Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1907-07-12
BETTER ARIFF
NORTH DAKOTA JoBBERs MAY
BENEFIT BY RECENT CON-
FERENCE.
NORTH DAkoTA n. II. COMMITS.
sIoNERs TALK OVER MAT
TIERS WITH OFFICIALS.

all probability get a better distribu-
ting tariff from the several rail.
roads doing business in the state as
the result of the recent conference
with the officials Of the road BY the
railroad commission. The laws of
the state call for a continuous mile
age rate on shipments over connect
Ing lines, but In the past jobbers Id
the state have been paying the sum
Eof two local tariffs when shipping
over two lines. This has been d CON
siderable handicap to them in the dis
tribution Of reight and at the last
meeting Of the commission at Fargo
they requested that the through dis
Etributing rate be put in effect 50 far
as the commission had power to do.
Arrangements were made for q con-
ference at st. Paul with the heads
LOT the several roads to see If the
rates would not be enforced AMIGA.
| bly, and without litigation. At the
conference it was agreed by the Nor
thern Pacific, the Great Northern and
| the 500 road that they would make
this tariff effective in the state. and
there remains now the details Of pre-.
pairing the new schedule, for dis
tribution Of the freight charges
among the roads participating. It
was tated that ther would be an I'M.
mediate conference of the traffic de.
partments and it is hoped the new
rate will be made effective in the
near future. It will be Of substan.
tial advantage to all Of the jobbine
interests in the state and will enable
them better to increase their bust
ness in North Dakota. $.
Two other matters were taken up
by the commission at the conference
One of them was the maximum coal
rate passed by the last legislature
1 The heads Of each road were EN-
phatic in stating that this rate was
4 believed to be unreasonabIy low and
/ that It would not be made effective
unless the courts compel ii. vice
| President Pennington OF the 500 line
4 stated that he believed the 500 had
] done as much to increase the Ignite
traffic in the state as any othe,
road and was willing to do anythina
that could reasonably be done, but
! he believed the maximum coal rate
/ law to be unjustly framed and tina,
4 the roads could not haul ignite Goa
i for the tariffs fixed. He quoted
/ comparative figures fro Iowa, Illinois
4 Minnesota and other states to show
j that the new rates were considera
4 bly, lower than any Of those states
The same position was taken by the
Great Northern and the Northern
4 Pacific with reference to the coal
rate law. The commission has nc
4 authority to modify the rate or the
suspend desperation and an action
/ will be brought in the courts by AT
torney McGue, at the direction of the
commission, looking to a determine
ton OF whether or not. tnese rates
are reasonable and can be enforced.
The tWo-cent mileage book, also
passed by the last legislature, is not
in effect and will not be put in effect
by the roads until the authority Of
the legislature to compel such pas
senger tariff is determined. This
| matter is already in the courts in
another state and it is likely the
roads and the commission will be
guided by the decision in the case
already up. Il there is authority
to enforce the law. the commiossion
will seek to enforce it through the
courts. II the decision should be
that the roads can be compelled to
issue such mileage book, the roads
will probably Issue it where it il
| provided for by law.
AEAINeT RflkITlINIf,