The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1908-03-03
FAIR TREATMENT
FOR CAIRO men
CASE OF CITY I'M CONTEST WITH
MEMPHIS SHIPPERS STRONG.
LY PRESENTED.
How Unfair Railroad Rate Operated
To Cripple Cairo Trade In Lumber
Synopsis of Testimony.

4 Cairo lumber men are looking with
some anxiety for the result of the ef-
forts put forth by Memphis lumber
men to secure a reversal of the de-
cision by the Interstate Commerce
| Commission, abolishing the advanta.
geous rate en- lumber which Memphis
| has had for number of years. The
| Cairo men find consolation in the
| knowledge that the Commission does
! not often take back decision once
| rendered, and they do not believe the
/ Memphis men have been able to
make out much CT case in the hear.
ings recently held there and in this
city. On the contrary Cairo repre-
sentatiyes presented testimony which
will certainly strengthen the Commits.
sion in its decision. The Southern
Lumberman OF recent date makes ref
efenee to the Cairo hearing giving
synopsis of some of the testimony
taken, notably that Of O. p. Hurd and
Chas. s. Carey as follows:
''Mr. Hurd's testimony was the most
important, only because he was heard
first. He claimed to speak for the
wholesalers as a body, or for any of
the fifteen large lumber yards in Cairo
preferring to talk only for his own
company and from his personal knowl |
edge of the situation. He told that |
he shipped lumber to various parts OF
Illinois, Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio and
Indiana; probably five or six hundred
car loads a year, and that he bought
that lumber from Louisiana, Arkansas
and Missouri. He was asked If he
shipped any lumber into Cairo over
the Yazoo & Mississippi Valley Rail
way, and he replied that he did not
because of the prohibitive discrimin.
alton in favor of Memphis, and he was
not able to compete with Memphis
privileges which We're denied him and
otner dealers in Cairo. He explained
that these privileges gave Memphis
an advantage of two cents
4 hundred pounds better freight rates
than he could obtain, and that in addi
lion to this Memphis fumbermen could +
yard their stock, let it season or dry
and afterwards reconsign it for an r
other two cents less, thus giving them
from IS cents to 81 per thousand
'eet on an advantage on any sort of
This enabled them to !
)ay the saw mill men more. practical ,
y shutting Cairo purchasers out of
he market in the territory mentioned. :
he said that Cairo had better facilities :,
han Memphis for handling lumber /,
hat came here by river, possessing
track barges. railroad inclines. etc.
)ut he knew of no reason why this
houd give Memphis better railroad
ates; the discrimination barred him
rom entering the Mississippi field and
ringing the lumber to Cairo by rail.
Ie was. asked If the withdrawal of the
privileges complained of would give
afro any advantage over Memphis as
lumber market, and he replied that :,
would not, but 1t would place the !
wo towns on an equality l.,
Mr.. Carey's examination was also /,
ute lengthy. and along the samel
mes. but his replies brought out the r
act that If the Memphis privileges a,
ERE withdrawn 1t would result In q
reat benefit to saw mill men In all al
arts of the Southwest. as 1t would "
I've them an enlarged market for fiji
leir lumber. A question was sharply "
ut, TO the effect. rs not Memphis 70
carer the natural source of supply?" Sc
nd Mr. Carey replied Yes. but Cairo
much nearer the consumer" Ill
Mr.. McFar1and's testimony was NJ
the same as that given by az
Is colleagues. though he confirmed 81
lem by statements that he had per. -
NAL knowledge and practical exper
nee Of the effects Ct the discrimina. :
on.
The papers in the case have been
rwarded to Washington and the ons.
me Of the controversy is looked for
It'll interest"