The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1905-05-24
THEY WANT A SQUARE DEAL.


According to the Drovers' Journal.
the Chicago Live Stock Exchange has
decided to join forces with stockmen
and others who seek the regulation Of
railroad rates by the interstate COM
MERGE commission. The Chicago Live
Stock Exchange consists OF persons
engaged in buying and selling live
stock at the Union Stockyards, the
organization having about 700 active
members. Their business interests
being closely associated with those OF
shippers OF livestock, they are affected
to q greater or less degree by unfair
railroad rates upon livestock.
Members of the exchange have ap.
piled for a hearing before the senate
committee which is investigating rail.
road rates, and in the meantime have
addressed to the committee a letter
which consists 10 part of this state.
ment:
For the past eleven years this ex.
change has been fighting for its pa.
trons' interests against extortion by
the railroad companies in the mat
ter OF the ''terminal charge" of 81 per
car, which on June l., 1894, vas added
to the freight OF each and every a Of
live stock shipped into or out Of the
Union Stock Yards Of Chicago on
western railroads. This amount al
put on by the railroads to W a
charge varying from so cents to $3.50
per car begun at that time by the Chi
cago Junction Railway company. A
storm of Indignation arose, every ship
per protested, and the Chicago Live
Stock Exchange, on behalf OF these
shippers, at once instituted proceed
ings to remove the charge. The mat
ter was brought before the interstate
commerce commission, as the proper
tribunal to give redress, and, notwith.
standing the efforts of the railroads,
its decisions have always been favor
able to the exchange, and at least one
hall Of the charge declared unjust and
unreasonable. The United States SUI
preme court confirmed The commits
siOn's view.
The exchange, however, has never
been able to prevent the continued
collection of this charge by the rail.
roads. The hundreds of thousands of
men who have suffered for eleven
years and are still suffering this eX.
tortion feel that some means should
be devised flor their protection. There
has been lover Sc, 200, 900 taken from
them under thisIrcharge without one
cent of additional benefit.
In addition to the terminal charge
matter, and again representing the
interests of the producers, the Chicago
, Live Stock Exchange on April 5, 1902,
brought before the interstate commerce
commission the matter OF excessive
rates charged on livestock from west
3 ern points to Chicago over the rate
charged on packing house products
: This was case No. 618. The commits.
sion decided that rates on livestock
from certainIwestern points to Chicago
were unjust and unreasonable as CON-
pared with the rates on packing house
products, and issued an order to the
defendant railroads on June I, 1902
to cease and desist from collection O.
such charges. Again the defendants
willfully disregarded the ruling OF the
I commission3and lcontinued to collec
those excessive rates.
Irrespective Of political party the
patrons ofi'this exchange have de-
! termined that they are entitled to {
square deal, and that In the making
OF railroad rates generally, what i.
} fair and just to both sides should b.
considered. 1t is with no spirit o
antagOnism to railroads that the Chi
> cago Live Stock Exchwnge urges the
, enactment Of legislation that will in
sure equity between the railroads ane
. their patrons. 1t is evident that if tn
ratemaking power be vested withou
control in the railroads., rates will b'
too high, while if placed in the hand,
, OF the patrons of the roads, the!
, would be too low.