The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-07-30
City News
MINNESOTA FARES
WELL in TARIFFS
SO TELLS GREAT NORTHERN OF.
FICuAL TO COMMISSION.
Hearing on Merchandise Rates Devel-
ops That Kansas City and Omaha
Have Higher Figures for Same Dis
tance-Mankato Merchant Gives
Shippers View Of Situation.

The final hearing on merchandise
rates on railroads within the state OF
Minnesota was begun before the rail
road commission at the capitol today.
There were two witnesses examined
this morning, B. Campbell, fourth vice
and E. L. Patterson, Mankato Her-
chant. This afternoon was devoted to
cross-examination of witnesses on
ground which had previously been
covered.
c. A. Severance, attorney for the
railroads, examined Mr.. Campbell, who
devoted his remarks mainly to criti-
cisms of the tabulations on rates pre-
pared by the railroad and warehouse
commission.
Campbell Has Figures.
Mr.. Campbell also had some tabula-
these was "Campbeli's exhibit No. /. .
showing Great Northern rates from dis.
tances Of % to 400 miles into Mime
apolis. These rates were compared with
from Nebraka points into Omaha. Kan.
sas points into Kansas City, Illinois and
Iowa distance tariffs and rates to Chi
cago all on grain. These tabulations
showed advantageously for the Great
Northern. For instance, the twenty
tive.mile rate on the Great Northern
into to-. Minneapolis is ~ J.. cents d;. the
cents; into Kansas City, 6 cents. Mr..
Campbell also asserted that Iowa rates
to Chicago are 113 to 1913 per cent
greater than Great Northern rates from
Minnesota points to Chicago, like mile
He Finds Inaccuracies.
Under the guidance of Mr.. Severance,
| Mr.. Campbell found various inaccu-
racies in a comparative table of rates
Of the railroad commission; that the
merchandise rate Of the Great Northern
to Round Prairie from the twins was
given as cent higher than the cor:
per ton from Duluth to Silver Lake was
scheduled 40 cents higher than it is;
that the coal rate from Duluth to Dan
vers and Bellingham is listed 5 cents
higher than the correct figures.
| He maintained that the schedules on
rates per mile where town is touched
| by two lines could not be fairly COM
/ pared with schedules where but one
road reaches town, because where
/ there are two lines the rate is always
made to meet the short haul.
| Tables Are Worthless.
Mr.. Campbell practically asserted that
the railroad commission IS tabulations
comparing the official classifcations and
! the western eiassifcations are worthless
and unfair.
"The classifcations in the two are
absolutely different and incompatible,
said Mr.. Campbell: "For instance, the
first class in the official classification is
made up of different number Of things
and different kinds of things from the
first class in the western classification.
This is true thru six different classes.
For this reason, no intelligent compari.
son can be made" "
Mankato Man Speaks.
E. l.. Patterson of Mankato, of this
t Patterson Mercantile company, succeed
t Ell Mr.. Campbell, testifying without the
, aid Of an attorney. Mr.. Patterson,
: while maintaining that the old rates OF
:, the railroads to and from Mankato are
: too high and unfair, also criticised the
new schedule of rates proposed by the
s railroad commission, in that they gave
e the advantage to Winona and Twin City
8 jobbers in selling goods to merchants
t in intermediate towns, between Winons
;. and Mankato and the Twins and Man.
u >kato. He made plea that tariffs from
b l UQG. C1t1cS rOIs any blZc " lnleImSuldte
i, points be placed on an equal mileage
b rate basis, that is, that the rate pei
mile be kept the same from each dis
! trikuting point. EE
t "Now suppose we fix rates on the
: equal-mileage basis, as you suggested, ,
s said Commissioner G. F. Staples. What
IS is to prevent the railroads, as soon al
IS we get rates fixed, granting still lowe
? rates to certain intermediate points ia
e vorable to a certain distributing cen
II ter, and thus making a situation a
it bad as before from the standpoint il
IS which you view it2''
It Will Always Have Competition.
- CT suppose Mankato will have to bat
, tie with competition in whatever forr
it finds it, was the reply, 'tbut
rates are put on lower basis tina
now, there is less likelihood that tn
roads will make a still greater cut t
- benefit some small intermediate point.
L Mr.. Patterson quoted Chicago distrit
1 uting rates, which he believed were III
fairly low for Minnesota and Dakot
le points, and which, he said, were boon
,e ing the business Of the big Chicag
l. catalog houses; but the railroad CON
ID mission admittedly could give no n
Is lief in that quarter, as the remedy lie
lie in adjustment Of interstate rates.
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