Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1907-09-02
RA|E POINTS 70 Settle
Serious Problems Set Up For
Decision Under New Com
merce Law
NO VACATION FOR SHIPPERS

/ ? u i II /.
cis,,t to Last Into Summer Of 1903
Summary Of Important Cases to be
Heard-Hearst War on the Goal
= Trust.
M Washington, Sept. 2--Vacation time
will be over for the members of the
Interstate commerce commission about
/ the middle OF next month. They had
i work ahead when they left Washington
about the middle Of July, and the ship
pers Glruout the country have not been
4 takins any vacation. .hut have been
4 adding to their troubles by filing com
4 plains covering about every phase Of
! the new rate law, which they will be
called on to decide.
Several hundred cases have been
filed during the summer covering re :
4 funds OF overcharges on shipments of
4 yellow pine lumber in the southwestern
section Of the country. These refunds
& have Sbeen asked for In consequence
sof q decision Of the supreme court TO
the erect that the railroads involved
had charged 2 cents per hundred
n pounds too much on shipments Of this
sscomn,Odity, and, under the rate law
the applications for refund were re-
j quired to be filed within . certain
thine after the passage OF the lay =.
The bulk Of the claims came to the
& commission on or before June IS, and
the l,emainder were hled just prior
ssSto A,ig 81 There was some doubt In
{ the minds OF lawyers practicipg before
2Sthe commission whether the time limit
expired In June or August. hence the
rush in the earlier months.
Among the leftover cases are the
ssgcomplaints Of w, r. Hearst against
sthe anthracite coal roads, in which
the New York editor is seeking to
bust the anthracite coal trust.
4 And the commission also has had
thrust upon it several inquiries, d.
recteif by congress, among them one
into block signals and other safety
stevices IN use on the various roads
thruout the country.
One part Of the uniform accounting
|stion, but the commission will have to
pass upon the promulEate rules for
other parts during the coming months,
so that their time IS likely TO be well
Eocculied during the coming winter,
and well up into next summer, by
which time 1t is expected that a pretty
E8ood understanding OF the rate law
Twill have been gained thru the con-
)sideS.tion and decision OF the many
Ycomplaints,
Northwestern shippers have filed
athsir SHARE OF the complaints now
Ipendlng before the commission. The
case s,of most Importance to Minne-
apolis business men is, that of Wyanan,
Partridge & Co., and other merchants
against eastern and middle west roads
ailegilsg violation OF the law when
the rate from the east to Minneapolis
was raised to cover marine Insurance
on goods shipped vie. the Great Lakes
In this case one Of the questions at
tissue ii whether the commission has
over inland water carriers
EThe Great Northern road, in Its an
ewerF to the complaint, denied that the
romlfli ssion has Jurisdiction, and asked
Ithat the complaint be dismissed.
George s.. Iyoftus OF ST. Paul Is the
Econ1piainant In two cases against the
4 Pullman Sleeping Car company, in
which he charges that this company Is
charging excessive rates for sleeping
|Aeconlnlo dat tons between the twin cit
les ana Chicago and other, points. The
question Of jurisdiction over sleeping
acars Is raised In these cases. and the
a n
lance.
Mr.. Loftus is also to the front again
In slrl attack on the railroads for an
ailesed unjust classification OF hay and
STRAW. This case is also Of general in
Eterests as Il is entered In the name OF
|.the National Hay association. which de
composed OF dealers In all sections OF
thei country.
The Minneapolis Threshing Machine
company is complainant against the
Omaha and other roads. alleging dis
criunination in rates on agricultural irn-.
plelnents destined for New York
Against Minneapolis and IN favor. OF
wisconsin and Michigan points.
The Duluth CommerciaI club has
|nle,l complaint against the Northern
Pacific and other roads, alleging unjust
discrimination in the matter of ware
housing, storing and reloading freight
bit Duluth and Superior.
The merchants OF Sioux Falls, s. D.,
ARE trying to secure an oroer from the
coEninission to have the roads entering
that city give them the benefit Of Mis-
souri, river common tariffs or else to
make 1t a common rate point.
Jewett Brothers s. Jewett, of Sioux
Falls, have filed q complaint against
Nine, Chicago, Milwaukee & st. Paul
|rosd, alleging discrinina ton in rates
ag,linst Sioux Falls and in favor OF
Sioux City.
Another important case of interest to
cattle raisers in Iowa and adjacent
states is that Of the Corn Belt Meat
Producers Association against the BUR-
lington, in which the complainant al
eges that the railroad company is
tharging unreasonable rates on cattle
Whipped from southwestern points to
pixa, and from Iowa points to Chi
!sgo.
The entire northwest is also interested
n the case OF the Pacific Coast Lumber
Manufacturers Association against
th,a Northern Pacific and other roads,
n which the lumbermen of Washington
state are trying to force the Hill and
lHarriman lines to establish a thru
opd ioinf 70 m, lumber. shin.