The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-07-24
SOUTHERN LINES
WILL FIGHT CUT
IN FREIGHT RATES
Traffic Officials Think Proposed
Reduction in Coal and Lum.
Der Tariffs Unjust-WiiI Ask
Commission To Reconsider.

The railroads operating in South-
ern Minnesota, il is stated. will resist
to the utmost the order of the Mime
sofa railroad and warehouse commS-
sion of June 20, ordering reduction OF
Is per cent III lumber rates and III
per cent in coal rates. throughout Min
nesota.
The matter is now just where it was
when the commission left for the East,
so far as these roads are concerned,
and as soon as the commission returns
a determined effort will be made to
induce il to modify it's order so far as
the roads operating in Southern MIN
nesota are concerned. should tnlS
prove unsuccessful, it is not unlikely
that the roads will fight this matter in
the courts.
The objection of the roads seems to
be to the reduction ordered in coal
rates rather than to the reduction in
lumber rates. In checking over the
rates, the roads found that the terri
tory affected was much greater than
at first supposed. and the whole matter
was dropped, to await another consul
tation with the commission.
The roads endeavored to limit the
extent of the territory affected by the
reduction, but found it impossible to
keep the reduction from affecting so
much territory outside Mime
sofa as to induce them to make an
other attempt to have the order modi-
fed. The fact that coal from the
headWaterS of the lakes meets the
competition of coal from Green Bay,
Milwaukee and Chicago, in Southern
Minnesota points, and that many roads
are glad to haul from the more south
ern lake points. as they secure a longer
haul, makes any reduction in the rate
from the head of the lakes affect the
rate from the other lake ports
AS q higher rate cannot be charged
for a short than for long haul, the
rate must of necessity be blanketed
back along these lines for a consider
able extent.
The southern lines also contend that
their rates are much lower than on
the Great Northern or Northern Pa
clfic, and that a rate that is fair for
the northern roads Is manifestly a
hardship for the reads of Southern
Minnesota.
The various lines are ostensibly act
ing independently in the matter but
will probably pursue substantially the
same course.
P. c. stohr, traffic manager of the
Great Western, said yesterday that his
road had not yet agreed to the reduction
and admitted, as soon as the commission
returned, steps seeking a modification of
the order would probably be taken
I'VE cannot afford to make the reduc-
ton ordered by the commission said Mr.
Stohr. The rates in Southern Minnesota
are very low, as coal is hauled direct from
the lower lake points, and in making rates
from the head of the lakes these lower
lake point rates are met. We do not
think it Is fair to reduce our already low
rates in the same proportion as the
higher rates in Northern Minnesota are
reduced. OF course. nothing can be done
until the commission returns"
This also outlines substantially the po-
sition taken by the other lines in South
ern Minnesota.
The Northern Pacific has completed it's
new rates. according to the reduction or
dered June 26, and is awaiting the ap-
prevail of the railroad and warehouse COM
mission before having tariffs printed. The
Great Northern is expected to complete
its new rates within few days, so that
the commission can check over the rates
of the Northern lines as soon as it re-
turns to st. Paul.