The Topeka state journal., 1905-12-23
RATE TROUBLE
Salina Files Complaints With Railroad
Board.

Indications are that one Of the
freight agents at Salina has been max
ing new rules for the government of
the Union Pacific road. That would be
inferred from a large bunch of corr
respondence filed today with the state
board Of railroad commissioners con-
ceTAing the Issuance and repeal of an
obnoxious order issued by the freight
departments at that town
The S51Tellabarger Mill. & Elevator
company at Salina is the complaining
witness in the case.
On November p, the SheHabarger
mill was informed by the Union Pacific
freight office that = bills Of 1ading for
after p. m. The Shellabarger peo-
pie at once started an investigation of
this queer state of affairs. They. sent
a Iette rto Chairman Robson of the
state board of railroad commissioners
in which they said:
"It seems that the Union Pacific at
this point has made a. rule that all bills
of lading must be presented before .
o'clock or they would refuse to sign
for same until the next day. We are
not particular as to whether the car
leaves the city the same day the bill
OF Eadia8 IS Signed, but We believe we
are entitled to have our bills of ladfng
signed during what is termed business
hours"
Chairman Robson, to whom the
letter was addressed, at once sent the
letter from Salina to n. II. Loomis,
general attorney for the Union Pacific,
with request for an explanation. Mr..
Loomis sent the letter to H. G. Kaill,
general freight agent at Kansas City,
and Mr.. KailI sent a. curt note to W.
S. Barr, the Union Pacific agent at Sa-
lima saying: Please explain fully.
Mr.. Barr's reply to Mr. Kali follows:
"The Shellabarger Mill & Elevator
company called me.u about 5s45 D. m,
November 21 and asked what was the
limit for receiving bills of lading at
night. I replied that there was none.
Then they advised that the freight Of
fee had refused to sign bills of lading
for them that they had presented at
$40 I told them to send down and I
would see that they got their bills
which they did.
"As YOU know there is considerabI
figuring to be done on these milling in
transit shipments, and we advance TO
s6ippeFs the amount paid in on the
wheat. Then after this IS done the
vyaybills have to be made by the day
force so that the cars can be got out
on the evening trains, and when the
bills Of lading are not presented until
$50 it keeps the clerks until z O'Clock
to get through
Mr.. Barr also states that the Shell
labarger shipments have averaged five /
cars q day during November and it is
evident that this is what brought the
Union Pacific so quickly to time, for Mr..
EafEls III 86lAO1AA5 ~ SAAI CD-~A u e-AA -4AG
correspondence in the case encloses
the following letter:
sI beg to invite your attention to
Mr.. Bars letter which think fully
explains this matter, and which we
trust will be entirely satisfactory to
Chairman Robson It is sour' DESIRE /
as well as our purpose to please all of
our patrons. The amount Of business
which we secure from the Shellabarger
Mill & Elevator company certainly
Justify us in doing the right thing by /
them
Mr. KaiH requests the board to re-
turn his sheaf Of letters as soon as. it
has complete its examination so that
he may take the whole matter up with I
Mr.. SheIIabarger and make a full per-
sonaI explanation.