Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-12-28
SHOULD END REBATES
Western Railway Men De-
nounce the Evil.
WILL STICK TO TARIFFS
SEEK COOPERATION OF INTER
STATE COMMISSION.
Eastern Railways Had Taken Similar
Action-Proposed Committee to
Look Into Grievances.
WILL STICK TO TARIFFS


way lines had two hours conference with
the Interstate commerce commission today
on the subject Of rebates. At the close OF
the discussion it was announced that the
gist OF the matter was that he railways
were willing to be honest IL they could.
They wanted to tell the commission SO,
ana that was the genesis Of the meeting.
There were some matters Of detail dis
cussed, but nothing definite has been ar
ranged further than that the western lines
represented will agree to stop giving re-
bates
Iooays action OF the great group of
western lines was practically the same as
that taken by the eastern roads some time
ago. There was no organic connection be-
tween the two movements, but the COM
mission says that It believes now that
all the roads have voluntarily agreed to
ngnt the rebate practice there will be some
satisfactory outcome to the action
There were only three members OF tha
commission present-Chairman Knapp anu
Commissioners Clements and Cockrell.
The Roads Represented.
The roads represented included all of the
great systems west Of Chicago and be-
tween Canada and Mexico. Their repre-
sentatives were: G. T. Nicholson, vice
president Of the Atehison Topeka and
Santa Fe: H. r. Mccullough vice presi
dent Of the Chicago and Northwestern: ).
b. Hiland. vice president Of the Chicago.
Milwaukee and st. Paul: J. NJ. Johnson,
assistant to the vice president OF the Gould
lines; ]. F. Holden, freight traffic manager
of the Rock Island; ]. w. Blabon, freight
traffic manager Of the Chicago and Alton;
Howard Morris. vice president and general
counsel Of the Wisconsin Central; c. l..
Wellington, general traffic manager of the
Colorado Southern; G. Halle, traffic man.
ager Of the Missouri. Kansas and Texas;
w. l.. Martin, vice president OF the 500
lines; j. c. Stubs. vice president and trat-
fic director Of the Hartman lines; Il. n.
Smythe, general freight agent OF the KAN
sas City Southern.
Testimony Of the Delegates.
These officials were appointed by the roads
in conference as a special committee to
wait on the interstate commerce commits
sion and inform the commission Of their
determination to obey the law. Nearly all
Of the railway men present had some
thing to say, though Mr.. Stubs was the
spokesman for the group. They related to
the commission number OF the expert
ences that the various roads had had In
trying to live up to their published tariffs
and related some cheering instances in
which some shippers, though not the big
gest ones. had formally declared that they
would neither seek nor accept variations
from the published schedule. There were
other instances, of course, in which the
shippers had not been so complacent and
had used threats to extort concessions from
individual lines, such as transferring their
shipments to rival roads il their demands
We're not complied with. There were no
specific instances of this sort given out by
ence to be drawn.
The conference. which was not public,
lasted for more than two hours. The rep
resentatives of the railways referred all
ipOpir1eS concerning the meeting to Chair
man Knapp of the commission, who said
the committee desired the assistance of the
commission in preventing rebates and
through the representatives of the different
western roads stated that the companies
are determined to put a stop to discrimi-
nation in favor of large shippers.
Proposed Intermediary.
Through Mr. Stubs, the chief speaker.
and practically all the other members of
the committee. the railway interests were
represented as being anxious to have the
commission assist a railway committee iii
looking into all grievances. Mr.. Knapp
said the speakers even expressed willing
ness to have such a committee headed by
a man without railway interests who shall
act as the go between in all conferences
between the railway committee and the
commission.
Several of the railway men assured the
commission that the public conscience has
been aroused by rebate disclosures and
that many prominent shippers have an
nounced they will accept no concessions
of any sort which may cause them to be
classed with corporations which have profit
ed by special rates.
This sentiment, 1t was urged by the rail-
way men, will assist materially in the
movement of the railways to abolish re-
bates
Mr. Knapp and the other two members of
the commission who attended the confer
ence assured the railway men that the
commission will gladly cooperate with the
railway interests In stopping rebates and
in investigating any grievances.
In return for activity among the railways
in trying to abolish determinations Chair
man Knapp said the railway committee did
not ask concessions of any sort from the
commission, but merely desired co-opera-
ton