The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1904-05-21
WHEAT RATES.
Minneapolis interests Involved in
Controve rsy.

Resulting from the fact that the New
York Central and Pennsylvania rail-
roads have been fighting out rate
war on wheat, the railroads and the in
terstate commerce commission are at
war in New York, and the fight is of
the greatest interest to Minneapolis.
Some time ago, about the last of
February, the New York Central re-
duced its rates on wheat. Up to this
time the railroads had kept pretty we'll
to the New York, Baltimore & Phila-
delphia differentials, which we're es-
tablished in 1881. Before that year the
rates were the same to all through
ports.
There was a fight about it and New
York was made the basing point with
Philadelphia cents less and Baltimore
5 cents less. These diferentials have
been maintained since that time with
an occasional minor jar between the
roads but the same base has been kept
until recently, when the New York
Central announced that it would carry
wheat to New York for the same rate
that was charged to Philadelphia and
Baltimore.
OF course this was the Pennsy1-
vania's cue and the final result is that
the extreme low price of two-tenths Of
cent per bushel was charged on
wheat from Buffalo to New York. The
millers of the northwest at once OBJ
jected to this and an appeal from them
secured truce pending an investiga-
ton which is now being carried OH i'll
New York.
They say that there should be no
rate on wheat that would not cover
flour too, and with that end they are
going to fight it out before the COM
mission. Leading millers say that
while there was time when it would
have been selfish for them to stand
out against low rates on wheat, on
account of the great wheat surplus for
export, that now it is different thing,
owing to the fact that nearly all of the
good wheat raised in the United States
today could be used by the mills if they
could continue running and could find
a market for their products.
The leading men who are represent
ing Minneapolis interests in the fight
are, for the Chamber of Commerce,
John L. McCaull; Charles c. Bovey,
representing the Minneapolis nillers,
and the National Federation of Mill
lers; E. w. Fairchild, for the Pillsbury-
Washburn company, and H. P. CAL
lagher OF the Northwestern Consoli-
dated company With them are Chas.
Espenslied of St. Louis, president Of
the Millers' Federation and Herbert
Bradley. traffic manager OF the feder~
alton.
A dispatch to The Times, Thursday,
from New York says that c. c. Bovey
read a statement alleging that in rate
wars which involved the transporta-
ton of grains i'll bulk, grain products
suffered inevitably in the raising Of
export rates on those commodities.
He asked that in any future reduction
OF rates the parity of rates on bread
stuffs be preserved; that the commit,
tee devise means for providing for
this.
Discrimination in export rates, he
commended. at times makes it impos-
sible to compete abroad with high
grade wheat products and occasionally
in the sale of the products of low
grade wheat. Until wheat and flour
rates are adopted on comparative
basis, he said, the milling interests Of
the country would operate under
serious handicap, as compared with
the milling interests abroad.
Replying to questions, he said the
western milling interests would prefer
New York as shipping port if the
railroad rates were uniform to all sea-
board points and if the steamship
rates were equal. Millers would OBJ
ject to changes in domestic rates, he
said, because of consequent disturb
ances of trade conditions that have be-
come we'll established.
J. L. McCaul1 delivered long adj
dress along the same general lines as
covered by Mr. Bovey. The export
freight rate discrimination against
-four in favor OF grain, he said, makes
it possible for foreign millers to make
flour from inferior American grain
and "beat American millers with club
from their own country"
Questioned by Chairman Knapp, he
said the grain interests saw no objec-
ton to uniform rates to all the ports.
Personally he thought Baltimore was
entitled to diferential on account Of
distance advantages.
The commission reserved decision
on the questions as to whether copy
of the 1902 minimum freight rate
agreement, the minutes of conference
and copies OF cable dispatches aid
other correspondence referring to the
agreement and many bound volumes
and statistics relative to freight move
ments should be accepted as exhibits
or evidence, to which an objection