The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-02-22
WITNESS SAYS
SMITH SCOLDED'
GRAIN MAN ANGRY AT DIsCLoi
SURE OF SPECIAL Rate.
p. H. Dowdle Produces Testimony
Which LOTUS Promised the Legislas
tive Committee Special Transit Rate
to Duluth, with Reshipping Privilege
at Carlton-More Testimony from
Hastings. '.T>.

George S. LOTUS, the representative
OF; the Minnesota Shippers association
who is bringing to light some strange
circumstances in connection with rail
way. freight lines, substantiated some
of his charges of last Friday at a meet.
ing of the legislative investigating com
mittee yesterday. At. the last hearing
P. 81. Dowdle, an important witness re
garding grain rates between the, twit-
cities and Duluth, was mysteriously, alb
sent, and Roderick Smith. the Duluth
grain man, predicted that Dowdle never
would appear for he had nothing &c
say. Mr.. LOTUS also declared that the
Milwaukee road had a. "midnighi
tariff" in favor of certain concerns al
Red Wing, which gave them better
rates than shippers at Wabasha or Lake
City. When this was fatty denied by
J. T. Conley, assistant general freight
agent of the Milwaukee road, Mr.. Lof
tus had nothing more to Alto
gether the day was a bad one for him
but he got his revenge yesterday.
He testified that Mr.. Smith had showr
him letter from II. T.. Still, assistant
general freight agent for the Northern
Pacific, granting a special rate from
the twin cities to- Carlton. The lettel
was not the one produced by Mr.. Smith
last Friday He testified further thai
Mr.. Smith had called on the witness
after he had made his damaging state
ments
"He scolded me-" said Mr.. Dowdle
"and said that had taken advantage
of private letter, and that [ had got
ten: him in a nice box"
"What did he say about his specia
rate?' inquired Mr.. Lotus.
"He said that it would give him s
cinch, on the grain business, and that b.
; had been working for it a long time
, He offered to. let me in, provided thu
, grain was billed thru him.
"What rate did he quote to you9'
} "He said that he had "a rate of q !:
) Icities to Carlton, and could reshlp t,
Duluth; for 311h cents and to Ashland
for cents.' ,.- ~: :: =
The tariff rate at this time was show
, to have been 10 cents. -.
, Louis Niedre of the Hastings Malt
ing company cited several instances O
/ alleged discrimination against Hasting
: shippers. At one time he had beel
7 quoted rate Of 91a cents on malt fren
) Hastings to Chicago over the MllWau
, kee road, being assured that the rat
from. Minneapolis to Chicago was L
tcents. Later he learned that the rat
was ~ cents from Minneapolis. I'll
claimed a rebate on 866;070 pounds
Mr., Conley declared that the 71a-cen
rate was made afterward by a compel
| ing road and the Milwaukee road ha
been compelled to meet the cut. MI
Niedre declared that he had had n
advice of the reduced rate, and con
. planned Of this negligence in not II
forming shippers Of the change OF ratt
He did not care what the rates, Were
las long as he was placed on an eqns
footing with his competitions,
f. Mr.. LOTUS showed that whenever
lchange in rate was ordered by any G
q the Chicago lines ten days motto
II was given to the committee of the. a
ISOLATION, so that the other roads coul
i meet the new rate.
y Mr. LOTUS thereupon produced til
original freight bills to prove that COZ
, was shipped to Red Wing. from Chicae
% for $1.2O a, ton when the tariff raj
Is III said last Friday,'' interrupte
Y rate. The rate to Red Wing was
10 thru rate from the West Virginia COZ
y Hwell, Wabasha and Lake City, i
=. termediate points, can't get that ST :
n rate. They never heard Of it, altf
d these places have been buying WEI
ct Virginia coal for years. Now that :
al what I call an illegal rate,' asserte
1t Mr.. LOTUS. :,
y Mr.. Lotus also stated that tt
IL freight agent at Red Wing, after tt
a. disclosures of the special rate, ma
kt sought to have the bills changed so
IS to show that an error had been mad
ee and this was also Mr.. Conley's explain
lie tion. Messrs. Lotus and Conley had
I tilt over the latter's evidence at TO
n mer hearings, in which they fatty !, q
Of MED each Others statements, but M
te Lotus was reading from the reports
r. the official stenographer and seemed
II have the best Of the dispute, -,
u The hearing was adjourned to Thur
ia dav afternoon, when Mr.. Lotus va ",
- have additional witnesses to prove :;
4 e1istence of the special rate to M
,9 Smith of Duluth on grain shipments.