The weekly tribune and the Cape County herald. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1914-1918, 1915-08-13
REDUCTIONS ARE
GRANTED WHICH
help SHIPPING
Cape Company Can Ship to
Arkansas Cheaper Than
St. Louis.
GETS NEW RATES IN
5 ADJOINING STATES
Interstate Commerce Commission
Ruling Aids Local Plant in
Big Field.

Washington, Aug. lin a sweep
ing decision Of the Interstate Com
mcrcc Commission handed down here
today, railroad rates in the middle
Western States on cement were ad-
iusted considerably.
The Commission held that rates on
cement from Cape Girardcau, Mo, to
points in Southern Arkansas must be
three cents per hundred pounds lower
than the rates from St. Louis to those
points.
Rates on cement from Cape Girar-
dcau to Louisiana, Mississippi, Ken
tucky and Tennessee points must be
two cents lower than the rates from
ST. Louis. A few exceptions are set
forth in this particular field where
other factors come into play.
The Commission in its decision de
clarcd that rates on cement from Cape
GirarGeau TO Southern Illinois points
have been unreasonable and read
iustmcnt is ordered on a bisis of rs
per cent Of the present combination
rates which obtain from Cape Girar
dcau 10 Southern Illinois points.
The Commissions orders to car
ricrs to make the establishments in
their rates indicated in the decision
by October l.
The reimbursement of cement rates
from Cape Girardeau was requested by
officials of the Portland Cement Com
pany Of that city.
The operations of the cement plant
in Cape Girardeau, said the complain
ants have been handicapped to Ger
tain extent by unfavorable railroad
rates which have placed the Cape Cir
ardcau plant at a disadvantage in
competing with the plants at Hanni-
bal, No, and in st. Louis.
The Cape Girardeau plant has been
virtually barred from competing in the
field east of the Mississippi River on
account of the high combination rate
that obtained from the Cape to South
crn Illinois points. The st. Louis and
Hannibal plants could best them on
virtually every contract.
The railroads likewise had made
rates from St. Louis to points in Ar
kansas and Louisiana that put the
Cane Girardeau plant at a disadvan-
tage in selling. The territory Of the
cement plant in that city virtually has
been restricted to a comparatively
small territory by a series Of unfavor-
able rates.
A fight to obtain more favorable
adjustment of the rates was Joined ir
hy the officials of the Cape Girar-
dcau cement plant and with the deci,
sion of the Interstate Commerce Com
mission, they have gained virtual!
every point they asked.
In ordering the reimbursement of the
cement rates from Cape Girardeau
the commission conforms with regu
Iations it has promulgated severa
months ago on the long and short hau
features of rate making.
1t is anticipated that the new tariffs
from the Cape will mean new actlvi
ties for the Portland Cement Com
pany, of which w. Fl. Harrison i
president.
In fine, the decision is technica
victory for the railroads, but an ae
tuai victory for the shippers. The IN
creases asked affected the general re
gion of Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota
North Dakota, Nebraska, Iowa, Kan
sas, Missouri, Arkansas, Louisiana
Texas, Oklahoma and New Mexico.
The commodities upon which IN
creases were asked were items o
heavy movement in this territory. III
aggregate increased revenue from tn