The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1912-01-30
New Classification Goes Into Effect
February is Unless Interstate
Commerce commls-
sion Acts.
PROTEST rs ARRANGED
Reductions Have Been Made on Ar
ticIce Never Carried While In
creases Cover Most
Used Things.

CHICAGO, Jan. 39.-Regardless of
the decision reached by George M.
Brown, chief examiner for the inter
state commerce commission in the
hearing now in progress here of pro-
tests against the new western freight
classification, representatives of nine
western states will appeal directly to
the interstate commerce commission
at Washington for a hearing of pro-
tests before the classification is put
into effect
This was the statement made today
| by George A. Henshaw, of the Okla
homa corporation commission. He is
backed up by T. NJ Bradbury of the
Missouri railroad and warehouse COM
mission; Clifford Thorne, of The Iowa
railroad commission; F. c. Robinson,
of South Dakota; J. A. Little, of North
/ Dakota; ]. Hedlund, of Texas; E. g.
I Smyth, of Kansas; N. B. Mills, of Min
nesota and H. Erickson, of Wisconsin.
The new classification of all west
| ern rates, which it is said mark a
/ new epoch in railroad freight tariffs,
i will go into effect February Is, unless
! the commission acts upon the pro
] tests of the state commissioners and
suspen1s them for 120 days SO that a
thorough investigation of the 1,70C
Z changes may be made by the state of
ficials
.We were indignant when Examine
4 Brown refused to permit us to make
general objection to this classified
tion,' said Commissioner Henshaw
who is spokesman for the state com
missioners. And we decided to ap
peal at once to the Interstate com
mission. We will ask that our pro
!, tests be considered by the commits
sion itself. for this is the most i'm
portant rate matter for the west tina
was ever taken up. The hearing whicl
started yesterday will go no befor'
Examiner Brown as he has now con
sented to hear our general protes
!, after we have made our specific pre-
!. test to each of the 1,700 changes
These new rates effect thousands o
tariffs, involve 900 railroads an
change rates to 10000 towns and e1
. feet millions of people. We hav
been given a month to review thi
: work which took five years to pei
. feet We believe that the new ella.
sification and rates will be one of th
: greatest blows to manufacturers, farm
: ers and business people in the Yves
> ever delivered by the railroads. W
= have not had time enough to invest
gate all of these new schedules an
that is why we are asking 100 da
extension. Later We expect to sho
that these new rates are excessiy
J. and that they will impose an unfa
!. burden upon our people. We will sho
that reductions have been made G
!. 500 classifications in carload lots
q goods that we never use, while i
creases were made on farm machinel
=. and materials which we need in gre;
!. quantities"
:. Today's session before Examin,
Brown was devoted to a considerable
"a of objections to the new tariffs on fif
4. classifications Of farm machiner
Upon Browns recommendation to Il
. interstate commerce commission d
pends the question of whether Il
rates will be suspended until furth
~ investigation can be made.