The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-05-13
Not a Code of Honor.

Not a Code of Honor.
The Interstate commerce commission
has been holding hearings in Chicago
and the public has been learning some |
thing more about the methods Of the
private car line companies. Accord |
ing to the testimony of d stenogr pher
formerly in the employ Of the Ar-3|
mours, "a; secret. code existed by which, |
rebates were regulated. IS Laugh
some in this code meant pay a re-
BATE Lava meant pay the rel
bate out of cash in hand--no tell-tale
checks. The names Of the Interstate
commerce commission were in the code
land the members of the commission
were amused to learn what words
stood for their names. ''Imprison' it
appears meant : Mr.. Prouty, while
woodprint*' signified that somebody
was to avoid service of summons from,
the interstate commerce commission.
This word flashed over the wire gave
some body an extra vacation.
Rebates on fruit shipments it APP
pears were paid to certain large ship
pers whom the witness named. The
railroads have always claimed that
they had nothing to do with the
charges made or repayments allowed
by the private car lines. They were
helpless, but it is a curious fact that
no receiver of fruit had anything to
do with the private car line company.
!. His dealings are with the railroad
and to the railroad he pays his bill.
There was the case of Mr.. Davies of
Chicago, who testified before the COM
: mission that he had refused to pay an
exorbitant charge for icing cars be-
: tween Decker, Ind, and Chicago. He
said that the railroad people insisted
!, that he should pay it and when he de-
INJURED on the ground that the bill
: was unreasonable they told him they
: had nothing to do with that. When he
: asked them to refer him to the man
/ who had to do with making the bill
| they still insisted that he pay it OF
t they would shut off his credit and re-
fuse to haul shipments to him unless
S the charges were prepaid. The rail
: read in this case showed a violent
anxiety to collect the icing charge fol-
! the car line company, tho disclaimine
= any interest in it. Mr.. Davies founC
h that tho he was doing business with
l. an interstate corporation his bills were
n being made out by a company having
t no common carrier duties and which
t did not appear in the transaction
$ The railroads may be able to satisfy
g the public that they have no interes
II in these charges or no guilt in thes!
l. determinations, but they will pardon
II the public if it does not see it at once
1t On the use Of private cars the ruling
S. of the interstate commerce commission
h has been, "when d carrier accepts an
Is uses cars for transportatio ton, owned b.
t. shippers or others, in legal contempla
# ton it. adopts them as it's own for pun
Is poses Of rates or carriage, and nelthe
y the manner of acquiring the cars. = no
ID inability, to furnish its general patron
IS the use Of cars similar to those fu1
ID nished by some shippers for their sow
al traffic, can excuse or~justify. a carrie
y for discrimination in rates that ma
g give one shipper an advantages owe
y another; nor can any device such a
or the payment of unreasonable rent fo
e. the use of cars furnished by shipper
i be practiccd to evade the duty Of equs
lie charges for equal service" r..
VI. The railroads either are or are nc
ut able to protect their patrons from e.
of tortionate charges by private-car line
in If they are not, then the. governmer
in must. If the railroads are able, br
will not do it, then the governme1
&c must take hand in the general bus
al ness of making rates where complain
he is. filed and a showing Of unreasonab
Sc rates made. 1t does seem as tho tt
Oh logical way to reach the private-c;
he line is thru the railroad, because, viii
the shipper knows the railroad al
Oh pays his bill to it, and the governmel
of knows the railroad and has given it i
fl right Of eminent domain, without whit
de there could be no railroad, neither II
eff shipper nor the government knows tt
Jas private car line. Why, then, should Il
nd railroad be able to fob off congress
nd saying, "Don It attack us; we are po'
of erless; 90 after the private-car line
on THEY are the fellows who are dol
,,s the mischief Will the governmei
us- with a responsible agent in sight,
,rd off into the woods looking for hidd
CO. agenta ,.: q, 49,: ~, l.
rV- Pension Commissioner Warner has d
7er covered that the famous "Order No. Z
IND has been made retroactive in some cas-
OH and that the government has been do
ha G =, -