Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1909-01-12
WAUSAu TRAFFIC ASSOCIATION.
Large Shipping Interests Represent
ca at Banquet Held at the Bells
House on Thursday Evening.


ca at a Banquet Held at the Bells
House on Thursday Evening.
/ For a long time past there has
been more or less talk about the
discrimination in freight rates, as
between Wausan and other cities.
which resulted in meeting of many
of the principal shippers being
! called at the Wausau Club house in
November, and at which a commit
! tee on organization was appointed,
consisting of f. d. Tirnlin. chair
man; w E. Curtis, Chas. Dodge.
Robert Kickbusch and E. A. Good
| ing. This committee, after deter
mining upon a plan, decided to give
a banquet at the Bells House on
! Thursday evening, Jan. 9Th,
inviting the principal shippers
thereto and to have matters of vital
interest presented by G. f. McKow-
en- of Milwaukee. an expert in
freight matters. Nearly fifty of
the principal shippers responded to
the invitations. They met shortly
after six O'Clock and spent pleas
ant hour in visiting and talking over
the points, good and otherwise, to
be presented.
All sat down to the banquet table,
in the dining room of the Bells
House, at 7;l5 o'clock, and it was
o'clock when cigars were reached
and the after dinner program COM
menced.
G. S. Curtis was POSTMASTER of
the evening and he PERFORMED the
dnties of that important Office with
honor to himself and pleasure to all
present. Re explained the object
of the meeting and showed a knowl-
edge in traffic matters that helped
in no small degree to bring about
feeling that made it possible for the
committees plans to be entered
into with enthusiasm. Mr.. Curtis
told of the disadvantages of con-
Quoting an extensive business in
Wausau under existing conditions.
He found no fault with the rail
roads, but thought very little, if
anything, could be effected to bet
ter conditions by working individu-
ally, it needed unity of action and
full and complete knowledge of the
situation. He showed that rates
east were based on Chicago and
west on Minneapolis, and that car
load of lumber, as an illustration,
coming from the West could be sent
through to Chicago at the same
price as will have to be paid in Wau-
sau, and coming from the East
could be laid down in Minneapolis
for the same price as at Wausau.
1t could be seen that Wausau was
doing business at great disadvan-
tage.
Mr.. Curtis called upon f. d. Tim
lin, chairman of the committee APP
pointed at a previous meeting, to
outline a plan of organization. Mr..
Timlin said that the committee had
a plan to propose which it thought
would ultimately bring about solu-
ton of the question, but that it
would be stated later in the even
| ing. Mr.. Iimlin entered into the
intricate details of the traffic ques-
ton, showing that Wausau was
being uniustly Disseminated against
in traffic rates. He stated that the
committee had prevailed upon G. E.
McKowen of Milwaukee, an expert
on freight matters, to be present
at this meeting, who would address
those present on the questions
which had brought them together
Mr.. McKowen had spent several
days in the city and had talked with
our business men, ascertained what
| the existing rates were in many
cases and found there was a SPLEEN
did field here for a traffic organiza-
ton; that in his judgment little
could be done individually, but that
| there should be unity of action and
purpose; that it would require the
work of an expert traffic man some
| time to famiGarize himself with can
didates, and to bring about, with
/ the united help of the association,
such changes as would prove of last
ing benefit to Wausa6, which he
considered was exceptionally well
located as shipping center He
entered into the matter of handling
claims; the securing of correct
rates, and many other things that
were of vital interest to shippers.
Others who we're called upon were
Chas. E. Turner, of the Wausau
Box CO.. w. G. Landon, of the Bar
ker & Stewart Lumber Co; Fred
| Devoe, of the Wausau Granite
works; Robert Kickbusch, of the
| Aug. Kickbusch Grocery Co.; J. L.
Sturtevant, of the Record Herald;
D. ]. Murray, of the d. j. Murray
Manufacturing Co. and p. w Saw
yer, of the Wausau Sandpaper Co.
It was the concensus of opinion
that the object of the proposed
organization is not in any way to be
construed as antagonistic to the
railroads, but that a good many in
constituencies exist in the tariffs now
| in effect, and that the shippers in
Wausau and vicinity feel that if
these matters were brought to the
attention of the proper officials, an
effort would be made to put Wau-
sau on a basis of equality with other
large shipping centers. They all
| felt that many large institutions
are being kept out by the inequality
of rates with which Wausau has to
contend.
At the close, Mr. Timlin stated
that the plan proposed by the COM
mittee was to divide the industries
of the city into five classes, for the
support of the association, as fol-
| lows
| Glass A, $500 a year; class B.
5000 a year; class G, s1a0 a year.
class ID, 800 year; class E, $50
year.
This was agreed upon by an unan-
imous vote and the paper was circu-
/ lated and signed by all the repre-
sentatives of industries present.
Thus a traffic association was or