Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1907-07-06
CLAIM OV[RCHARG[S
Nineteen Transportation Com
panies Sued By Minneapolis {
Business Men
ARE COMPELLED TO INSURE
Appeal Made to Commerce Commits.
sion to Take Actions Standard Oil
Must Answer Charges at St. Louis,
Seeking Dissolution of the Corpora
aisn.

Washington, July 6.-Thirty- four OF
che largest wholesale and jobbing firms
Of Minneapolis have started proceed
anHs before the Interstate commerce
commission against IA railroad COM
panies and five great lake steamship
lines to secure the adjustment OF what
they claim are unjust and unreason-
able rates, directed against the city OF
Minneapolis and Minneapolis mer-
chants.
The Minneapolis wholesalers declare
the rates for joint rail and water ship
Minneapolis have been raised cents
per hundred on first aud second class
freight, / cent on third, fourth. fifth;
AZ cents on sixth.
For several years the rate had been
so cents on first, 50 cents on second
and reductions on other classes down
to 261a.
81 The shipments OF merchandise to
Minneapolis firms amount to millions
Of dollars each year, it is claimed. The
increase in The rate was dnade this
year to cover the cost of marine insur-
ance on the goods, which is arbitrarily
placed on shipments now.
This forced insurance. the Minneapo-
ais jobbers do not wont and they ask
the interstate commerce commission to
abolish this extra charge and to as
sumo authority to fix the maximum
raise for the joint lake and rail ship
ments.
The compartments claim that they
have always placed their own marine
insurance and that they are now de-
1 prived of the right to select this insur-
ance.
That they have no legal assurance
I they could collect insurance from the
transportation companies, that pro-
ceeding would have to be in the courts
OF other states at a great disadvantage
to the Minneapolis firms, and that un-
der the new system merchandise is in
eurance by weight, while sthe mer-
chants have always, had 1t insured by
value.
The transportation companies In
svolved include the initial carriers" in
1.-THE east, the lake steamship compan-
des and final. carriers from Duluth to
Minneapolis. 1t is claimed that the
carriers do not accept bills of lading or
make rates for shipments by the joint
eroute unless the marine insurance
charges are paid.
The complaint says:
The defendants have been and art
subjecting the complainants, their traf-
6c and the city of Minneapolis to the
payment of unjust and unreasonable
rates Of transportation and to unjust
discrimipation and to undue and uH-
reasonable prejudice, all of which is In
violation of the provisions Of the act
to regulate commerce.
The Minneapolis merchants ask for
m order abolishing the extra charges
Tor the right to insure their own goods
on the lake shipments for a refund of
the excessive charges already paid, and
further ask the Interstate commerce
commission to make rates for the fu-
Cure
Millers and milling companies in
Kansas City and other Missouri river
the interstate commerce commission
against number OF roads, asking the
/ commission to forbid the roads from
advancing rates on flour and mill pro-
aucts to Mississippi river points and
Chicago. It is alleged in the complaint
that rates in force prior to July were
discriminatory in favor of Minneapolis
millers to such an extent as to call for
formal complaint on June / last but
that now rates impose further hard
ships.
It has become sad thing to be
man OF predatory wealth.
To some extent this fact has been
brought home to John D. Rockefeller
and e. II. Hartman. Its full signifi-
canoe is to be made even more appar-
ent to them, however, as result Of
conferences which are in progress in
Washington and which will extend
over all next week.
Mr. Rockefeller and all his .asso-
ciates in the Oil trust are to be hailed
to St Louis thru the service Of sub
poenas to tell the story of the meth
DDS by which they gained control Of
the oil industry OF America.
Mr. Hartman will be excoriated as
Few other men have been in a public
document by the interstate commerce
commission, which promises that it
surely will have its report on the trans
actions of this fnancier ready for sig
mature between the 10th and 18th Of
this month. A preliminary draft Of
the report has been prepared and is
being discussed at daily conferences
which are participated in by Frank B.
Kellogg, special counsel for the COM
mission.
Under 6. ruling recently made by the
circuit court for the Eighth judicial
circuit the Standard Oil company must
ole it's answer to the governments bill
praying for It's dissolution on or before
July Is All attempts to evade. this
action have come to naught. The
court will begin to hear evidence prob
ably in the fall and Messrs. Kellogg
and Morrison and Assistant Attorney
General Purdy, who have been charged
with the prosecution of the case, de-
sire to be ready with the govern
ment's testimony and witnesses.
The three lawyers are studying care
fully the evidenve which has been
collected by the department of JUS
tice and the bureau of corporations.
They have not been able to escape
the conviction that 1t will be necessary
TO place the Rockefellers, Mr.. Rogers.
Mr Archibold and the various other
.oa, r.bo 1,a,,o y,,oda thu Standard Oil