Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1905-01-27
The Private Car Monopoly.

and will put up a most bitter fight
against the passage Of any bill put.
ting the private car lines under the
supervision of the interstate COM
merce commission. Congressman
Overstreet of Indiana introduced
such a bill last year, but nothing
came of it. The attitude of Presi-
dent Roosevelt on the rate question,
and the cordial endorsement which
it has received at the hands of the
public completely changed the con
gressional situation, however, and
the private car interests realize that
they will have to be exceedingly ac
tive if they hope to stop legislation
along this line. Senator Elklns has
introduces a bill against the private
car lines, in the senate, aud Repre-
s~entasive Stevens, Of Minnesota, in
the house.
Readers who are not directly con-
cerned in shipping can have but
small idea of the hardships which
the private car system works upon
the small shipper, or the bitterness
of the feeling of these against the
system. Armour & Co. for instance
own 1900 refrigerator cars. The
company has an exclusive contract
with the Southern Pacific aud other
roads, which requires that all perish
able goods shall be shipped in them.
The Armour company gets three
fourths of a cent per mile for every
mile that these cars are hauled over
the road whether they are loaded or
empty, and a car accountant system
enables the Armour company to
know each day exactly where each
car is, where it was loaded, what its
destination and who loaded it. This
three-fourths of a cent pays the
Armour company for its wear and
tear on the cars, aud the interest on
the bonds. 1t charges the shipper
$50 a car from the Pacific coast, Mis-
iouri river points. 1t is declared
that a liberal estimate Of the cost of
icing a car for this distance is SOS
which leaves a clean rake off to the
Armour company of $50 a car,
But this is only the beginning. The
Armour company has been in the
habit of paying rebates to the big
shippers. La the receivership hearing
of Porter Bros. company it was dis
closed that the Armour company had
paid it rebates in one year amount.
ing to 100000. Other big shippers
come ia for equally large SIMS.
The Armour company are themselves
engaged in the business of shipping
meats, butter, eggs aud poultry. The
profit to the Armour company on its
exclusive arrangements with the
read makes it possible to daliVer its
produce and fruit in Chicago for
much less than it's competitors can
can do it and hence, u~uderselling, to
crowd them the wall. The small
shipper is thus cut into at both
ends of the line. HeIs held up by
the stifbitted rebate getting fruit
companies of California who get re-
bates from Armour e. Co. aud then
he is robbed by the exclusive car
privilege which is enjoyed 10y that
company. The result is that be bids
fair to be driven to the wall and the
whole business pass Into the hands
of the Armour trust, unless some
thing can be done-and that very
soon-to end special privileges which
attach to the private car system.
To show how bitter is the feeling
against the Armour company, it is
only necessary to quote what Chas.
b. Ayres president Of the national
league of commission merchants re-
Gently said during an address at
New Orelons:
I'VE will continue 10 charge the
limit We think the public vii! stand,
and If you are not satisfied to pay
our toll for the privilege of living you
can let your goods rot, as you must
do business with US or quit, i what
the Armour exclusive contracts
mean
1t ia declared that the Hepburn
bill providing for rate regulation
will pass congress before the 4th Of
March, The Argus Leader is not
80 sanguiue; but if the death blow is
given to the infamous car aud Ne.
bate system as the result Of the
movement set on foot BY the prssi-
dent, the agitation will not have
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