The weekly tribune and the Cape County herald. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1914-1918, 1917-05-03
Interstate Commerce Com
mission Rules Frisco May
Charge IS Cents for Top.
DECISION GIVEN IN
ILLMO RATE DISPUTE
Is Cent Rate Found Reasonable
After Investigation by Com
mission.

by me frisco on shipments 10 Cdpe
Girardeau, was upheld in ruling OF
the Interstate Commerce Commission
handed down April 10, in the case of
G.. |. Moore of limo, who filed COM
plant with the commission in June
1916, against the 90 cents rate in
force to limo, and neighboring points.
The order to maintain the present rate
Of Is cents per ton to Cape Girardeau
will become effective July 2, 1917.
The decision of the Interstate Com
merce Commission was handed down
after the commission had heard the
arguments of the compliments regard
ing the rates charged by the Frisco
and other railroads leading to limo
and neighboring cities. While the case
was pending the Commercial Club and
the City Council of Cape Girardeau,
through Attorney George B. Webster
Of St. Louis, interviewed, asking for the
reduction of the present rate and the
on coal shipments. The 60-cent rate is
guaranteed in the Frisco's franchise
with the Cape.
In his complaint to the Interstate
Commerce Commission, Mr.. Moore al
legged that the rates charged by the
Frisco and other railroads leading to
limo were discriminatory and unreas-
onably high in view of the fact that
the railroad made charge Of only
60 cents for shipments to Cape Girar-
deau, while the charges to limo were
fixed at 90 cents per ton. The report
of the Interstate Commerce Commits
sion on its finding in the case con-
cludes by saying:
"No evidence was adduced on re-
hearing which would warrant any
charge in our original findings with
respect to the rate to Hazel Spur, and
they are accordingly affirmed. We
further find that the rate to limo,
Roclview, Chaffee and Cape Girardeau
are not shown to be discriminatory,
unreasonable or unduly prejudicial."
Moore's case, which was a test for
the general shipments to limo and
other cities, was originally decided up
on Oct. 20, 1915. The complaint had
been filed in May of the previous year
and alleged that the rates on coal in
carloads from mines in Illinois and
Ohio to Hazel Spur, which is within
the incorporate limits of limo, were
unreasonable and unduly prejudicial
inasmuch as they exceeded the rates
charged for shipments to Cape Girar-
deaU, which was 60 cents per ton at
that time, while the charges to limo
and other cities were 90 and 90 cents
per ton.
The commission, however, after a
long hearing, ruled that the complaints
were not justified and that the ale
cations made by the plaintiff could not
be upheld by the commission. At the
same time the commission overruled
the application of the Chicago and
Eastern Illinois Railroad for the au-
thority to continue the rates on coal
from points on its line in Southern
Illinois to Chaffee and Cape Girardeau
which were lower than the rates main
tanned to limo and other immediate
points.
During the latter part of December,
1915, the Interstate Commerce Com
mission rescinded the orders previous
ly made and reopened the proceedings
for the purpose of making the Cotton
Belt a party defendant in the suit. An
investigation was made by the COM
mission to determine whether the rates
charged by these railroads were I'M
reasonable and unjust. The CONNER
cial Club of Cape Girardeau together
with the Missouri Public Utilities Co.,
the brewery and other industrial in
terests of the city interviewed and filed
complaint against the Frisco on the
rates to this city. At that time the
rates were 60 cents per ton to Cape
Girardeau, 90 cents to limo and Ha-
eel Spur and % cents to Rockview No
changes were made since in the rates
to these cities, except to Cape Girar-
deau, when the scale was raised to rs
cents per ton.
The go cents rate to Cape Girardeau
was put into force in December, 1910,
for period of so years. Prior to that
the charges made by the railroad for
hauling coal were 90 cents per ton.
When the hearing on the complaint
against the coal rates of the Illinois
railroads to limo and other points was
reopened, the complainant failed to
adduce any additional evidence.
The Commercial Club and the other