Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1908-12-22
Aimed at Practice Of Carriers Acting
as Agent of Shippers.
PRESENT RULING NOT ENOUGH
Interstate Commission Prohibits Them
Buying and Selling.
has HARD TASK AHEAD
Elkins, Chairman Of senate Commit
tee, is Opposed 60 the Bin and IL
VIII BE Hard 20 Get IL
Into the Senate.
From a staff corresponaentD


WASHINGTON. Dec. E.-(Special Tele-
gram. p-senstor Burkett is going up against
the Interstate Commerce commission COM
mittee Of the senate after the holidays snd
viii try to get q favorable report on his
bill curtailing the powers Of the express
companies insofar as they compete with
commission men.
II VIII be recalled that as a result Of a
resolution Of Senator Burkett passed at the
last session Of congress. the Interstate
Commerce commission conducted an in
vestigation Of the charges against express
companies Instituted by the Western Fruit
Jobbers' association. Of which Z. B. Branch
OF Omaha is secretary and r. w. Gees Of
Kansas City is president. The commission
took testimony in Chicago. Omaha. Kansas
City and Galveston, Tex. the hearings COW
ering some $500 pages. As a result OF the
investigation the Interstate Commerce com
mission recommended the express c1mpanles
be PR hihited from buying or sci ing On their
own account commodities to be transferred.
They also recommended that the express
companies do not be prohibited from con-
Quoting interstate business through their
order and commission departments. They
find that where an agent is a buyer or
seller Of commodities that are 10 be trans
ported by express these agents have a
double interest and they use it to the detri-
ment OF regular shippers
These regulations in part Do not meet
with the approval OF the Western Fruit
Jobbers association, for the reason the
members have discovered the agents OF ex-
press companies in cities have been acting
as representatives OF the consumers 10 the
extent Of ordering commodities and deliver
ing the same in express company wagons.
while legitimate commission merchants
have had TO wait hours for the delivery OF
their own consignments. the agents in such
cases getting 10 per cent commission.
Task Not So Easy.
The Western Fruit JobbeT-sr association
with these determinations in mind. Is now
calling upon Burkett to push his bill
through the interstate commerce commit
tee-somewhat easier said than done. in
view Of the fact that Senator Stephen B.
Ellcns is chairman of the committee. Bur
kett's bill prohibits the company OF its
agent directly OF Indirectly from buying.
selling or handling on his own account OF
for another on commission OF consignment
any article OF commodity except such artI-
eles as are necessary TO the conduct Of its
own business.
There have been no hearings by the SEN
ate committee on the bin because Of the
absence Of the Interstate Commerce com
mission report, but now that the report is
made an effort VIII be made TO get action
on the bill.
Minor Matters at Capital.
A postoffice has been established al
BiguIl in the Sixth congressional district,
with Charles H Snyder as postmaster.
Misses Fannie and Kyle Wright OF Genoa.
Neb-. nieoes Of Mrs. Z J. Burkett. are
guests Of the latter on Eighteenth street
Rural carriers appointed: Iowa. Albert
City. route No ], Charles w. Young. sub
stitute- Leon. route No. 4. Claude w. Beck.
carrier, Mary. b. Beck substitute South
Dakota, strandburg. routes Nos and ?.
y. J. Lundquist, carrier: WalmAr Lund-
quist, substitute.