Omaha daily bee., 1906-12-22
FREE INTERCHANGE OF CARS
Comm siOner rrouty Thinks This Wcul9
Relieve Congestion Of Traffic
MORE TESTIMONY TAKEN At KANSAS CITY
Eastern Roads Accused OF T0eeping
Cars of western Lines while
Refusing 60 Allow Use OF
Their own 60 Others.

KANSAS CITY, Mo, Dec. a-At the con-
clusion OF the inquiry into the question OF
the freight car shortage In the west before
c. A. Prouty. Interstate Commerce commits
sloner, which began in st Louis and ended
here tonight, the commissioners, shippers,
and the representative Of the railroads
agreed that all parties concerned would be
greatly benefited and present conditions
relieved II free interchange Of cars among
railroad companies could be brought about
This solution was FIRST suggested by the
shippers was approved by Commissioners
Prouty and was endorsed by the railroad
representatives when today they we're given
an opportunity to state their side Of the
case.
It is understood that western railway lines
generally favor q free interchange OF freight
cars but that eastern roads have refused
to enter into such an agreement. The rea-
son for this difference, it Is said, is that
eastern roads are profting by present con-
ditions and are using many thousand cars
belonging to western roads, and their own
equipment as well, causing a serious short-
age to exist in the west and south Western
lines have been forced to issue an order
that such cars as they have left are not 10
leave their own respective tracks
PrOuty FavOrs interchange,
After the hearing had adjourned Commits
sioner Prouty said;
An Interchange Of cars by all the rail-
roads would do away with much Of the
shipping trouble. And then. this country
Is long way from New York. Owners
Of railways are not Thoroughly familiar with
conditions here. They are inclined to make
money first and consider the public service
later.
M. A. Low attorney for the Rock Island,
In, bA
railroads, said that his road did not lack
motive power to move freight and that 1t
could care for all the business offered II Il
could get possession Of all the cars It owns
He said that penalizing the railroads for
failure to supply cars when ordered by ship
pers will have no good effect He said that
any legislation should be along remedial
lines and should not impose penalty upon
the railroads for something they cannot
avoid under present conditions.
Commissioner Prouty left for Washington
tonight. The report Of his investigations
i'm the west will be incorporated in gem
eral report Of freight conditions in the
United States to be submitted to Presi-
dent Roosevelt and congress.
w. r. Wright, an agent for the Inter
state Commerce commission, who had in-
vestlgated the freight congestion at Cal
weston, testified that he believed the
trouble there was to some extent the fault
Of the railroads in not making sufficient
preparation for rush of business of which
they had warning.
Defense of Frisco Line.
Commissioner Prouty invited the repre-
senatives of the railroads to present their
defense to the charges which had been
made by the shippers and w. r. Tyler,
general western and southern manager of
the Frisco, took the stand. Mr.. Tyler said
that his road was not to blame for the
! hardships which shippers had suffered be-
cause OF a shortage of cars. He said that
5000 or 1900 cars belonging to the Frisco
were in the possession Of other roads, He
denied that the Frisco Disseminated In
favor Of certain shippers He said that the
practice of grain men in Kansas City of
holding loaded wheat cars until the wheat
was inspected, sold and reconsigned should
cease. Commissioner Prouty also con-
demned this practice. Mr.. Tyler said that
the recent order issued by the Frisco that
cars loaded with lump and nut coal could
not be transferred to other lines was caused
by the inability of this road to get pos
| session OF all its cars. He said that slack
coal was not included in the order because
| this character of coal could not be disposed
of at points along the Frisco.
! f. s. Rawlins, traffic manager Of the
Kansas City Southern, advocated the in
terchange of cars among the railroads. He
said his road had lost $500 freight cars in
four months and that 1900 of these cars
belonged TO other lines.
santa Fe Under Fire.
WASHINGTON. Dec A.-Mnler Bros,
I stock raisers and shippers Of Bliss, okl..
filed complaints against the Atchison, To-
peka & Santa Fe Railroad company With
the Interstate Commerce commission to-
day, alleging discrimination by that road
on shipments to Mississippi river markets.