Omaha daily bee., 1908-05-15
FRISCO STILL RAPS OMAHA
It, with Rock Island, Disoriminates in
Favor of Kansas City.
SHIPPERS HOPED FOR FAIR DEAL
Their Hopes Are Blasted, NJ Guild
and McVRnn Advise Them
There IL NO Doubt Of
Attitude.

Benefiting Kansas City at the expense OF
Omaha has evidently proved favorite
method OF handling the traffic of the west
by the Rock Island Frisco systems and the
advantages given the southern city over
Omaha have recently been broadened In
stead OF reduced, according to shippers in
close touch with the situation.
The matter came up on the Memphis
equalization case and Omaha was placed
at a decided disadvantage without what
the shippers consider a good reason. Much
traffic has been withheld from the Rock
Island company, but many shippers have
been OF the opinion that the railroad COM
pany had taken the bars down and was
now giving Omaha square deal"
All doubts as to the friendly attitude Of
the Rock Island Frisco system are set at
rest in a letter which was received by ship
pers Thursday from Commissioner j. NJ.
Guild OF the Commercial club and Secre-
tary r. ]. McVann OF the omaha Grain
exchange. Both officers acting under in
structions of the transportation committees
sent the information to members
No Change in Attitude,
"A great many inquiries have been re-
ceived by the club and by the exchange as.
to the present relations between the COM
mercial interests OF Omaha and the Rock
Island Frisco systems" says the commu-
nication.
"In order to answer effectively all these
inquiries and for the information OF such
of our members as have Joined these or
ganizations since the matter first came up,
we beg TO advise you that there has been
no change whatever In the unfriendly atti-
tude of the Rock Island Frisco systems to-
ward the Omaha grain market on the
contrary, since the Memphis equalization,
which was the basis for all the trouble,
was first established the effect and appli-
cation of 1t have been broadened so as to
benefit Kansas City still further at the
expense OF Omaha.
This question was fully discussed few
days ago by the transportation committees
and the club and the exchange, and the
conclusion was unanimously reached that II
it is the settled policy OF the Rock Island
Frisco system to maintain its unfrlendly
attitude toward this community, as that
system has done consistently for nearly two
years, It is proper that that fact should be
brought prominently to the notice Of every
business man in Omaha"
Grateful for Loyal support.
The letter thanks the business men for
the loyal support which they have given the
transportation committees in their effort to
obtain justice and fair treatment for
Omaha.
Though great deal of grain has been
withheld from shipment over the Rock
Island by the grain dealers of Omaha the
exact amount of shipments which the COM
pany is securing is not known.
Repeated efforts TO secure grain out OF
Omaha have been. made by the Rock Island
and during the last year many ways have
been tried for getting the business regard
less Of the unfair treatment which the cor
poration is giving Omaha.
Now and then the grain dealers are said
| to have discovered that some of the buyers
| on the Omaha market were buying the
grain for the purpose OF shipping over the
Rock Island system. 1t is said on good
authority that no less than half dozen
agents have been employed to buy the grain
| for the company that they might secure
the traffic, but on the best Information OBJ
| tainable at the exchange, only a small de-
gree of success has rewarded the efforts
of the company to secure shipments.
| Secretary 2. j. McVann has refused to
make any statement in regard to the ship
menta secured or how any of the grain
traffic was diverted to the Rock Island,
but subscribes to the letter telling OF the
true conditions existing