The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1917-12-27
DISTRIBUTION
OF GRAIN CARS
!. lSRUL|.E||D Ii upon
Interstate Commerce Commits.
sion Insists Upon Fair
~: Play. :.5
COVER 90 PCT. OF BUSINESS
South Dakota Decision will
Have important Effect
49,. Here. ~. s.e,.<
COVER 80 PCT. OF BUSINESS

. ruIodI lupOIl0uCC 10 NILhCucu Wy luc
North Dakota railway commission to a
decision just handed down by the in
terstate commerce commission in an
action involving unjust discrimination
on the part Of the Milwaukee line in
Vae distribution of cars at Vermilion,
SD, as between the Farmers Ele-
vatSe CO. and line elevators located
at TIL esame point.
"The exacti0n complained of was
exactly the same as great many
which have been the basis of COM
plaint in this state,' said J. A. Little,
railway commission rate expert, today.
1.-THE farmers elevator stated that in
normal times the railway company
distributed cars with the amount
of grain on hand in the various hOus-
es as a basis, and in the event one
house had ordered a great many cars,
all of these cars would oe suppned Dei
fore the other elevators got their, cars.
When the Elevators all were full s Of
grain. and car shortage existed, the
railway company distributed the ca-s
in rotation, giving one car to each ele.
vator, regardless of the quantity of
grain to be shipped in any particular
house. The Farmers Elevator Co.
claimed that this rule of distributing
cars in times of shortage discriminat-
ed against It and forced the patrons of
the farmers company to deliver grain
to line house competitors until such
time as all of the houses were full,
and then each house could only buy
the same quantity of additional grain,
hased on its ability to ship grain out
and make room for new receipts. -
"The interstate commerce commits.
sion decided that this method of dis.
tributing cars was in violation Of the
interstate commerce act and ordered
the railroad company to make car dis
trioutiOn rules that would at all times
give elevator companies cars in pro-
portion to the grain actually on hand
for shipment. Under this ruling, II
one elevator has 80 per cent of all the
grain on hand for shipment at sta
tion, It would receive half the cars
available for loading at that station.
The commission also held that an ele.
vat0r company may not order large
number of cars to be supplied by the
railway company when its turn came
and have ali these cars delivered be.
fore its competitors could receive ad-
ditional cars. When all the elevators
at a particular station are full the
commission held cars must be distrib-
uted in proportion to the number Of
bushels of grain held by each house.
1.-THE North Dakota railway commits.
sion recently has received number OF
complaints of the method of distribut.
ing cars in this state. which is SUB.
stantially the same as that adopted by
the Milwaukee line in South Dakota.
We are therefore taking this matter
WI with the railroad companies doing
business in this state and calling their
attention to the decision of the inter.
state commerce commission in the
South Dakota case and asking ths!
the same rule be adopted by all lines
in this state. .....s
"The interstate commerce commits.
sion has jurisdiction over the distrf-
button of cars intended for shipment
to MINNEAPOLIS and Duluth terminals,
and its ruling II applied to North Da.
kOta will cover over 80 per cent Ol
all elevator shipments"