Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1916-03-16

kinds of articles to various points OF
shipment and enables our freight bu.
reau to assist shippers in making out
claims for overcharges, losses and
damages and thus give aid to all of
our shippers.
There have been during the past
year some very important matters
come up In which our freight bureau
played very important part in the
interest of our shippers, whereas with.
out bureau of this kind our efforts
would not have been so effective and
as prompt action could not have been
obtained.
/ For instance, effective July 1, 1915,
the c. r. !. & P, railroad divorced the
X. G. O. M. railroad as an operating
proposition which made material In
crease In the freight rates applying
between Ottumwa and all points IN
Iowa located on the lines Of the Rock
Island. The freight bureau filed Wig
orous protest against this change and
effective July 26, 1915, the Rock Is
land again restored the continuous
mileage rate tariffs from and to points
located on the K. & D. NJ branch.
At the time this was restored our
bureau filed an active request with the
Rock Island to refund freight charSes
to shippers where they had paid two
locals so that the shippers would have
the benefit OF the continuous mileage
rates which had been in effect prior
to the enforcement proceedings.
Ottumwa was the only point that
took up this matter and it was through
the efforts of the freight bureau alone
that this was effected as just recently
the Rock Island has been ordered to
refund these excess charges.
To a person somewhat familiar with
freight rates, it does not seem as
though there should be an excessive
amount of work to have adjusted dis
criminatory rates. However, any ship
per who has been burdened with the
discrimination in freight rates for any
considerable length Of time and has
made an effort to have those rates ad-
justed will realize more than anyone
else the difficulty in getting square
deal" from the railroads in great
many instances.
This has been the case with Ottum-
wa in getting an adjustment of freight
rates that have been up for ADJUST
ment in the case generally known as
the proportional rate case, which has
to do with the class rates applying be-
tween the Mississippi river and Ottum-
wa on traffic to and from all points
east Of the Indiana-Illinois state line.
After some two years Of contention
an adjustment of these rates was made
on April 1, 1914, which afforded a con-
siderable reduction in rates to Ottum-
wa and to those shippers who are
principally interested in the inbound
rates and are not interested in the
combination Of in and out rates, the
adjustment Of April l, 1914, gave con-
siderable relief However, at the same
time there was an adjustment OF rates
at the Mississippi river which afforoea
considerable reduction there as well
as in Ottumwa, but In figuring Ottum-
was in and out rates, we found the
discrimination had not been removed
and a petition for rehearing was I'M
mediately filed with the interstate
commerce commission and this case IS
now in the process Of rehearlng and II
is hoped that in this rehearing, VI.
tumwa's freight rates will be reduced
from the east 30 that the discrimina'
ton will be largely, If not altogether
removed.
The long time over which this case
has been pending-something like Tour
years-shows the difficulty In getting
a general remodeling of rates to which
we are entitled. When we consider,
however, that these discriminatory
rates have been in effect for a great
MANY wears we are not discouraged as
we have based our claim for remod-
cling of the rates upon 1alr ana
square deal to both the shippers and
the railroad and a fight made on this
basis must win in the end.
This case alone shows the necessity
for a continuance Of this bureau and
the Importance of it. The Importance
of being on the job all of the time,
however, is better portrayed in the
number of protests that have been
flled against advances and against
changes in the classification that were
not fair or reasonable. Many OF tnese
protests have been effected and many
unfair charges have been blocked De-
fore they were made enectl'e anu
have never yet become effective.
On case in particular was the ad-
vance in the rates from points IN IN
diana, Ohio and Michigan where tar1ns
were filed advancing all rates from
practically all points in these three
states to the Mississippi river on
traffic destined to and from Iowa, these
advances ranging from to 40 per
cent. A protest was filed against these
advances and in May, 1915, the rail-
roads withdrew the advances entirely
leaving the old rates in effect
What would have happened had we
not been on guard?
The freight bureau is open to all
shippers in Ottumwa for conference,
advice and information. One case that
came up during the last year in which
our freight bureau assisted one OF our
leading manufacturers In preparing
data for case was for over
charge in shipments. The manu-
facturer in this case was put to con-
siderable expense to present his case
but through their own efforts, with the
advice and information received from
our freight bureau, they were able to
fortify themselves and present the
,,,a In nerson without legal or other