The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-01-04
STEVENS IS AFTER
PRIVATE CAR EVIL
Continued from First Page.

made part Of the obligation of com
| of transportation. Every owner of pri-
| vate freight cars or freight lines must
| file with the interstate commerce com
| mission, just as all railroad-rate sched-
ules are filed, a list of it's rates for the
use OF private cars and a list Of
frigeration and anyt thing of that sort
performed for the property while in
| transit: $sfss 49, s5sye -
| Every private ne is required to
! report annually IA is often during the
year as the interak t.ss y. rcommerce com
| mission shall require, On athe facts as
provided BY law Is 81 l. the case Of rail
! road companies, and in addition, show
all rates charged for whatever purpose,
the amount earned for use .sof cars and
for other services rendered, and spe-
officially shoY the names Of owners and
operators of the cars and, if a corpora
ton, the names and addresses of stock
holders. >..'",@ -. -
Rebates Made Unlawful.
The bill makes it unlawful for any
owner or operator of private cars to
solicit, give or receive any discrimina-
ton, rebate or unjust advantages by
reason of the use of such cars. The
bill further provides that the cars
shall be transported at no higher or
different rate than that provided in
schedules of rates filed with the inter-
state commerce commissions; that
shippers Of other cars shall not be sub
jected to- any discrimination thereby;
that the amount charged for private
| cars shall be just and reasonable and no
greater than is paid by the railroad in
| its usual business to other railroads for
the use of smaller cars; that all
charges for service, such as refrigera-
| ton, etc, shall be just and reasonable,
and giving the interstate commerce com
mission full authority to investigate and
settle any question of dispute concern
identical with those of the Elkins bill,
passed in the last congress, dealing
with rebates and discriminations-a
law which the interstate commerce COM
mission has reported as having worked
satisfactorily. >..s .rr.... ...-.
! From Evils to Monopoly.
For several years the evils of private
freight and refrigerator cars have been
increasing until now the interstate
commerce commission in it's last report
most intolerable monopoly. Formerly
there were many different lines Of fruit,
and dairy refrigerator and cattle cars
There was competition among them SO
that service was excellent and prices
reasonable to the public.
] But within the last year or two the
IStandard Oil company, by its tank cars,
and the beef trust, especially the
Armour Packing company, by it's re,
frigerator cars. have obtained almost a
monopoly in this line of business
| rFhov HOY a oov,oro11o1 i1rno n &c
to make exclusive contracts for a long
period for use Of their cars.
In a case before the interstate com
merce commission, the Pere Marquette
Railroad company is cited as having
made an exclusive contract for five
years with the Armour Packing com
pany for the use Of it's private re
frigerator cars. This practically placed
the whole fruit business Of Michigan
at the mercy of the beef trust. They
raised the prices Of their cars and Their
charges for icing and refrigeration Of
cars to $45 car for ice when. a rea
sonable price for this service SHOULD
not have exceeded $40 car.
The effect of this monopoly by thu
beef trust was clearly shown during
the beef strike, when the Armour Pack
ing company entered the poultry bust
ness and was cornering the supply Q:
Ipoultry in the west. This it could cas-
lily do, because it could require tn
railroad companies to move exclusivel,
its refrigerator cars on the penalty o
not having any Of the beef trust bust
ness if they refused. This the bee
trust could do owing to the fact tina
it was the largest single shipper in til
west and in position to dictate terms
Car Charges Advanced.
Then, having made its point. the bee
TRUST would charge two or three time
the customary or fair prices for the us
of its cars, which, of course. would hay
u to be paid by the competing shippe
This exorbitant profit would practical
IenabIe the beef trust to transport il