Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1905-01-23
SHIPPERS WIN POINT

Lower Rate On Packers Products
Than on Live Stock Shipments is in
Effect Unfair Advantage Given the
Packers.
Chicago, Jan. ga Washington dis
patch says:
The Chicago live stock exchange was
given victory Friday in it's long
fought case, the interstate commerce
commission sustaining its complaint of
discrimination on the part of railroads
that exact higher rates for transport
ing cattle and hogs than for carrying
live stock products" to Chicago from
points west, northwest, and south
| west, including Missouri, river places
and South ST. Paul, MINI.
| The exchange made the complaint
against the Chicago Great Western and
other railways. The commission holds
| the discrimination is not justified in
any way, and subjects the live stock
| interests to unreasonable prejudice and
| disadvantage, giving to the traffic In
| the products" of live stock unreason-
| able preference.
Rates on Raw Material Unfair.
The commission reaffirms its pre-
vious decision in the Chicago board OF
| trade case, and extends the principle
| to the transportation of cattle and their
| products. An important ruling is:
| "The desire of a carrier to secure adj
ditionaI business for Its line of road
does not justify change in the rela-
ton of rates resulting in higher rate
upon cattle and hogs, the raw material,
than upon livestock products, the
manufactured article, where as IN this
case, the articles are in sharp compe-
tition with each other In markets Oh
purchase and sale. 1t is not Justlned
where it appears that upon other nnes
and other sections rates are gener-
oily higher and In many instances
much lower, on the traffic preJudiced
than on that favored by the change,
and where numerous and important in
dustries, which have been built up and
maintained under the former ADJUST
ment, and those interested In such IN
dustries, will be injuriously affected
by the action taken.
History of the Case.
In livestock circles this is known
as the Products case" 1t was the
result of special privileges given the
packers by the Great Western several
years ago. Mr.. Stickney made con-
tracts to haul packers products from
Missouri points to Chicago at 20 cents
and when billed thru at 1Sh cents.
Livestock rates from the same terri
tory and, in fact, over the entire west
ern half of Iowa, We're proportlonately
much higher, the rate as far east as
the longitude of MarshalltoWn, Ia, be-
ing 1914 cents. Announcement Of the
Great Western contracts provoked
howl Of disapproval Other roads were
forced to carry packers products east
ward from the Missouri river at the
Stickney price, but only the Santa re
cut livestock rates in proportion. Inc
result was that the packer had an un-
fair advantage over the shipper, and
has been enjoying it ever since.
Exchange Takes Up the Fight.
The Chicago Live Stock Exchange
promptly took the case before the COM
mission. T. w. Tomlinson acting as
its railway representative, filed COM
nlaint which cited, among other
things:
SSiiSSS>SS.
or received by defendant carriers for
the transportation of live stock In car
loads from points in Iowa, MISSOURI,
Minnesota and Wisconsin to Chicago,
and in and of themselves, and relative
ly compared with rates charged by de-
fendant carriers on the product OF llVe-
stock, unjust and unreasonable, in vio-
lation of Sec. 1, of the act to regulate
commerce.
'"That the raisers of live stock in
the states Of Iowa, Missouri, Wisconsin
and Minnesota are subjected to an UNI
due or unreasonable prejudice or dis
advantage, by reason of the rates
charged, collected or received by de-
PENDANT carriers for transportation of
the product of live stock from Mis-
souri, river points"
Effect of the Decision.
The effect of the decision will be to
| force railroads to put the live stock
| shipper on a plane of equality with
| the packer. Unless they decide to
ignore the decision Of the commission
| they must reduce live stock rates to
the same level as the present tariff on
packing house rates. In the present
! condition Of public sentiment on this
matter it is doubtful If the interested
! railroads will deem IL policy to ignore
| the decision. The Stickney contract
with the packers was to run for seven
years.