Omaha daily bee., 1910-09-18
RAILROADS WILL FIGHT HARu
shippers win Meet OpPosttion In the
Hearing Before Commtsston.


NEW YORK. Sept l5.--tspeoiAl TO The
Bee.l-rhe shippers are not going 20 hava
Il all their own way IN the hearings before
the Interstate Commerce commission TO de-
termine whether or not the railroads shall
be permitted to raise freight rates.
Il Is freely stated In Wall street II the
Will fight II IL further stated that II they
start In they will make the FUR flv. IL Is
said In well informed circles that the roads.
or some OF them are provided with data as
TO the profits made by some OF the larger
shippers. and that II they are pushed too
hard at the Inquiry they will reply by
asking about the business profits u this
shippers and BY asking why they should
be so closely urged with reference TO capi-
talization and profits by persons or cor
porauons whose profits are so much larger
than their own. This position-as one OF
the roads official positions-had been fore
Swallowed IN the recent past by men close
to some OF the railroad executives who are
making the fight most strenuuusly, IL is
alleged that this line OF argument would
have a considerable effect upon public
opinion. Besides this and other forms OF
publicity, the banking pressure on the ship
pers 10 being maintained and will be urged
harder than ever, u is understood, during
the coming fall. Such press1re may be as
Ineffective In the past but 10 Is believed
that ways will be found TO make II more
influential, particularly with shippers who
are more or less closely dependent on their
banks. There s undoubtedly a very general
and growing feeling among the stronger
financial interests that the present expose,
with its probable light upon conditions OF
questionable desirabillty and its tendency
to disturb industrial conditions, is much TO
be deplored.
one fact that has not been given much
prominence heretofore but which is COM
ing TO be realized by both sides, is the
extent to which the public Is Interested in
the contest and the prominent place the
controversy II to occupy in public attention.
This has been felt more than ever since
the controversy was officially opened az
Chicago. In past contests muCh OF the
testimony has been behind closed doors or
has been OF such technical sort that the
public in general scarcely understood IL,
IL is the effort OF the shippers now 70 nave
the facts understood from their STANDPOINT,
and the roads are making scarcely less et-
fort to get their case plainly before the
country, the result being large public IN
terest in the facts.
The wheat growers may nave rising
similar TO that enjoyed by the cotton grow
ers before long.
Estimated requirements for the wheat
crop OF all countries that figure IN the
worlds wheat trade are 3,S020O0OO0 bushels,
according To w. b. Snow, against Offici-
ally reported crops last year In the same
countries Of g. 80 $4,000 bushels. In reach
ing this total the United States Is credited
with a crop of $50, 10000, and Canada with
100 eco 600 bushels. The Broomhall estimate
ID adopted for all other countries, the crop
OF the southern continent, Argentine AUS
tralia and India, part of which is yet To
be seeded, and none OF which has yet
encountered the vicissitude OF the season.
| is placed at SIS OO0,OO0 bushels, against OF .
10000 last year and 5b4,O0Vb IN lsVo, the
previous best year. This represents an IN
| crease of "a OQ0,OO0 over last year upon the
assumption of full normal rate OF yield
| in these countries on an Increased acreage.
An actual falling below this high figure
would increase the apparent worlds de-
| flcienCy by that much.
on this basis OF crop production the sur
plus available for shipment during tbs
| ant ia aRttmated at ASA.U D,Otl
bushels the United states being credited
with 81 100000 and Canada with OOO'UO.
The Requirements OF the importing countries
aggregate SOC, 100000 bushels. crediting
France with only sO,0OO,OOO Of foreign wheat
instead OF t00,0O0000 as Is now currently
estimated by reliable foreign houses in the
wheat trade. Not only are the European
wheat crops short, but an additional bur
den is thrown upon IL, because OF the gener-
ally poor food crop, particularly potatoes, on
the continent. Taking the most liberal view
lof the possible surplus from North America
and anticipating better than average Yields
lin Argentina, Australia and India, whose
crops are vet to be made. says Mr.. Snow,
there is still a material shortage In the
worlds wheat supply this year
| According to statistics specially complied
by the Journal OF Commerce and the rail-
road Industrial and traction corporations
will distribute this month the sum OF
lSg2 49, Z3g. These figures compare with
$50 433, 1853 in September year ago, an in
Grease of S12 O49, ass. In August the total
Twas 81, 601, 596 OF this months aggregat e
dividends VIII turtllAn Aols lbo,Aoss an III
crease OF Ss7, go, 595. A number Of corpora
tons have either increased their rates OF
declared extra dividends, while a few adj
lditions appear.
! II is predicted that the traffic alliance
between the Western Pacific and the Toyo
KiRon T[aisha Steamship company VIII
bring on an international freight rate war
when the Southern Pacific traffic agree
lment with the Western Pacific goes
Into effect II Is asserted to be this
Intention Of the Gould line tc make things
hot for the Hartman road.
Harvests worth 50 900, 900 would edua
800 for each man, woman and child in thc
country And the -billion-dollar mari
lis not an impOssobility.