Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1907-11-09
JOKER In RATE ADVANCE
Commercial Club Asks Questions at
Railroad Hearing.
SWITCHING CHARGES T ~ y IT
General Freight ~ PhiIlippi
Admits Road scNNN Charging
Sa for , ~ y" RS where
LG is $3.50,
SWITCHING CHARGES

lie Is ElsbOs
How many jokers are there in a pack of
Missouri Pacific playing cards or freight
tarifs7
This is the question which business men
and shippers are asking since listening to
the hearing before the Nebraska Railway
commission. held in the Commercial club
rooms Friday afternoon, when the Missouri
Pacific Railroad company sought to justify
its effort to annul old tariff and substi-
tute new one, which would advance
switching charges in the Omaha yards from
80 cents to $50 per car.
The railroad commission convened at 10
o'clock Friday morning and the first two
hours Of the session we're occupied with
hearing discussions and arguments of the
Omaha Grain exchange and the Union Pa
cidc and Burlington railroads. in regard to
the petition of the exchange. asking that
switching from inspection tracks to term
inal elevators or connecting lines. be done
without charge.
Many Industries Affected.
But as the proposed switching charges of
the Missouri Pacific Railroad company at
fects the interests OF a long list OF indus
tries located on the Omaha Belt Line
railroad, from the elevators Of the Merriam
& Holmquist company to the live stock in
terests OF South Omaha, the hearing of the
protest of the Commercial club against the
advanced switching charges proved TO be
the most important part of the days hear
ing, and when the case went to the railroad
commissioners. the shippers believed that
Commissioner Guild won an important case,
and would be sustained when the commits
sion reports.
Assistant General Freight Agent Phil
lipJi of Omaha and Assistant General
Freight Agent Rousch of st. Louis repre-
sented the railroad company,
Mr.. Phillippi opened the case by stating
that the company had always charged a
minimum OF So for moving car from
one point to another on the belt line
though thore were instances where the
legal rate was but $3.50.
Commissioner Guild was on his feet in
i a minute. when Mr.. Phillippi made the
statement. Have you been charging 81
when the legal rate is but s1.5o?" inquired
the commissioner.
what difference does it maker" replied
Nj. Phillippi. You must have complaint
from a shipper in order to take that mat
ter up"
Commissioner Guild called the attention
of the railroad commissioners to the IL
! legal practice Of the railroad company,
and passed to the discussion of the new
] switching schedule.
May Recover Excess Charges.
! As result of Mr.. Phillipprs statement
that 50 had been collected where the legal
rate was but s1.5O. a number of Omaha
ehippers viii talse the matter up at once,
and seek to recover the excess charges
paid the company for switching for the
past few years
! The next point argued by the railroad
men and commercial club representatives,
concerned the advance in charges for
moving cars. Both Mr.. Phillippi and Mr.,
Rousch stated that the company simply
wanted to advance the charges so cents
( in some instances, but were not conscious
of an instance where the rate would be
advanced more than so cents. They pointed
90 the fact that the rates were not re-
munerative. but Mr.. Phillippi stated that
the company did not move more than two
cars month.
At this point Commissioner Guild blushed
deeply to think that he had protested
against the railroad company charging just
81 a month more for switching cars In the
Omaha yards. but he proceeded to point out
that there were more jokers in he pack,
and the deal was not out The commits
sioner claimed that in reality the advance
was a question Of thousands of dollars, and
not merely an advance of 50 cents on a
car at few out of the way switches. but
actual advances Of 100 per cent at places
where many cars were switched.
The railroad company divided the belt
line charges into some half dozen groups.
Commissioner Guild compared the two
schedules for the commission and pointed
out that from a specific point in group one
to another specific point in group two the
charge in the old tariff was $780, while in
the new tariff It was $3.50; in another in
stance the present charge for moving car
from specific point in group two 70 c
switch track in group three is $780, while
the new tariff proposes TO double the c1argo
and make it S3. an Increase Of 100 per cent.
In many instances Commissioner Guild
pointed out advances Of from 81 to $3.50
Did Not know Actual Cost.
Secretary McVann of the Grain exchange
asked Assistant General Freight Agent
| Rousch if ne had any idea what it cost his
company to switch car in the Omaha
yards. The railroad man admitted that
he did not know exactly. Secretary McVann
suggested that it might cost as much as
80 cents per car and the freight agent ad-
mitted he did not know whether it cost any
more than that-
Besides advancing the rates on switching
to different industries on the belt line the
Missouri Pacific company asked TO ehrn-
mate the Portal station from It's switching
tariff altogether. and handle cars from
there on the distance tariff basis. Cars are
now switched TO Portal for maximum
of IS per car. The distance tarin rate on
a 70OO)-pound car of wheat from Portal to
Omaha would be S2s.7O, an increase in the
rate Of almost 400 per cent.
The Commercial club protested against
the elimination OF the Portal station from
the switching tariff. as Omaha is growing
rapidly toward Portal and ii is understood
that later large feed yards win be located
there and the live stock interests OF the
city desire TO have the switching privilege.