The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1910-02-18
EVIDENCE GIVEN TO SHOW THAT
BURLINGTON DIscRiMiNArEs
AGAINST BILLINGS.
HEARING IS UNDER WAY
Charges Made by Chamber Of Com.
neree OF Eastern Montana City Are
Being Investigated by Special Ex.
aminer Of interstate Commerce Com.
mission-Omaha Dealers Favored.

Billings, Feb. 1.-THE evidence for
the prosecution In the ease Of the
Billings Chamber OF Commerce
against the Chicago, Burlington 4
Quincy Railroad company which H. be-
Ing heard In Billings before the inter-
state commerce commission. concluded
It's testimony this evening and the
defendant company will cross-examne
d few pf the witnesses for the presecu-
tion tomorrow and adducc its tcsti-
money. The evidence IL being heard
by George II. Brown. q special ex-
aminer for the interstate commerce
commission. The allegations made by
the chamber OF commerce are that the
Burlington railway has high and dis
criminatiye rate against Billings job
bors and In favor of the omaha deal
ers. 10 Wyoming points out of Billings.
President w. a. Seyidga of the Bill
ings Chamber OF Commerce, IN his
testimony today stated that Billings
was represented hy several of the
most important commercial institu-
tions Of the country, which had branch
houses here and that m examination
showed them to be 30 per cent higher
than the rates enjoyed by other job
bing centers Of the United states. The
matter of freight rates was keeping
an immense amount OF capital from
maintaining an Investment IN Bill
ings.
Produces Evidence.
O. ". Tong, traffi. expert for the
Montana railroad commission Of Hell
ena. produced evidence of the fact that
Billings rates to the Big Horn basin
country. which is tributary To Billings,
are upwards OF 30 per cent higher than
the rates In effect in other jobhing
eenters. He viii he subjected to q
grllling on the stand tomorrow By j.
T.. keelby. general solicitor Of the
Burlington company, who has charge
of tho railroads case. G. G. Burnham
first vce-president OF the Burlington
company. in charge of traffic; George
II. Crosby. general freight and traf-
fic manager, and G. Il. Spens, general
freight agent of the burlington COM
pany, are in attendance 1T the hearing
Of the case.
During the taking Of the testimony
for the plaintiffs. IN which 10 witness
cs were examined an old traffic agree
nent between the Burlington and
Northern Pacific was brought to light
whereby all freight for Billings was
turned over to the Northern Pacific nj
Minneapolis. by the Burlington, M
matter whether the shipper had in
strueted that IL be sent al the wa.
over the Burlington or not. Traffic
managers for large hardware and gro
ccry houses of Duluth were on thf
stand today and their testimony was
TO the effect that the Burlington was
discriminating against the Billings
jobber in giving to the Omaha deale
a much lower blanket rate to all towns
in the Big Horn basin.
Testimony OF Billings iobbers showed
that the business of the Big Horn val
ley had dropped OF to almost nothinl
on account OF the attractive rates tba
had been made to get the long han
FOR the Burlington and that the OH
rate ON less than carload lofts from
Billings was entirely prohlbitlye as in
rs any volume of business was con
cerned.
Three of the jobbers testified tha
In the early days of Montana whe
goods had to be freighted into III
Big Horn basin from Bridger. poin
on a branch line of the Northern PA
cifc, that a rate of cent less than
now In vogue and n more satisfaetor
service was given under those condi
tions than are now enjoyed by Bill
ings shippers.
The Burlington road had establshe
a daily direct passenger service be
tween Billings and the Big Horn basi
which will take effect February .
The Big Horn branch of the Bnrine
ton runs between Billings and Basi
and the big Shoshone governmer
project at Cody, which has just bee
completed. Oil of a fine paraffln
quality has Just been developed {
Garland and refinery has just bee
completed at Cowley. A new line vi
he In operation to Thermopolis Will
in 30 days Billings is the distribu
ing point for this section as we'll q
the whole of eastern Montana and II
Burlington road Is the only one OF II
three big trunk lines that has bee
making n rate that is considered III
fair.