Omaha daily bee., 1906-08-16
MVLNN REPLIES TO BIDDLE
Gays Rock Island Official MisquOted Him as
70 Right and Wrong"
MEMPHIS EQUALIZATION is The sANE
All BiddIe's Talk of Unfnirness Falls
Fiat I'm Face of Conditions
of which He Admits
Being Informed.

Secretary Mcvann OF the Omaha Grain
exchange read in The Bee Wednesday
morning the interview of Vice President
Biddle of the Rock island relative TO tho
boycott of that road by Omaha CONNER
cial interests. Mr. McVann said he had
not seen Mr.. Biddle and did not know, OK
cept through the newspapers, that he was
in the city. He made the following
answer to Mr.. Biddle's public statement:
-In Mr. Biddle's interview he has stated
his side of the case very clearly and
Justly, but. as 1 told him plainly at our
last personal conference, the people Of
Omaha are not concerned with the mo-
tives of the RocS Island Frisco system
and very little concerned with the reasons
for its actions. What we consider in
Omaha is solely the effect upon our in
terests of the equalization plan.
"Mr. Biddle misquotes me when he says
] insistedS whether we were right or
wrong. we would maintain our position.
What I said was that we would maintain
our position until his road cancelled the
equalization plan regardless of whether he
thought our position was right or wrong
which is an entirely different proposition
As TO that Equalization"
ut might be well at this time, in view
Of Mr.. Biddles statement. to restate our
position with regard to the Memphis equal
ization' plan We are willing to admit
Mr.. Biddles statement that he has not
disturbed the through rates from the ter
ritory in question; we are willing TO admit
further that the distances from the Ne
braska points involved may be somewhat
less in some cases via Kansas City. These
things are of very little Importance as
against the basic fact that the railroads
west OF the Missouri river have divided
the territory of Nebraska and Kansas be-
tween Omaha and Kansas City and have
made all their rates accordingly. Kansas
City has succeeded in encroaching upon
Omaha's side of this territory to far
greater extent than we consider just, but
we have not found It expedent to attack
the local rates as yet Mr.. Bidde has now
stepped in and has made Kansas City a
present OF absolute equality with Omaha
in practically the whole South Platte coun-
try. bringing Kansas City up to within
twenty-five fifty miles Of Omaha on an
even keel Neither his road nor any other
road has made the slightest effort to change
the rates on the Kansas City side OF the
territory to give us any equivalent advan-
tage. The position. therefore, is this: Kan
sas City maintains it's exclusive advantage
in southern Nebraska and in all of Kansas
and is presented with equality with
Omaha in all Of the South Platte country
practically speaking.
All Falls to the Ground.
"All OF Mr.. Bidde's talk about unfair
and unamerican methods; all of his math-
ematical terms about two sides of tri-
angle; all of his assertions that he has done
nothing except to place Omaha on an equal
fly with Kansas City fall to the ground
before this plain statement of actual con-
ditions, with respect to which Mr.. Biddle
admitted to me that he was as fully in
formed as / was.
I'VE sincerely hope that the business pub
lie of Omaha will not lose sight of the
principle involved in this controversy u
Is not one of equality OF rates, II Is not
one of distances; 1t is simply the question
whether Omaha is to have the benefit of
the grain-raising territory that lies imme-
diately outside its DOORS or whether in all
of that territory we must fight, inch by
inch, with Kansas City, Kansas City being
admitted TO the territory by grace of Mr.
Biddle's plan. There is no other question
before the business public of Omaha than
this, and / have great confidence in the
ability Of our people to understand this
question thoroughly and not to be misled
by any specious arguments about distances
and through rates, which have no bearing
unon the controversy at all +"