South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1914-02-25
WOULD ABOLISH
MILLIONS WORTH
4 OF PRIVILEGES
Interstate Commerce Commits
sion Propose TO do Away
With FavorS Accorded Bic
Shippers by Railroads.
BY gibson GARDNER.

WASHINGTON. Feb. 2J.-Tne big
gest thing ever done 10y the Interstate
Commerce cOmmissiOn-if &c goes
through with its present pian-wiH be
a general order abolishin. $50. 600. 600
worth OF special PRIVILEGES enjoyed
by big shippers exclusively. Hearings
have brought out what THESE priv
ileges are and arguments OF the mat
ter viii be heard FED. and IS 1t
IS almost certain the order Will be
made
This matter should not he confused
with the order already made abolish
ing $lS5, .0o0 worth of PRIVILEGES
enjoyed by sO-called Industrial ter
minal railroads. the latter order
was made three weeks agO and IS now
being put into effect. The new prop
osition IS more radical and sweep
ing one.
Here is the situation: The railroads
have come 20 the commission asking
Tor a five per cent increase ia general
freight rates To save them from bank
ruptcy. The commission turns upon
the railroads and says. why don't
YOU collect S50,000.0C0 from these big
shippers who are now getting all kinds
Of special favors that the little ship
per does not get?'
Brandcis Directs Work.
The commission has had ats inspec-
tors working under the direction Of
Louis -. Brandeis. as attorney FOR the
commission. and these inspectors have
found literally hundreds of ways in
which the big fellows get services
from the railroads which are not ac-
corded TO the little fellows. II is not
only that this operates as tremend-
Gus drain on the revenues Of the rail-
roads. but il Is one of the things that
ON u 4 frr
concentration OF capital and business
at the expense of the little business
H. a.
\ good Illustration was found by the
inspectors at the wharVes OF the sugar
trust in YOnkers Here it was found
that the New York Central railroad
was actually paying back TO the Ma
tional Sugar company the expense in
CURED by that company for loading
at the door of the car the sugar ana
even the expenses for taking the
sugar from the floor OF the refinery's
shipping bed. One item OF S6.147.I5
and another of $2,9SS.73 were paid
last June.
Likewise the banana trust collected
from the New York Central for loading
its own bananas from its vessels into
cars sum of $3.50 between June 1.
1912. and June 80, 1913.
The beef trust has been eating up
inspector chose at random % cars in
the vicinity of the Chicago stock yards
and found that railroads received for
freight service for their use S66519.
and were compelled TO pay back TO the
beef trust for special services,
S297.1O. or nearly 80 per cent OF the
total freight revenue.
In Chicago the little shipper is at
a tremendous disadvantage in COM
parisOn with the big shipper where
located either on the river or on the
underground tunnel which connects
with the railroads. In both cases the
railroads practically perform the
trucking and loading for these big
shippers. while the small shippers
have 10 truck and load at their own
expense.
In the case of one soap company
doing business i'm Boston. il was found
the trucking item alone would amount
TO $1,000 "a day.
All these species OF special privilege
will come ulder general order If
Mr.. Brandeis succeeds in his plan as
now appears probable.