Omaha daily bee., 1906-12-28
OMAHA EXCHANGE FILES IT'S PROTEST
lodges Complaint With Interstate Com
meroe Commission at Washington
ACTION SERIOUS BLOW TO LOCAL MARKET
Tariff Jumps from Two to Six and Eight
Dollars a Gar.
RETALIATION ON GREAT WESTERN
President wRttIes OF Exchange Feels
Confident Commission VIII See
Justice of Protest and over
rule the Advance.
(From a Stan Correspondent


(From a STAFF Correspondent.)
WASHINGTON, Dech 1.-(Special
gram.)-The Omaha Grain exchange Z
served notice on the Interstate Comme. :,
commission that It proposes to fight an,
raise on car lots Of grain between Council
Bluffs Omaha and South Omaha, as the
Union Pacific proposes to put into effect
January Z. At present freight on car lots
of grain between Council Bluffs and Omaha
and vice versa is 81 per car, but January
Z the Union Pacific has given notice, 1t will
raise the rate 10 81 per car between Council
Bluffs 20 South Omaha. This the Omaha
Grain exchange regards a most unjust
rate and today filed a protest with the
commission, which will begin an inquiry
at once. It is thought the increased rate
is in retaliation on the Chicago Great
Western, which made II possible to Gre
ate a primary grain market in Omaha
II these rates OF the Union Pacific should
obtain they would seriously injure the
Omaha grain market, the exchange main
tains in it's complaint fled with the COM
mission.
Yes; we sent the complaint to the com
mission last Saturday after a special meet
ing of the board Of directors, at which
formal protest was prepared" said Presi-
dent Gurdon w. wattles of the Omaha
Grain exchange. without any previous
warning whatever the Union Pacific had
suddenly notified the shippers that after
January 1t would charge SO a car for
switching grain from Council Bluffs to
Omaha and South Omaha-I believe II is
$6 in both cases though the Washington
people seem to have the impression 1t was
IS to South Omaha. We did not learn this
from the shipper right away, but as soon
as we did hear II we had meeting
THE time was short between then and
: january T. so we prepared protest and
sent 1t TO Washington at once. What we
want is to have the commission prevent
the company from raising the charge The
Union Pacific has been hauling the grain
across the river all fall for 81 a car, and
we maintain that II It could haul II for
that price in December it has no right
TO charge s6 for the same service in jan
uary or February.
"The Great Western is doing the work
for 81 on grain destined to elevators on it's
own tracks and other roads are charging
81 also. The Union Pacific has been
charging 80, but now IT wants 10 make
an advance OF 200 per cent and charge more
than the other roads.
Justice OF our position and will do some
thing for us before the rate goes into
effect. A low switching rate across the
river is OF great value to the Omaha mar
ket in getting Iowa grain"
Secretary McVann of the exchange was
seen by reporter for The Bee after the
meeting last Saturday and he said the
board had developed nothing worthy OF
publication. having transacted only routine
business. Mr., McVann is in Chicago Just
now.
Law Compiled with.
"The tariff sheets went to the Interstate
Commerce commission December S, in COM
pliance with the law, but the railroad
neglected to send the tariffs TO the grain
men until about December H." said John
A. Kuhn of the Updike Grain company
"1'he exchange has protested on the ground
that 81 is fair basis, the Union Pacific
having been content for so long to haul
the grain for that"
As matter of fact. 1t is said many mem
bers OF the exchange would like to put
before the commission the argument that
the Union Pacific has no right to charge
So on grain hauled west across the river
when It charges but 50 for hauling il east
The switching rate from South Omaha
and Omaha to Council Bluffs is and has
been 81, and the tariffs raising the rate
westbound makes no mention OF the charge
westbound.
This argument cannot be advanced by
the exchange, however. for the reason that
some Of its members have elevators on the
east side Of the river. and they fear haV-
ing the switching rate on grain eastbound
raised 10 S..
Railroad VIII Talk Today.
Il do not care to make a statement on
that matter tonight" said Elmer II. Wood,
general freight agent OF the Union Pacific,
last night, but we may be in a position
20 enter into discussion OF II tomorrow.
We had not heard OF the action Of the ex-
change In making It's protest"