The Cairo bulletin., 1904-05-09
At a Meeting OF Interstate Com
merce Commission at Memphis
A DISTINGUISHED BODY
SESSIONS WILL CONTINUE
THREE DAYS AND WILL. BE
WATCHED WITH GREAT
INTEREST.


days session in Memphis commenc
ing tomorrow morning. The commits
sion is made up of the following dis.
tingushed men: Martin Augustine
Knapp, Of New York, chairman. Jud
son G. Clements. of Georgia, James
ID Yeomans, of Iowa, Charles A.
Prouty of Vermont and Joseph W Fl
, fer, of Illinois
The subject matter which win en-
gage the attention of the commission
ls the misunderstanding between the
Cotton Belt Railraod company and tine
Memphis freight bureau, which a
short time ago became SO serious that
| the Cotton Belt road withdrew from
the city entirely, but reconsidered
this action few days afterwards
and decided to have the subject sub
mitted to the commission for deci
sion
The first case before the commis
,on is that of the Planters Compress
company as complainant, and about
fourteen railroads Stripped of tech
nicalitics and legal phraseology the
matter in dispute II the claim on the
part Of the complainant that the de
PENDANTS should carry the round bale
OF cotton at cheaper rate than that
given to the compressed square bale
Il is claimed that the amount of cot
ton that can be loaded in an ordinary
box car Is as follows;
Compressed fiat bale, ie.50G
pounds compressed square bales, Is.
600 pounds; round bales, 10000 bales.
Because of the far greater weight
Of cotton In the round bale form that
can be loaded into one ear tire com,
| presser3 Of this bale claim that the
carriers should give that bale diff.
| rental OF 10 cents pcr 100 as
/ against the compressed square bale
= bcng argued that such dilferential
/ is allowed to the compre 3seI square
| ~' "hHih'N tht hhNOlHHl tootu nat Ddlfs
Many Of the railroads Of the country
according TO the complainant, have
already recognized the iustness of
| this demand. and have granted the
cheaper rate to the round bale but
the present defendants, it appears
| decline 10 make the differential de
mandcd The dilferental asked GOV
ers only car load lots of $4,000 pounds
aud upward.
II was this controversy that caused
the session of the commission al this
point, and two of the three days viii
be consumed in the hearing of the
case.
The third day will be devoted to al
lrating the difference that exists b.
tween the Cotton Belt road and tht
city of Memphis The Memphn
ireight bureau claims that the Cotton
Belt discriminates against the city ii
rates, inaSmuch as that road decline.
10 give the same rates to Memphis
hippcr5 as II gives 70 shippers iron
Little Rock and other j0bbing point.
ip the state Of Arkansas In some re-
5p1cts, It appears that the rates ar,
equal but where the distances are
tho same the Arkansas shipper IS CIV
en cheaper freight than that allow
ed to the Memphis man.
IN answer to this charge the Cotton
Belt declares that il enters Memphl
over the Iron Mountains tracks. thai
40 has no terminal facilities here thai
II has a bridge toll TO pay and that
i' IS bound 10 carry dead freight iron
Memphis to Fairoaks. Ark. a distance
Of Gl miles. the length Of the lror
Mountain track over which it enturr
the city Besides, It has 10 pay tn
latter railroad for the privilege of
csing its tracks Everything consid
cred the Cotton Belt declares that "a
makes as cheap rate to the Men
phle shipper as II is possible to no.
Memphis was not satisfied with this
answer and The city council WAS peH
toned to proceed against certain fran
chises of the Iron Mountain ana d.
clare them forfeited unless that road
forced the Cotton Belt 90 cease tne
alleged determination. BY contract
with the Iron Mountain the eity ia
protected from discrimination in
rates through the medium of thar
road. and rs the Cotton Belt uses me
lion Mountains tracks IL couil very
well take action that would cause
either a cessation Of tho socalle5 dis
crimination os a diecontinuanca of
the use of the track by the offending
road Rather than bring the Iron
Mountain into the controversy tap
Cotton Belt discontinued its trains
into Memphis but. believing that The
matter could be satisfactorily adjust.
cd by the interstate commerce com
mi ION both parties agreed to submit
the entire question to thar BODY. and
~ the same time vest the commissl ION
with full authority. not only 20 bear
and determine. but also to settle apon
some adequate and definite arrange