Omaha daily bee., 1907-11-22
RAILROADS IN COMBINE NAMED
Most Serious Allegation Made in
Fight at Kansas City.
CASE OF FAR-REACHING IMPORT
Discrimination Covers Territory
Touching Several Big States.
OMAHA FEELS HEEL OF TYRANT
Interstate Commerce Commission IL
Asked TO Force burlington, Rock
Island and North western
10 Cease Injustice.

20 Cease Injustice.
The case presented by John L. websts.
and Messrs. Atwood. Littleheld & Hooper
at Kansas, City before the Interstate
Commerce commission for the purpose OF
securing fair freight rates for the Job
bers Of the Missouri valley. whereby they
may save from 100000 70 81 900, 900
year in shipment charges, is ono
of the most important ever offered
from the west for the consideration of tho
Interstate Commerce commission. Its great
| interest lies in the fact that the complain
ants are practically the allied iobbers OF
the Missouri valley. While not all tho
firms doing business in Kansas City,
Omaha and St. Joseph are specifically
named in the petition as complainants, all
are virtually concerned in the outcome OF
the hearing. Moreover, all the dealers
throughout the great territory served by
the wholesalers Of these three cities are
concerned for the discriminating rates COM
planned of affect the business OF all. The
diagrams and tables published In connection
with this article give idea of how ex-
tensive and far-reaching are the rates as
present based, and how they discriminate
against all the towns I'm the impense dis
trict covered. A close study Of the tables
and diagram will give something OF an in
sight into the fearful and wonderful WAYS
Of the railway tariff schedule maker Tho
discrepancies are 30 many and so peculiar
that It will probably keep the railway ex-
perts busy many a day to get them all
Strengthened out should the commission de-
termine to grant the relief prayed for by
the petitioners.
Conspiracy is Charged.
Probably the most serious allegation in
the petition is the one to the effect that
these compainants further show that the
rates herein complained OF are the ultimato
result Of an unlawful combination and
spiracy entered into by the Chicago ----AE
Island & Pacific railway, the chicafTTlnN
lngton & Quincy Railway compab y II
the Chicago & Northwestern raeS
which, in the spring of 1906 the exact dataNs
OF which is unknown to these complainants,
conspired and unlawfuliy confederated to-
gether to maintain said through rates to
the three said Missouri river cities at said
unjust, unlawful. excessive and unreason-
able amounts; that in the carrying out Of
said conspiracy the said last three named
defendants threatened the other two de-
PENDANTS herein that II they did as they
| proposed to do, to-wit: reduce said through
rates to the Missouri river cities, that the
| said conspiring defendants would treat the
other two defendants aforesaid in an un-
! friendly manner; refuse to treat them as
! friendly connections; refuse to route goods
| over their lines, and In all ways that they
could strive to injure and destroy their
| business; that the result OF said threats
! and coercion was that the Chicago Great
Western railway and the Chicago Milwau-
kee & ST. Paul railway entered into said
unjust agreement to maintain the rates
herein complained Of at their present un-
just, unfair and unlawful amounts"
Relief that is Asked.
The prayer of the petition is that an
! order be made by the commission com
mandlng the defendants and each of them
to wholly desist from the aforesaid viola
tions of the law, and from charging, ac-
cepting or retaining said Sl.47, S,9O, 90 cents.
6s cents and 81 cents per hundred pounds
for the said five classes of freight matter.
respectively, said through rates from
the Atlantic seaboard to the said cities of
Kansas City, 81. Joseph and Omaha, and
forbidding said defendants and each of
them from charging and accepting and
retaining as their proportions of said
through rates on business moving via Chi
cago to Kansas City, st. Joseph ana
Omaha, 747 cents SIS cents, 446 cents, ss.7
cents and 27.6 cents per hundred pounds for
said five classes Of freight matter, respec-
lively
And complanants further pray that de-
PENDANTS be ordered to publish within a
reasonable time through rates from the
Atlantic seaboard to Kansas City, St. Jo-
seph and Omaha and to adopt and put said
rates in force, and that such rates shall
not exceed S1.109525 725 cents 5l.5 cents
and A cents per 100 pounds for the five
classes aforesaid, respectively subject to
official classification, with proportional re-
ductons from eastern producing points as
shown in exhibit A. such other rates
as the commission shall deem proper. and
that defendants be commanded to cease
charging said unjust rates and cease the
discrimination aforesaid, and that such
further orders be made as are deemed
necessary I'm the premises"
Discrimination Against Omaha,
How Omaha fares under the present
conditions VIII be seen from an examina-
tion Of the table showing the comparison
OF class rates from New York 10 points
in the northwest via St. Paul ana via
Omaha. Whatever difference In haul exists
| is in favor of Omaha although this is but
a small factor, for in most cases the dis
tances are practically equal. ST. Paul
however, has a dinerential Of 80 cents. p
cents, II cents, IS cents and II cents in
fits favor 10 Montana common points To
| Huron and Pierre, s. D., which are shut
on from Omaha altogether by the rates.
the difference is peculiar Huron is closer
TO Omaha than Pierre by 1l9 miles yet tho
rates are IA cents, II cents 8 cents, SIS
cents and cents higher 10 Huron than
they are to Pierre, respectively. The dis
| elimination in the first class rate against
Omaha and in favor Of st. Paul to Huron
is IS cents, while to Pierre It is only p
cents, although the haul to Pierre is lls
( miles farther over the same track The
/ other rates show the discriminatory differ
! ence noted To Plains Mont, the dis
/ elimination against Omaha Is "A cents on