Omaha daily bee., 1910-02-13
SMALL FIRMS FOR BIC RATE
Little Shippers Say if Cut il Will Only
Aid CentraliEers.
THEY OPPOSE MIvANN PROTEST
National Association of Creamery But
termakers Pleads that Present
Freight Schedules BE Not
by Commission.

A new element has been injected into the
hearing before Special Examiner George NJ.
Brown OF the Interstate Commerce COM
mission by the National Association Of
Creamery Butter Makers as %lntervenor, IN
which II asks that the rates now prevail
ing east OF Chicago be not disturbed,
contrary to the petition OF the traffic bu-
reau Of the Omaha Commercial club. ask
ing a lower through and car lot rate from
Omaha TO the atlantic seaboard.
S. B. Shilling OF Chicago, secretary of
the National Association OF Creamery
B-uttermakers was the first witness In be-
half Of the intervenors. He held that II
the rate asked Is given the centraiizers OF
big creameries or carlot shippers, the
smaller shippers VIII be driven out Of BUSH
ness, and further, II the present rates are
disturbed II will seriously disturb the bust
ness OF the butter and egg shippers. He
maintained that II the carlot rate was re-
duced then the less-than-car-rat should be
correspondingly reduced and unless this
wal lone his association would a~ntagonize
the proposed reduction Of the carlot and
through rate.
II. r. Wright, state dairy commissioner
of Iowa, sided with the intervenors and
held that the bulk OF the butter going to
the eastern markets was made by the
small buttermakers and that a reduction
OF the prevailing rates would be q detri-
nent to the smaller creameries and he was
prepared TO object TO the proposed rate
reduction unless It also applied to the
smaller shippers. The large centralizing
stations or plants. he held, had greatly ex-
banded under the present rates. and he
contended there was no good reason for a
reduction OF these rates. and under the
prevailing rates the big centralizers had
wa1ed aud grown TAI. RE held, further,
that the present rates and railroad service
was satisfactory to the smaller shippers
and he hoped to see 1t continue that W
President ]. ]. Farrell Of Carver, Mimi,
of the National Creamery and Buttermak-
ers association. also opposed the proposed
reduction Of the through and carlot rate,
as 1t meant but another step In eentraliza-
ton.
E. ]. Mcvann was recalled for a brief
cross-examination by J. E.. Kelby Of the
Burlington.
He admitted that the packers. members
Of the Commercial club, protested verbally
against the use Of the name Of the Com
mercial club in a suit like this one, which
might reflect upon them. The packers had
not been asked, except In a joking way,
to join in this complaint, but they were
not formally asked to Join in It. He did
not know why they did not Join in the
complaint, but 1t was evidently because
they had not been asked.
With the conclusion Of the c-ross-examina-
ton of Mr.. McVann, the c~omplainants
rested their case.
The first witness for the defense was
d. A. Dawson OF Chicago, superintendent
of the Star Union Line. His testimony was
in effect that no complaint had been filed
to his knowledge regarding the carload
rate from Chicago to eastern points. He
explained at some length the relation Of
the carload and less than carload meth
DDS OF transportation, showing that the
less than carload rates were generally more
profitable to the transportation companies,
because the tonnage per car was greater,
as a result of the combination OF ship
ments. which in the aggregate exceeded
the carlot minimum of 10000 pounds from
1000 to 5000. 80
II. C. Ford OF Chicago. traffic manager
of the Illinois Central, testified along SINH
lar lines, particularly as relating to in
tervening shipments over the Illinois line
between Omaha and Chicago and other
western and northwestern " points.
The hearing will be concluded this after
noon, when the case will be taken under
advisement by the Interstate Commerce
commission, with which the litigants will
be required to file records and briefs for
the final adjudication of the case.
Several minor cases for reparation for
alleged excessive charges for freight are
yet to be heard by Examiner Brown and
the commission probably win not conclude
it's work before Tuesday.