The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-02-04
SHARP QUESTIONS
BY INVESTIGATORS
GRIEVANCES AGAINST RAIL.
ROADS ARE CONSIDERED,
Louis Niedre of Hastings and George S.
LOTUS of st. Paul Appear Before the
Legislative Railway Rate Investiga-
ting Committee-Tariff Sheets Not
Posted as Law Requires.

Louis Niedre, Hastings malster and
George s. Lotus, a st. Paul elevator
legislative railway investigating com.
mittee yesterday afternoon. Each had
grievance against the Chicago, Mil
waukee & ST. Paul system, which was
represented by E. D. Sewell, assistant
general superintendent, and J. T. Con-
Icy, assistant general freight agent. Mr..
N1edre complained of the rates from
Hastings to Chicago and Louisville. A
SPECIFIC instance was made of a rate Of
~ cents on barley to Louisville when
he could ship the barley to Minneapolis
tor cents and reship to Louisville for
IL cents. 1t was admitted by the rail
way officials that this was mistake.
Nledre wanted to know why the grain
rate from Hastings to Chicago was 1917
cents, and from Minneapolis was ONLY
7,h cents Mr.. Conley explained that
ed for shipments originating beyond the
twin cities. The object Of the proper.
tionate rate, Mr.. sewell explained, was
I to enable the roads to participate in the
grain shipments to the east, which
would naturally take the way Of the
great lakes. It was further stated that
to abolish the proportional rate could
not possibly affect Hastings or other
intermediate points, but that such
rates were of vast benefit to the farm
ers, because the lower the rate to Min
neapolis the higher prices they would
get for their grain.
''Swiped'' Tariff Sheets.
Niedre also complained that he was
Unable 5a Ito to get rates when he Saled for
tariff sheets, altho the law requires that
thew be posted at all stations His
story Of how he "swiped' copies Of
the tariff sheets and his attempts to get
others from Mr.. Conley were amusing.
MIR. Conley said that when Mr.. Niedre
called for sheets he was out Of them,
and admitted that the station agents
were not always as we'll posted on rates
as the companies desired.
Mr.. Sewell admitted that there were
plenty Of discrepancies in the tariffs,
but discrepancies did not necessarily
mean discrimination because no one was
affected by the discrepancies as a rule.
Many Of the questions asked the rail
way officials were sharp, calling forth
wanted to know whether the.committee
was to line up the tariffs of Minnesota
generally or to ascertain real grievances
and obtain relief from them.
Mr.. Lotus complained that It cost
more to ship products in carload lots
from points along the Milwaukee road
in southern Minnesota to intermediate
from the same points to Duluth. Some
one asked if carload Of brick from
Chaska to Harris would cost more than
the same car from Chaska to Duluth.
Neither Mr.. Seweu nor Mr.. Conley were
prepared to answer this question, but
Mr.. LOTUS said that the rate to Har-
ris would be higher if shipped over the
Milwaukee, but if shipped over the st.
Louis, the Duluth rate would be applied
as the maximum.
Cited Specific Case.
Upon being asked to make specific
case of discrimination, Mr.. LOTUS cited
q shipment of grain from sanborn to
North Branch. It was pointed out that
Sanborn was in Iowa and it was only
an assumption that the same conditions
applied to Minnesota towns.
"But is not this Sanborn case opposed
to interstate commerce9'' asked W. D.
Washburn, Jr.
| NThe rate is made in accordance with
traffic arrangement with the North
ern Pacific; " replied Mr.. Sewell. =
"Wouldn t that arrangement do
away with interstate commerce con
trolY' continued Mr.. Washburn.
The railway men did not think so. X
A Seeming Violation. +
| Mr.. Washburn insisted that there was
a seeming violation Of the long-h haul
and short-haul clause and insisted upon
an answer, and asked if the facts rep
resented by Mr.. LOTUS were not op
posed to Interstate commerce law.
4.lt would appear to be so on its
face,' admitted Mr.. Sewell
w. A. Nolan, J. H. Dorsey and other
members of the committee asked that
future complaints be submitted in writ
ing and sent to the railroad and ware
house commission and the railways, SC
that the proper persons could obtain
answers without wading thru loads OF
books without finding what was wanted
This was reflection on Thomas Yapp
the statisticiane Of the commission, who
often failed to find information desired
by the legislators, or lodged the reply
by announcing that the answer SHOULD
properly come from some member Of
the commission. The investigation was
adjourned until Tuesday afternoon a
2 O'Clock.
GEORGE AIDE ACCUSED