Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1906-07-19
BOYCOTT on RO6K ISLAND
Action Taken BY Commercial Interests Of
Omaha Because Of Adverse Rate.
'ysAs CITY FAVORED OVER GATE CITY
-ator Allowance Paid at Kawvil1e,
bat Not IN Omaha IL the Dis
crimiRRtiOn Causing
the Troable. ID

A boycott on the Rock Island road has
been declared by the commercial interests
OF Omaha Action was taken Wednesday
at a Joint meeting Of the transportation
committee of the Omaha Grain exchange
and the COMMERCIAL club. which developed
into meeting of local jobbing and grain
lnterests In general.
The immediate cause Of this action was
The announcement Tuesday from the head
executive Office Of the Rock Island a.
Chicago that this road would pay an un-
loading allowance of Ia cents per 100
pounds on grain to all elevators In Kan
sss City and would not pay the allowance
30 Omaha elevators. Unloading allowance
Is polite name for elevation charge. The
Jesuit is that any Kansas or Nebraska
tshipper can send his grain to Kansas City
land get Ia cents on. and cannot get such
an allowance at omaha.
Effective July /. the Frisco read. which
is part OF the Rock Island system. cut
the rate on corn. Kansas City 10 Memphis
from the agreed basis OF - ctpts down to
cents, the result being that grain from
Nebraska TO, Memphis began to move
Through Kansas City rather than Omaha
THE Frisco was embarrassed for short
fime by the fact that the Interstate Com
iberce commission would not file the tariff
Because the proportional from Kansas city
20 Memphis was not mentioned in many
cents but on July IL the road made the
tariff legal and since that time the COM
blned efforts of tho competing railroads
and the Omaha Grain exchange have not
been enough to have 1t abolished.
DfscrimiRatioh Against Omaha.
In giving notice OF the tariff to the other
railroads Of the Western Trunk Line COM
mittee. w B. Biddle, vice president in
charge Of traffic for the Rock Island and
Frisco roads. made the astonishing state
ment In his letter that this action in cut
ting the rate to cents was made ex-
pressly for the purpose of giving relief to
Fspsah City as against Omaha. In other
n wefds. said One OF the men instrumental
flsl declaring the boycott. Mr.. Biddle con-
: Nders Il his duty 10 divert Nebraska grain
destined to Memphis and all the vast terri
tory whose rates are based on Memphis
away from Omaha and give 1t to Kansas
City. s. r.
The action taken at Chicago Tuesday
was the last straw. A joint meeting OF
the transportation committee of the COM
mereial club and the Grain exchange was
.oealed, and all the shippers who could be
~ sthered up aroumd the exchange rooms
mo the club rooms az noon we're invited
Gin. The general feeling expressed was
that one OF the most critical points in the
history Of the Omaha grain market had
come. and that radical action was needed
at once. Formal resolutions were passed
embodying the idea that the action OF the
Rock Island and Frisco could only be
interpreted evidence of the intention OF
those roads to destroy the local market
and build up Kansas City. The point OF
the resolutions was to ask shippers to take
away their business from these roads.
A statement OF the joint committee will
! be issued at once to ali members of the
Commercial club and Grain exchange