The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-02-03
ILLEGAL ACTS
ARE ADMITTED
RAILROAD COMMISSION HAS AL
LOWED VIOLATIONS OF LAW.
Statistician Of the Commission Unable
to Make Explanation to the Legisla-
tive Inquiry Commit Litchfeld
Citizens Present Detailed Complaint
of Exorbitant Rates.

Some interesting developments came.
yesterday afternoon during the meeting
Of the joint committee Of the house and
senate which is investigating railroad
rates. A delegation Of citizens from
laltchheld, Mimi, were present to file
formal charges Of irregularities in Great
special statistician Of the railroad COM, ON.
mission was in attendance. and placed
under severe examination. G. s.
Lotus, secretary of the st. Paul ship
pers association, furnished some inter
esting information.
- During = l99oss,a,' he said, "the rail-
this state, and l,4i i' Of these chan changes
were advances. ".5 Mr.. Yapp corrobo-
rated this statement. Mr.. LOTUS stated
that the Great Western, during Decem-
Der, had increased it's freight rates 40
per cent on a number Of things, without
consent Of the railroad commission.
This also Mr.. Yapp corroborated, but
now being investigated. ...+
And during the investigation. said
Mr.. LOTUS, CONTRARY to law, the road
continues to enforce the increased
rate. - .,5g. =. -.
Ills this trrre9', asked Senator Eber-
hart Of Mr.. Yapp.
Yes, sir, = was the reply. .-5
MIR. Yapp Reticent.
f. Hash It the commission any method
whereby, when a road continues to en-
force such an illegal increase during in
vestigation Of the subject, the commits
neck for SO doing9' asked Representa-
tive Nolan. E-a~
Foster t IF pfif s eG d dasWer fSs
penalty of 800 a day he said.
-" Then why didn t The commission en-
sisted il making The illegal ratees'
asked Senator Eberhart. 80 :: ri $ i.
/; Fl, :; Mr.. Yapp hesitated: 81 s 3 Would
rather some member Of the railroad
commission answered that question: he
said. r. 6:ta 552z:s -. e..t.,. -.
A method referred to as "a secret
gentlemanly method Of increasing
rates. was brought to light: Instead
e1 g e eh raa9gs Wou fae d gate
change in classification. The result
would be a practical change in rates
but one which would not show on the
tariff rate sheets, which are open to the
public in all depots. These changes are
made at meetings Of railroad representa-
tives twice a year. During the past
year 2o9 changes were thus thus made 19s:o
from Litchfeld occupied some time.
The delegation was headed by A. F
Foster, recent candidate for congress
and J. s. Esbjornson and Henry Clauser
The complaints of the Litchfeld people
were formally drawn in writing an6
contain seven specific charges. A pre-
amble stated that in 1903. coal and lum
Litchfeld than hauls Of like length were
Fcharged for in Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois
! and Michigan; that after COMPLAINT hat
been duly fled with the railroad com
Emission the Great Northern road offered
| to compromise by IA per cent reduc
tion, which offer was. accepted on advice
Of the. railroad commission. Anothe,
Production Of 30 per cent should now b.
made. Seven instances of unfair rate
to Litchfeld were then cited as follows
I y First-Rates for shipping hogs to ST
| Paul is 1oMc per cwt; for shipping cattl
.13Ac-a 75-mile haul. The rate made from
! St. Paul to Chicago, a 400-mile haul, i
less than this 100 r.
second-Freight and passenger rate
generally are too high and discrimination
are made in favor of the larger towns.
| M Third-April IS, 1901 a car Of fence wir
4 was shipped from DeKalb, ILL.,, to the Min
nesota Transfer nearly 200 miles, for $48
from the Transfer to Litchfield the charg
4 was SOL. 46. Since then this latter rate ha
been reduced to $53.77.
Fourth-Jan Z, 1905, car Of church fix
lures was shipped from Chicago to tn
Transfer for $19.s4; from the Transfer t
Litchf1eld the charge was $22.23.
! Fifth-In January 1906 a car Of lumbe
was shipped from Centralia, Wash,
Litchfeld, The shippers got $4.S2 per 100
feet; the Great Northern got $14.10 pc
1000.
Sixth-In the spring Of 1904 a car loade
with sash and doors and building pape
was sent to Litchfeld from Minneapoli:
The sash and doors freight charge wa
91hc per hundredweight; for the paper i
the same car, 23c per hundredweight.
Seventh-Oct. %, 1903, 4,64O pounds
fire brick and clay were shipped from tn
Minnesota Transfer to Litchfeld, #
which 1Sc per ndredweight, an unree
, sonable rate, was charged S -,
These seven charges were discussed an
;, all the testimony relative to them flu
nished by members Of the Litchfield dele