The independent. [volume] (Lincoln, Neb.) 1902-1907, 1905-03-16
RATES ON FURNITURE
The Reasonable" Extortion Pract-
iced on the Furniture Dealers
and consumers
LOCAL RATE IS TREMENDOUS
The Shrewdness Of Expert" in Rate
Making They are Simply Well
Trained Pickpockets.


Trained Pickpockets.
Editor Independent: In this letter
we will speak only of car load rates
on furniture from Chicago. A mixed
car of furniture, fourth class, mini
mum weight, 10000 pounds, to Gales
burg, 163 miles, by way OF G., 3. G T.,
or to Burlington, Ia, 206 miles, the
freight is $44. To Des Moines, S72
miles; Oskafoosa, SS5 miles; OttumWa,
2SO miles, it is $53. To Creston, 39S
miles, fourth class, is 81 cents per 100
pounds, making the car $63. To Red
Oak, 443 miles, the fourth class rate IS
80 cents. making the freight $64. TO
Omaha, 500 miles, the special rate Is
30 cents per 100 pounds, making the
freight on our car $50. To Lincoln,
$50 miles, and q little less distance to
Fremont, the rate to either point IS
s6S, although the through class rate
would indicate $73. To Columbus, $50
miles from Chicago, or ninety-four
miles from Omaha, the through class
rate would indicate $1O6, but, by using
the special 80 cent rate, Chicago to
Omaha. and the local fourth class
rate of 81 cents, as we are entitled to
do, the freight is $102. 1t would be
interesting to know from the furni-
ture dealers at Columbus which rate
has been and is being collected OF
them. One hundred and two dollars on
combinations of Omaha and local is the
rate to Norfolk, fifty miles north OF
Columbus, but the short line and nat
ural route west to Norfolk is via the
C. & N. W., and Norfolk is entitled
to much lower rates than she gets
because the long haul Of competing
(?) line makes the rate higher on the
short haul than it should be in order
that the spoils of competition CD may
be divided on high rate basis. The
furniture dealer at Norfolk has had
some experience in trying to get shore
line rates.
The freight on our car of furniture
to Central City, 135 miles from Omaha,
and $50 miles from Chicago, is $116
on Omaha combination. The rate to
Grand Island, 156 miles from Omaha,
is S120 from Chicago. In other words,
IIG OUO ll11C haul, SAACdSO " OAholto
is $50, and the 156 miles further haul,
Omaha to Grand Island, is $50 more,
making $120 total If we figure the
Grand Island rate on the through class
rate basis from Chicago, the freight
would be $124.
To st. Paul, Neb., twenty-five miles
from Grand Island the rate is $136, or
SIS for 176 mile portion of 676 mile
through haul, while the 500 mile por-
tion is $50. And they tell us ton per
mile rates, as made by railway "ex-
perts," are reasonable. To Kearney,
200 miles from Omaha, the rate is 81
cents, made on the 80 cent special rate,
Chicago to Omaha 500 mile haul, and
81 cents, fourth class local for the 200
mile further haul to Kearney, total
$l34. The through fourth class rate,
Chicago to Kearney, is 60 cents, and
if billed through on that rate the
freight would be $138, or 81 overcharge,
and more than likely that is The rate
which Mr. Switz and every local dealer
in the state has been mulched into
paying. To Galloway, sixty-five miles
up the Kearney branch, the car rate is
Sl58 from Chicago on the sum Of local
and through rate, but the fourth class
rate through makes the car S162, sc
in all probability Galloway dealers
have been mulched into 81 overcharge
on all their car load business. TIC
3 North Platte, 294 miles from Omaha
the Chicago freight on our car of fur
niture is 55 cents per 100 pounds plus
80 cents, or IS cents through, making
S170 for the car. The class rate is 81
cents through, which means 81 car
more if the class rate IS collected than
the dealer should pay, even though
based on their extortionate local rate
sheet. The writer is not advised