Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1908-08-08
GREAT WESTERN CUTS RATE
Reduces Grain Tariff So as to Benefit
Omaha Market.
WAR OF COMPETITORS RUMoREI
New Rates strike at Missouri Pncihcr
which Attracted Grain south,
and VIII BE vital In
Fall Tranics

The Chicago Great Western has Jumped
to the aid Of the Omaha grain market by
announcing rates which will protect the
grain interests of Omaha II carried out.
These rates are announced to protect the
road from loss of business. because OF the
action Of the Missouri Pacific on the south
in arranging to take the balance OF pro-
portional through rate from Kansas City to
Omaha Grain men say that II this were
permitted without counter action by some
Of the Omaha roads the Omaha grain
market would be a great loser.
Before the laws were frightened up, re-
quiring filing of tariffs and reasonable
notice, the Missouri Pacific was continually
making moves TO get the bulk Of the grain
to the south. such as filing midnight
tariffs and now that road has made slap
at Omaha by agreeing to take the balance
of the proportional OF the through rate
from Kansas to Omaha.
To get business for It's road and Incl
dentally to help the Omaha grain market,
which was founded largely through the In
strumentality Of the Great Western and its
president, A. B. stickney. who made the
first suggestion for an Omaha grain mar.
ket, the Great Western comes in with the
present rates. Where the through rates
Of the Missouri river are less than the local
rates the Great Western says it will make
the haul from Omaha to Chicago or St.
Paul for what is left of the rate. II the
road sticks to this policy 1t may start
rate cutting contest with the railroads, but
1t will, at least, have the effect Of saving
grain in Omaha territory for the Omaha
market
Fight of Through Lines.
For years the through lines from the
| west to Chicago have been working to get
| all the business from their lines for the
| longest haul possible and to do this have
made better rates from many stations in
| Nebraska direct to Chicago than the ship
| pers could get by sending their grain to
! Omaha and then forwarding on to Chicago,
! thus working to the great detriment Of
| the Omaha market" said prominent rail-
| road man whose line starts from Omaha
east 1.-The through lines have been greedy
! in this matter and have little by little
worked up the rates that they might get
the long haul and Omaha has been gradu-
ally getting the worst of the deal.
THE Great Western now proposes to
give the shippers a chance to have grain
shipped from these towns stop at Omaha
and then be forwarded to Chicago, the
Great Western agreeing to take the little
end OF the rate and take the difference
between the through rate and what the ad-
ded local would be-"
| What the other roads will do is problem
as 1t looks as though they could not meet
| these isolated cases without upsetting the
entire fabric Of grain rates from Omaha
to Chicago and Minneapolis. The leading
officials of the Omaha-Chicago lines
were out Of the city and the local officials
who were in Omaha Friday said they had
no information on the matter other than
that which was obtained from reading The
Bee.
McVann Says Good, IL True.
d j. McVann, secretary OF the Omaha
Grain exchange, said regarding the reported
reductions made by the Great Western:
IT could not make statement of any
kind about this matter. II 1t Is true 1t Is
probably a good thing but cannot see the
reason why it should be done, IL such a re-
duction has been made as reported. The
press dispatches are altogether too meagel