Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1906-04-14
NVANN And HIS MISSION
Commercial Club Commissioner Goes TO
Washington on Freight Rates,
OMAHA MUST HAVE LOWER SCHEDULES
Unable to secure Redress from Rail-
roads, Resort f. Made to the In
state Commerce Commission
Records Mt the Capital.

Commissioner e. j. McVann of the Com
mercial club left last night for WASH
ngton. where he will, examine the records
Of the Interstate Commerce commission for
information needed by the club in its en-
deavor to secure a reduction Of rates from
Omaha to South Dakota points. The rail-
roads have refused TO allow the club TO
see the tariffs on freight from Sioux City
to South Dakota existing pricr to 1902,
when the rates were lowered for Sioux City
and were left unchanged for Omaha. This
makes necessary a trip to Washington.
Mr.. McVann expects to return April q.
Everybody connected with the Com
mercial club knows the Milwaukee has
promised to adjust the freight rates to the
north to the entire satisfaction OF the Com
mercial club said a prominent official
Of the Milwaukee road. "A big change In
rates cannot be brought about on a
moments notice and many points along
the line of big system have to be con
sidered. Our general freight agent and our
third vice president were in Omaha some
time ago and both promised this should be
done and the road is now at work on a
rev tariff. The grain rates to Omaha from
South Dakota will also be taken care Of"
what McVann Has to Say.
Relative to this statement of the railroad
man, Mr.. McVann said:
1--WE have received no tariff showing
that either the Milwaukee or the North
western has reduced the rates from Omaha
| to Sioux City to the basis in effect Decem-
/ Der 6, 1905, nor have We received any direct
| answer from them to the effect that the
| reduction would be made. This is the
principal point OF controversy between the
Commercial club and the Milwaukee road.
| A. 90 y.aN.. nal, 1fv,Ag
the refusal Of the Milwaukee and the
| Northwestern railroads to furnish the club
| essential information necessitates the club
going to the expense and trouble Of send
ing me to Washington TO obtain the in
! formation. Both these roads changed the
rate materially in 1909 from Chicago, St.
Paul and Sioux City to nearly all points in
| South Dakota, and as a matter of right
and justice they should have made the
same changes in the rates from Omaha to
the same points. Instead they ignored US
and left our rates so high to many points
that they actually exceed the rate to and
from Sioux City. Omaha merchants can
ship to Sioux City and reship to a large
number of points in South Dakota cheaper
than they can ship direct from Omaha TO
South Dakota.
Spirit of the Milwaukee.
"As to the promises made by the Mlwau-
kee, we first took the matter before the
officials of tina, road in September 1906 and
their manner of handling 1t has been char
acterized ever since by the most unfriendly
spirit. 1t has been within their power to
make, within any one month. the correc-
tions we require. Instead of doing this,
they have either ignored our requests alto
gether or have put us off with insincere
and garbled statements. In view of these
facts, it is not surprising that the mer-
chants OF Omaha want to see the tariffs
embodying these changes instead of hear
ling promises to issue these tariffs at some
indefinite date.
1T is the purpose Of the individual ship
pers who have been forced to pay the ex-
tortionate advance from Omaha to Sioux
City since December TO take the neces-
sary legal steps to recover the amounts
so extorted. I have information to the eff
feet that the Milwaukee railroad in partic-
ular has been making refunds to some
shippers on South Dakota business where
the published tariff exceeded the sum OF
the locals through Sioux City. This is di'
/ rect evidence that their own officials re-
gard their position in this matter as un.
tenable, and this evidence will be used
with effect at the proper time"