
occupied a neutral ground as far as at
tempting to influence the Iowa lines was
concerned"
HisfOry of the Case.
A succinct .hlstory Of the case" is given
in brief filed with the Interstate Com
merce commission by the Commercial club
as complainant against all the lines con-
verging in Omaha. Part of 1t reads as fol-
lows:
Omaha and Council Bluffs. located op-
west side OF the Missouri river, the latter
upon its east bank, are and for years
uting csn3efs Tbs ratIs 4I9D9 Of Ss Sau rSsSon6
ent companies reach both cities, some
from the east, others from the west and
south
Prior to 1882 the rates fixed by the re-
spondents, then reaching these cities. in
cluded a brige toll, charged each time
Omaha BY rail from M the SOos east 'GdS pad the So
Omaha into Iowa the bridge toll was again
collected; similarly, all goods coming into
Council Blusff from the west paid the
bridge toll and is re-shipped from Council
Bluffs into Nebraska the bridge toll was
again paid:
an 4ooGf nOWtNoIg lne TalITOaOS MADE a
change in the rates to these cities. All
goods were, under the new rates, hauled
into Omaha and Council Bluffs, both from
the east excepting Iowa points,, and from
the west at exactly the same rate The
same rates were fixed between these cities
Bluffs was also given the privilege Of hiISl ship
ping goods into Nebraska and all western
points at the Omaha rate. To all points
made the same But in respect to ship
ments between this city and points in Iowa,
Council Bluffs. man ''''1' SNeH IA
Injustice to Omaha,
This discrimination against Omaha is. in
part, the injustice of which complaint is
herein made. on all goods coming from
railroads give Council Bluffs the Omaha
rate. On all shipments into Nebraska and
All western points Council Bluffs is given
the Omaha rate; but upon shipments be-
tween Omaha and Iowa points we are
charged rate higher than that of Council
Bluns. Thus, when two wholesale dealers,
one in Omaha and the other in Council
BLUFFS, rectivs each a, shipment of sugar.
or beans, or canned salmon, or rice, or
canned goods, or fruits, or tea, or other
commodity from the west, the railroads
haul the shipment across the river and de-
liver 1t to the Council Bluffs merchant at
the rate charged the merchant in Omaha;
then When selling in competition with each
other, these merchants make sale from
these goods In some Nebraska city, the
railroads haul these goods across the river
second time for the Council Bluffs mer-
chant and deliver them TO the purchaser
In Nebraska at exactly the same rate as
that charged the Omaha competitor. Thus
the railroads haul the goods in favor of
Council Bluffs across the Missouri river
twice without additional charge therefor.
But when the Omaha merchant competing
with the dealer in Council Bluffs, makes a
sale from these goods In any Iowa city, the
railroads refuse to haul the goods for him
even once across the river without extra
a hn 10 laA 70
pay upon his shipment into Iowa a higher
rate than that charged his Council Bluffs
competitor
Begun Twenty Years Ago.
The discrimination against Omaha was
begun in 1882 when the railroads changed
time goods were carried over the river.
The so-called, low rates in Iowa were
adopted by the commission in 1889. There
fore this discrimination was conceived and
carried out seven years before the railroad
commission Of Iowa lowered the rates in
was begun in hagrant bad faith. since it
had been expressly agreed with the Union
roads should, in consideration OF certain
gains, put Omaha and Council Bluffs upon
an absolute equality in respect to rates
Iowa roads took the consideration given
them as per the agreement and then re-
fused TO carry out the contract as TO ship
nents between Omaha and Council BLUFFS
and points in Iowa.
Repeated remonstrances against this un-
just discrimination toward Omaha were
met by as frequent promises to correct the
acknowledged evil But the Iowa lines
were no more faithful to these promises
than they were TO their contract with the
Union Pacific Railway company.
Despairing OF voluntary action by the
railroad companies, the complainant herein,
representing the business interests OF
Omaha and South Omaha, Instituted this
proceeding to call into action the power
of this. tribunal established for :he pur-
pose OF compelling the 'ailroads 10 give
US the Justice. which, in iagraut violation
OF the Interstate Commerce act, they have
so long withheld.