New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-11-27
FIGHT FOR LAKE TRAFFIC
independent Steamship Co. Says
Railways Maintain Monopoly.
CHARGES DISCRIMIN
Declares the Land Lines Refused
TO Forward Products from
Buffalo at Regular Rates.

The refusal OF the Eastern trunk lines
10 move out Of Buffalo eighty-fve carloads
Of -four and other grain products. consigned
TO New York. which arrived there from
Minneapolis by an independent steamship
line. disclosed yesterday the fact that a
new effort Is being made TO break The al
legged monopoly of certain railroads IN inc
steamship transportation on tho Great
Lakes.
Tho Flour city Line. organized IN com
rete with the steamship lines controlled by
the railroads was incorporated In West
Virginia on Saturday. and meanwhile IT'S
first shipments from Minneapolis to New
York arrived 81 Buffalo. The shippers de-
handed that tho eighty-tivc carloads De
accepted by the railroads for transportation
10 New York AZ the rate of 90 cents hun
dred pounds. which is charged for the haul
from Buffalo to New York on grain prod
ucts shipped from Minneapolis by way of
Duluth on steamers controlled by the rat
roads. The railroads refused 10 grant a
through rate on any cargoes shipped on IT.
dependent steamers. and demonded the 10
cal rate Of II cents. AS soon as the re-
fusaI was made. the Flour city company
complained to the Interstate Commerce
Commission. and December If was set as
the date for the first hearing.
In the struggle TO gain transportation on
the Great Lakes the Flour city Line mas
the cooperation Of the great milling COM
panies I'm Minneapolis end also that OF the
Minneapolis Traffic Association. Tho inde-
nendcnt line has obtained a reduction or
the railroad rate from Minneapolis to Du-
luth from IS cents TO cents, and its own
water rate has been fixed at So cents as
COMPARED with cents charged by the
steamers controlled by the railroads. Thus.
the through rate OF the independent line
would he co5 cents a hundred pounds from
MINNEAPOLIS TO New York, as against %
cents prevailing now, if the Eastern rail-
roads would grant the joint rate Of 80 cents
from Buffalo TO New York, as they DO on
shipments by their steamers.
The complaint made to the Interstate
Commerce Commission charges discrimina-
ton against the Flour city Line by all the
railroads composing the Eastern Trunk Line
Association. 1t declares that reducuoh
I'm the rate on necessaries Of life, as mace
possible by the rate offered. would tend
TO reduce prices on bread and other grain
products. and thus lower the cost of living.
Francis b. James. Of Cincinnati, has been
retained by the complainants TO represent
their interests. with William II. Wadhams,
of No 81 Nassau street, this city.
I'm brief accompanying the complaint
TO the Interstate Commission, counsel for
the complainants said the entire package
freight traffic on the Great Lakes was a
complete monopoly, in turn completely
dominated and controlled by the railroads
composing the Eastern Trunk Line Asso-
citation. The brief says:
The lake monopoly having full swing, the
only way to break 1t seems 10 be Tor the
producers themselves TO become carriers
The entering wedge was made with the for
nation of IN Independent steamship line,
the Flour City Line, ana now the restord-
ton of competition OF the lakes has Deen
made possible. voluntary rate of reduc-
ton to five cents has been made by the
railroads from Minneapolis 10 Duluth, ana
common arrangement having Deeh estaD-
lished for a iake-and-Tail rate from Mime
apulis h Buffalo, the Flour city Line mas
become an interstate carrier and entitled to
relief.
The disappearance Of commerce from the
lakes, rivers and canals has followed I'm
quick succession. \ continuation or the
policy of the railroads will. IL unchecked
result i'm the disappearance Of transporta-
ton by steamer on the Great Lakes. II
was clearly the policy Of Congress, as eN-
pressed i'm the Interstate Commerce act TO
empower this commission 10 thwart any
efforts on the part OF the railroads CONNER
daily 10 destroy the Great Lakes az
great natural waterway upon which the
government has spent millions Of dollars TO
make IL available for commerce