Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1908-04-15
LINCOLN GAINS A POINT
Commission Grants Omaha Rates on
Lumber and Some Other Articles.
LOSE OUT ON COAL AND CEMENT
Conference at Washington in May TO
Urge Congress to Take Action I'm
Regard 60 Drainage OF
Swamp Lands.
CFrom a staff Correspondent)


coin Commercial club against the Chi
cago. Rock Island & Pacific and other
railroads doing business with Lincoln. in
the main sustaining the contentious Of the
club. It was asserted by Lincoln CONNER
cial club at the hearing before the Inter
state Commerce commission last month
that the defendant companies exact higher
rates on coal cement. paving brick, glass
and glassware sugar. rice. egg case filters,
ETC., to Lincoln than to Omaha, from the
same points Of origin i'm Kansas and terri
tory south and west of the Mississippi
river for substantially the same distances.
The Interstate Commerce commission holds
that the rate upon coal may properly be
IS cents per ton higher TO Lincoln and upon
paving brick and cement IL cents per
hundred pounds higher than TO Omaha.
That with respect to lumber, glassware
etc, rates from said points Of origin to
Lincoln should not exceed those to Omaha.
From this opinion It will therefore be
seen that Lincoln wins halfway victory.
1t is the opinion of the commission that
while considerable more business moves
over the line to Omaha than over that to
Lincoln, it is not satisfied that there is
any material difference in expense. 1t is
the Judgment of the commission, taking
handling traffic from Kansas city to
Omaha and Lincoln is practically the same,
and that the difference in expense does
not justify the maintenance of higher
rate to Lincoln than to Omaha.
Coal Rate Not EquaIIEed.
Upon the question of coal, wherein Lin
coin sought the same rate as given Omaha,
and which the commission flatly refuses to
authorize. Commissioner Prouty who rem
dered the opinion, finds that Omaha is
much nearer the great coal fields than
Lincoln" which he concludes gives the
Gate City a natural advantage in the pur-
chase of It's coal supply which defendant
companies may properly recognize in the
naming of their rates. To require them un-
der the conditions disclosed to establish
the same rate on coal from the Kansas
mines to Lincoln and to Omaha would be
TO take away from Omaha this natural ad-
vantage and TO equalize natural conditions
which are adverse to Lincoln"
Upon the question of cement, which was
originally obtained both at Omaha and
Lincoln from the east. the rate to Lincoln
WAS z cents per 100 pounds higher than TO
Omaha In the progress of time the
source of supply changed and today the
cement used at Lincoln comes mainly
from Hannibal. Mo-, and lola ana other
cement producing points In the gas belt
OF Kansas FROM both these sources
of supply, in the opinion of the commits
sion the distance and cost of carriage is
substantially the same TO both Omaha and
Lincoln. The commission. however, finds
that Omaha has certain other sources of
supplies from which it has been and will
be able to obtain cement at somewhat
cheaper rate than from Kansas and Mis-
souri, Large cement works are about TO
be nut into operation at Mason City, Ia,
100 miles east OF Omaha, and an exten-
sive cement plant has for some time ex-
listed at Mankato, MINI. In view of these
facts the commission reaches the conclu-
sion that the differential is too wide be-
tween Lincoln and Omaha and contents
itself by cutting the rate in two, which
It does as TO paving brick for much the
same reason.
AS to other commodities, lumber, rice,
glass, salt. egg case filters and sugar, the
commission orders the defendant railroad
companies to make the same rates to both
Lincoln and Omaha. The order of the
commission takes effect June 1, 1908.
National Drainage Congress.
CoIncidental with the conference of the
president with the governors of the states,
conservation OF the natural resources Of the
country, will be the meeting of the Ma
tbonal Drainage congress in Washington on
May 12 next.
Governor Broward OF Florida, who was
made president of the National Drainage
association at its annual meeting in Balti-
more in November last is making vigorous
efforts to secure a large attendance at the
prospective drainage congress. Although he
is busy just now canvassing the
state of Florida, as a candidate for
/ the United states senate, he has
stopped long enough to address communi-
cations to the governors of every state in
the union. asking them to appoint full
delegation to the drainage congress and has
urged upon each of the governors to be
present at the drainage meeting on May
! 70 when 1t Is likely they will all be In
Washington to see the president.
! 1t Is not yet determined in what hall
| the drainage congress will assembl> but
! Il is expected that one of the large hotel
assembly rooms will be secured for the oc-
caslon. and a number of prominent men
! will be invited TO attond. Already in
vitations have been prepared for the three
members OF the cabinet charged with in
ternal Improvement duties, namely the
secretaries OF war interior and agriculture,
each OF whom will probably be urged 20
make an address. II is also announced
that several senators and members OF con-
/ gress who have manifested interest in ma
/ tionaI drainage and irrigation, will be in
4 vited TO attend the meeting and speak on
/ selected subjects.
! II the present program Is carried out.
Secretary Taft will probably be invited to
/ make the opening address on the general
subject OF internal Improvement as a ma
/ tlonal policy. and inasmuch as Governor
/ Broward is known to be a great friend OF
! William ]. Bryan. 1t is expected that the
latter will also be invited to make an ad-
dress on kindred subject. All in all the
meeting promises to be notable one and
; its proceedings will be watched with no
! little interest Governor Broward has
! taken paips to announce very eunphatEally
that so far as he is concerned Il is not
/ proposed TO allow the National Drainage
I association to espouse or urge any par
] ticular scheme Of national drainage. the
proclaimed object OF the association being
TO advocate federal help 10 national drain
age as a national policy without regard
TO any particular project for drainage or
other internal Improvement in any par
"am-