The Washington times., 1910-02-14
May Appeal to Interstate
Commerce Commission
on Charges.
REASONABLE RATES
REQUIRED BY LAW
Friends Of Packers Deny They Are
Cause of High
Prices.

Il the retailers Of meat in Washing
ton think the rise in prices Of meats IS
due to the monopoIistic control Of iced
and ~efl iSerator cars by thC meat pack
ers. they can complain 10 the Interstate
Commerce Commission and get action
right on the bat.
This IS the gist OF what was said AT
The cTices OF the Interstate Commerce
Commission today when attention was
called TO the article printed In yesteT-
days Sunday evening edition OF The
Times. explaining that the retailers OF
Washington discIalmed all blame for the
high prices Of meats, and laid that
blame on the packers
Friends Of the big packing companies
have come forward with a denial that
Inc retailers are on the right side OF
the fence
They also point CUt that the retailers
Of this city can carry their complaint TO
the commission. and get a prompt and
elective investigation OF the entire stu
alton One man pointed out that there
was printed IN this paper on Monday,
February :, an advertisements by Swift
& Co setting forth that IN the last two
years the price Of dressed beef as sold
by that company to Washington retail
ers has varied not more than cent a
pound
Think Prices Too Low.
A lawyer OF this city. representing
some Of tie packing interests, said
''AU thfs talk by the retailers Of
Washington that the packing and the
refrigerator car companies are mUlCC-
ing the public does not appeal TO me
at all As a matter OF fact. I believe
the rates on dressed meats are too low
as compared with the rates Of trans
pOrtation charged by the railroads on
other food 5ToduCts- This Is due 70
the fact thai some years ago the Chi
caEo and Great Western railroad maze
a. contract with the packers extending
from 'he Missouri river to Chicago,
giving very low rates so as to get the
contract
In q similar manner. the Grand
Trunk made such a contract for trans
Dortation Of dresser meats from Chi
caEo 20 the Atlantic ssa board The re-
suit of thes- two low contracts was
that all the ether railroads, governed
Iv the laws Of competition have had
20 give low rates"
Retailers Have Recourse.
II IS the law that the railroads have
10 carry all products consigned 10 them
and that they have TO DO It at q res-
sonabIe rate even II they have 10 fur
rlsh the special kind Of equipment call
ed for by any special product The
recourse of the retailers. therefore, ac-
.cordin- TO lawyers familiar with the
situation, Is TO the Interstate Com
merce Commission. where the matter
can be adjusted If injustice IS being
wrought.
In the matter OF the handling Of fruit
IN refrigerator cars by the Pere Mar
ouette and Michigan Central railway,
the Interstate Commerce Commission in
1915 laid down the following rules:
Railroad companies are required at
common law 10 furnish suitable faCil-
ties for the conduct OF the business In
which they engage. and It follows thar
The respondent railroad companies hold
ing themselves out as carriers OF perish
g ole fruit. must provide the necessary
refrigerator cars for the transportation
Of that traffic
During performance OF the tTanspOr-
tatiou the car is 20 every practical in
tent the car of the railroad company
using II, and its measure Of reSpOnS-
blIIty as 10 the sufficienCy Of The car
Is the same. whether IL obtains the car
~ purchase or lease
Icing Part of Service
Where a railroad company holds itself
cut es the carrier Of a commodity
which can only move under refrgera-
ton, its duty extends ordinarily TO fur
nishinE that refrigeration, for the icing
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