Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1906-09-18
PROTEST BY
A.B. STlCKNEY
FORCES INTERSTATE coMMls.
SION TO TAKE UP THE
ELEVATOR CASES
ENDS A LONG DISPUTE

'"S 10 SPoi'So III StHCago-Cons
missioner Knapp Declares That
Stickney is Right In the CHARGES
Made by Him Under the Rate Bill.
Ch1cago, Sept. 17.-Members of tha
interstate commerce commission today
reopened the old heavy elevator case
uter listening to long dispute be-
tween the lawyers representing parties
10 the suit relative to the supposed
agreement for continuance The dis
pute ended abruptly after President
Stickney of the Chicago, Great West.
ern declared that he most VIGOROUSLY
protested against further delay of the
hearing.
Chicago, Sept 17.-President A. B.
Stickney's slashing attack upon the
present chaotic system of railroad rate
publication under the new law has
been received by the interstate com.
merce commission with digniied ac.
quiescence.
Martin A. Knapp, chairman of that
body, which begins today an important
session In Chicago, gave out at the
Palmer house last night a statement
admitting as true the general counts
IN St1ckney's Indictment and announc-
Ing that the commission would send
out today circular letter embodying
lts own tentative proposals for reform.
me members seem to feel that the
president of the Chicago Great West
ern railroad is stealing their thunder.
Mr.. Knapp expressed himself as
somewhat doubtful Of the wisdom of
compelling the roads to reprint their
entire rate schedules every time they
change a single item. He thought.
! however, some limit, say five might be
placed upon the number of amend
ments' which the roads could mako
before being obliged to issue new
list and recall TIC old Six indict-
ments, he thought. Would reduce to a
/ fair minimum the possibiMts Of the
roads playing hide and seek behind
different rates on the same commo-
dity.
Simpler Tariff Is Wanted.
we have had this in mind for a
long time" said Mr.. Knapp. "On the
whole we are agreed | think as to
the truth of Mr.. Stickeny's complaints,
and long ago took up the problem with
our experts. Tomorrow we shall send
out letter indicating what regula-
tions we propose to make in the future
so as to systematic the publication of
rates and prevent fraud. On Oct. 8, In
washington, we shall have public
hearing on the question and listen to
the arguments pro and con. Then we
will make our rulings.
We want much simpler tariff. II
would take a Philadelphia lawyer a
month to chase down the latest rate
on given articles in our files. There
are about 100000 such schedules filed
with us, covering the last twenty
years. Ali this, as Mr.. Stickney well
says. makes for immediate confusion.
eve may decide to ask each road
to print one book containing it's rates
for classified commodities. That would
simplify things. Then we may decide
that when joint tariff is put into eff
feet 1t shall be published by the In
itial carrier. This would materially
, reduce confusion"
New Rules Are Given Out.
: Mr.. Knapp has given the new rules
determined upon by the commission in
: secret session on Saturday. These
3 rules which will have great effect
3 upon the administration of the new
/ law, may be summed up briefly as fol-
lows:
: Nothing but money can be received
r In payment for transportation. This
Y Is aimed at newspaper and periodical
. advertising, the bulk of which is paid
r for In transportation.
Where two or more connecting
( roads unite in establishing through
rate such action will be regarded as a
. change in rate and will require thirty
: days notice to the commission.
Where a new road is opened and
secures through rate with another
line such rate will be deemed new
one and will require no notice.
General communication, mileage, and
> excursion rates cannot be changed
without thirty days notice, except that
C excursion rates good for three days
d will require only one days notice, and
g rates good for more than three and
J. not more than thirty days will require
e three days notice"
Elevator Allowance Case.
/ Today the commission, consisting
9 of Martin A. Knapp, chairman, Judson
c G.. Clements, Charles G. Prouty, Frank
r lin K Lane, and e. e. Clark, will re-
i open the old elevate. allowance" case
q against the Union Pacific railroad
Representatives of the Chicago Great
|, Western, the Atchison, Topeka and
t, Santa Fe, and Chicago, Burlington
8 and Quincy will attempt to prove that
the Union Pacific has secured an un
a fair advantage through it's system OF
l. elevator allowances at Omaha and
y Kansas City.