The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-08-19
NEW LUMBER And
COAL RATES WILL
RULE ON SEPT. 70
State Railroad and Warehouse
Commission Holds a Secret
Conference With Representa-
tives of the Railroads Oper-
ating in Minnesota-at Which
Reduction Is Agreed Opon.

New coal and lumber rates will go
into effect through Minnesota on or
before Sept. 10. The new rates viii
he those agreed upon by the railroad
and warehouse commissioners yester-
dav and lust what reduction viii be
made cannot yet be determined, as
full information regarding yesterdays
conference cannot be obtained.
The state railroad and warehouse
commission Yesterday spent all day III
executive session wiz representatives
of the railroads operating in Mime
sofa, going over the rates checked IN
by the ROADS in accordance with the re-
duction of 10 per cent in coal rates,
and Is per cent in lumber rates, or
dered by the commission June rs.
There were many apparent dlScfep-
ancies between the rates as checked IN
by the roads, and the reduction, as
ordered by the commission, and the
roads, in some cases, desired mod1-
fication of the ordered reduction. IL
was to clear up these and other mooted
points, and to fix a time for putting
the new rates into effect that the final
conference was held yesterday.
This is the first time that the COM
mission has held hearing of this kind
behind closed doors, and just what
subjects came up for discussion, and
what settlements were made, the pub
lie Will probably never know. The
railroads, it is stated, are satisfied,
and the rates as modified and agreed
upon yesterday will be in effect by.
Sept TO-
Commissioner C. F. Staples. after the
conference was ended, gave out care
fully prepared interview in behalf of
the commissioners. No other infor-
nation, except that the rates as agreed
upon yesterday would go into effect on
or before Sept 10, was given out Mr..
Staples interview reads:
AT a meeting held at the Office of
the commission at which all the roads
were represented, certain points where
in the rate rates as checked in by the
roads under the agreement, seemed not
in accord with the understanding of
the commission were the subject of
conference.
AT several points in the southeast
ern portion of the state no rates had
been put in from Duluth on coal, main
ly for the reason that no rates are in
at the present time. The roads con-
Sented to put in rates at points asked
for.
Some difference of opinion had aris-
en- as to whether the Is per cent re-
duction on lumber to the northwestern
part of the state applied from Duluth
direct or from Minneapolis, and then
to add the differential. This point was
settled by the commission by ruling the
order to mean that the reduction should
apply from Minneapolis as the basic
point in all cases. the present differen-
tails to be added"
Just what effect the ruling of the
commission with regard to Us reduc-
ton of 10 per cent on lumber rates will
have could not be ascertained last
night. 1t apparently limits the reduc-
ton to the haul out of Minneapolis,
lan1yn =
sive than at first anticipated.
The reduction of Is per cent in lun1-
Der rates and 10 per cent in coal rates,
except for the haul from Duluth to
the Twin Cities, and a few other in
stances where no reduction was made
was ordered June 26.
The roads began the work of check
ing in the rates, and found that the
territory affected by the reduction Or
dered was much greater than at first
anticipated and extended far into
ne1ghboring states. Especially was
this so in coal rates of roads operating
In Southern Minnesota, where there
were also rates in effect from Milwau-
kee, Chicago and other lower lake
ports, and from Illinois and Iowa
mines
The apparent reduction was so great
that for time the work of checking in
rate was abandoned, and it looked as
II the matter would be fought out in
the courts. AT last rates were check
ed in which It was believed reduced to
minimum the territory affected and
tariffs were filed with the commission,
and it was reported that requests for
modification of the order in some
cases would be made
The commission yesterday undoubt-
ly went over the situation with the
representatives of the roads, and an
flNy1 hoo
agreeable to the railroads.
The general investigation of coal and
lumber rates was undertaken this
spring, as result of a complaint
made by a Litchfield dealer The COM
mission found that no reduction in
Litchfield rates could be made without
affecting a large part of the state, and
deemed the matter worthy of a thor
ough investigation.