Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1906-07-05
FRISCO RATE IS ILLEGAL
Grain Tariff Knocked Out by the Interstate
Commerce Commission.
VICTORY FOR OMAHA OVER KANSAS CITY
Chairman Knapp wires President
wattIes OF Grain Exchange that
Proposed DETERMINATION VIII
not he Tolerated,

= President wattles Of the Omaha Grain
exchange yesterday morning received
Telegram from Chairman Martin a. Knapp
of the Interstate Commerce commission,
stating that the new Frisco grain rate
against omaha and in favor Of Kansas
City was illegal and that the proposed
tariff could not be accepted.
This news was highly gratifying to
President wAttles and the members of
the exchange and gave them cause for
celebrating independence day with in
creased zeal According to local grain
men the proposed discrimination against
Omaha would have been exceedingly in
furious TO the Omaha grain market Since
II was announced the exchange mas made
a determined hght to have It knocked
out. Failing to induce the st. Louis x
san Francisco road 70 do so. II won on
an appeal to the Interstate Commerce COM
mission
The effect OF the differential would have
been TO drain southern Nebraska of grain
through Kansas City without giving
Omaha any chance at it at all She
prompt action of the Interstate Commerce
commission and the assistance Of Sena-
tor Minard in the matter is taken by
President wattles as indicating that
Omaha need no longer feel at the mercy
of the railroads in the matter of unjust
Determinations
Mr.. wattes Explains.
The following statement explaining the
AFFAIR fully was issued by Mr.. Wattles on
receipt of the intelligence from Chair
man Knapp
THE Omaha Grain exchange recently
received notice of the intention of the st.
Louis & san Francisco railroad, part
of the Rock Island system, to put in a
tariff from Kansas city to Memphis,
which should apply on all grain original
ing in Nebraska south of the Union Pa
cihc railroad and which was cut In
existing rates of about cents per 100
pounds This was intended to draw the
grain from that part of Nebraska through
Kansas City and to southern markets, and
the result OF it was accents differential
against omaha The Omaha Grain ex-
change Immediately protested against this
cut and sent its secretary to Chicago
to see the officers of this road and en-
deavor to get them to withdraw it, as 1T
was an open discrimination against the
Omaha market June 2S formal protest
was made to the Interstate Commerce
commission by wire This protest was
followed by a letter to Senator Willard
urging him to present this matter to the
commission and explain the objections Of
q the Omaha Grain exchange. These OBJ
\ jections were that this tariff was dis
crimnnting one that was to be applied
to one particular locality and not to 9TH
ers and therefore was Illegal. l have
just received the following telegram from
Martin A. Knapp, chairman of the Inter
state Commerce commission:
WASHINGTON, July 3.-Your tele-
gram of June % now delivered at Office.
Upon receipt of your letter to Senator
Willard the matter was considered ana
general freight agent of st. Louis & San
Francisco notified by wire that proposed
rates are deemed illegal and that circular
could not be accepted by commission as a
legal tariff MARTIN A. KNAPP,
Chairman"
This message indicates that the com
mission has taken the same view of this
tarff as we took and has notified this
road that 1t cannot be accepted, which
IL very welcome news indeed to the mem
bers Of our exchange"