The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-11-21
MAkEIT AN ORDER
Interstate Commerce Commits
sion Forces Grain Rate Cut.
Railways Must Put New Sched-
uIe in Effect December %.
COMPROMISE IS DISREGARDED
Coarse Grains Ten Per Cent
Lower Than Corn.
Order Affects Western States
Amount of Rates Fixed.
IS DISREGARDED

Washington, Nov. 21-The inter
state commerce commission today or
dered that the reductions in freight
rates on grain, grain products and hay
in carloads, previously announced, be-
come effective on December 27, 1921.
The reductions apply between points
in the mountain-Pacific groups and
between point in the western and
points in the northern Pacific groups
The order follows the decision
given October 20 by the commission
which declared grain and hay rates
from the Mississippi valley to the Pa
cific coast unreasonably high but
which did not carry compulsory or
ders. The October decision instructed
the railroads to make the reduction
by November 20, which was not done
because the railroads opened nego-
tlatlons with the commission suggest
ing that a 10 per cent decrease in
freight rates on all agricultural pro-
ducts be substituted for the larger
decrease on grain products and hay
alone.
Compromise Disregarded.
The commission, however. by the
order issued today disregarded the
compromise proposed by the railroads
and make the larger decreases on hay
and grain mandatory upon the roads
The order issued today made specific
and definite the hay and grain reduc-
t1ons. The original decision said rail-
roads should reduce the rates on the
products concerned by one-half of the
increase given in 1929.
The commission today ordered hay
and grain rates between points in
mountain-Pacific territory and not
more than 12.5 per cent above the
rates in effect before the 1920 in
creases. Between points in the west
ern group as defined in it's decision
where 40 per cent increases were all
lowed in 1920, the commission today
ordered them made effective as 20 per
cent; between other western group
points the commission held rates shall
not exceed 17.5 per cent above the old
schedules and between points in the
mountain-Pacific group and points in
the western group. theincrease above
the old 1920 schedules shall be held
to 1874 per cent. The effect of the
order thus is to make specific the per-
centages of reduction in the territory
Repeats Cut Order.
The commission also reiterated its
decision requiring the roads to fix
rates for coarse grain, such as corn
at 10 per cent less than the rates on
wheat
The western group mentioned in the
order includes territory between Mis-
sissippi and Illinois rivers and the
north and south boundary line on
which the states of North Dakota.
Montana. South Dakota, Wyoming
and Nebraska JOIN. and extending
south to Fl Paso. Texas The noun
tain Pacific group lies between the
western group and the Pacific coast.
Saves Kansas S8,OOO.OOO
The reduction in freight rates on
grain, grain products and hay in the
western territory. ordered today by
the interstate commerce commission,
means a saving to shippers of approx
imately So million dollars annually,
according to. estimates of the Kansas
public utilities commission. OF this
total it is estimated six million will be
saved in Kansas.
The order of the federal commission
today follows a protest against the
railroads compromise offer, filed by
Chairman Clyde NJ. Reed of the Kan
sas commission, as chairman of the
managing committee in behalf of the
twenty-five western stc-@ petitioners
ir the grain rate case. = e Farmers
union, in national convention here last
week, also adopted a resolution de-
nanding an immediate reduction of
approximately 16 per cent as had been
recommended by the federal commits
sion.
Chairman Reed was in Minneapolis.
Mimi, today, attending a hearing be
fore Judge Booth of the federal court
in a gas case