Omaha daily bee., 1908-08-19
LUMBERMEN APPEAL CASE
Omaha, Assisted by Des Moines, Re-
sists Increased Rates.
WILL ASK AID OF COMMISSION
Gathering Evidence to show Inter-
state Board the injustice of An
other Boost in These
Tariffs.

Consumers Of lumber in Nebraska will
pay Sl4 more per car for southern pine,
in addition to the constant advances being
made by the manufacturers, unless the
Commercial club of Omaha oaD convince
the Interstate Commerce commission that
the new rate, effective in ten days, is
excessive and unreasonable.
Steps have been taken by the club to
file a petition before the Interstate Com
merce commission within a few weeks and
Des Moines, is to assist the Omahans
by filing what is known as an intervening
petition. alleging that the new rate to
Des Moines, which Is the same as that to
Omaha is excessive and unreasonable.
Frank Colpetzer of the Chicago Lumber
company said: The Commercial club will
file the petition soon the attorneys
can complete it. The rates will go in
within a short time. Advances are sure
to follow, though advances in the lumber
business are always put off as long as
possible.
Two Against One.
But the lumber rates to Omaha are now
excessive and as soon as those dealers
who bought or a low market have dis
posed Of their stocks and are compelled to
buy at present rates and ship under the
new races, the price will jump up. The
railroad rates alone will make an advance
of from $12 to sl4 per car necessary. 1t
amounts to just N45O on a 1900 pound
car. Besides this advance the manufac-
turers have been struggling to restore the
prices. They have advanced the yellow
pine price about 81 per thousand during the
past two months. 1t is evident that they
must advance 1t more, as the price was
depressed last winter and manufacturers Of
fir have been selling at loss, while the
yellow pine manufacturers have done well
to break even. We know what It costs
to manufacture lumber and know the manu-
facturer's advances thus far have been
, justified.
In the interests OF shippers and consum-
ers of lumber in Nebraska the Commercial
club has decided to ask the Interstate
Commerce commission for a reduction OF
the rate TO Omaha"
! Asked what rate was desired, Mr. Col
! PETER said I'VE have not determined
that. But when the rate was 3 cents per
hundred to Omaha for a quarter Of a cen
/ tury and then is pushed up to 2614 cents,
| when the facilities for handling It are bet
/ ter than ever and the volume of business
| greatly increased, We believe We can show
! the new rate is excessive"
How n Was Done.
The story OF the advance IN lumber rates
! is this: When Lincoln asked for the same
rates as enjoyed by Omaha to "equalize
/ the rates the Lincoln rates were advanced
half cent and the Omaha rates a cent.
Then Des Moines, which has been paying
! p cents per hundred on lumber from the
south asked for the same rate as given tc
! Omaha. The Interstate Commerce COM
| mission decided that Des Moines was en-,
/ titled to the rates. The railroads then pub
| lished a tariff giving Des Moines a rate
J half cent lower and pushed the Omaha
rates up a fun cent and a half TO equal
/ ize" the rates.
Thus the rates on lumber from southern
points TO Omaha have been pushed up 81
cents this year.
/ While the Commercial club hay the peti
tion in preparation TO secure lower rate
from the south, the wholesale lumbermer
Of Omaha are preparing to fight for th'
same rates from Omaha and Lincoln TO al
Nebraska points.
This case will be heard before the com
mission within a short time. The Omah'
dealers are prepared TO show that the rate
/ from Omaha and Lincoln are the same I,
points in Kansas. Wyoming, Colorado an,
/ South Dakota
Burlington After Omaha,
THE future Of the wholesale lumbe
business IN Omaha depends on the success
OF these two cases, and especially the cas-
before the state commission" says Mr.
Colpetzer.
II is said the Northwestern and Uniol
Continued on Second Page.4