The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1923-04-06

LA21lklIlq UldUG OH llAC UlCoCAL 4AblGl-
state freight rates charged in Mon
tana by the ID railroads operating IN
the state, promises to be one of the
biggest trials ever held in the history
Of Monta ma.
The hearing will start in Helena on
April 10, and will be held in the house
chamber in the capitol building before
the state railroad commission, and
bids fair to continue for at least three
weeks, if not 80 or go days.
Ever since Attorney General Rank
in filed his complaint with the railroad
commission, complaining that the pre-
sent freight rates in Montana are ex-
cessivee, unreasonable, eXorbitant and
are a great deal higher than those
charged in other states, unusual in
terest has been stirred in every corn
er of the state.
SHIPPERS HELPING.
Commercial clubs have begun hold
ing meetings for the purpose of pre-
pairing data on conditions to be pre-
scented at this hearing, and shippers of
commodities everywhere have begun
pouring a stream of letters into the
Office of the attorney general to as
certain what is desired to have shown
at this hearing.
Thirteen railroads will be involved
in this hearing, and for the first time
in Montana the financial history of
the railroads will be gone into and
brought out, no doubt making this
hearing. one of the most important of
its kind ever held in the United States
Attorney General Rankin proposes
IL -. v,l,x
steal valuations, cash valuations and
stock and bond valuations.
AZ SEPARATE DEMANDS.
He has served notice on each of the
Is railroads that their representatives
and attorneys will be required to pro-
duce information, facts and figures in
AZ separate demands. Chief among
these demands is the one that reasons
be given why intrastate rates in Mon
tana are higher than those charged IN
Wisconsin, Minnesota and North Da-
kota, and every other state in the un-
ion. 1t has been pointed out that the
rates charged in Wisconsin are % pei
cent lower than those charged in
Montana, the rates charged in Min
nesOta are Is per cent lower than
those charged in Montana, in North
Dakota the rates are from Is to &c
per cent lower, and in all the eastern
and southern states the rates charged
are considerably lower than those
charged in Montana.
In his complaint Attorney Genera
Rankin pointed out that in 1918 the
director general of railroads author
lied an increase of 25 per cent II
rates, and that on or about August II
1920, the board of state railroad com
missioners, following the action Of
the interstate commerce commission
granted another increase of 25 PEI
cent, which increase of level of rate!
still is in full force and effect, Will
certain minor exceptions.
FARMERS AFFECTED.
Not only are lumber companies anC
producers of other building materials
intensely interested in this hearing
about to be conducted in Helena, bu
the farmers, producers of grain ant
other foodstuffs also are showing al
equal amount of interest, for the.
contend that every dollar taken from
them by the railroad companies re
duces the prices of their wheat. /
has been Judged that they will have
attendanceat the hearing.
Calling attention to the genera
building program that is under wa.
in Montana, which he believes is re
tarded bv the present freight rate
charged. as well as the development
of all of the resources of the state
Attorney General Rankin pointed u
in his complaint "that the horizontal
-rri,f 4snfnc TT0riI1 90
MANY undue preferences and unJus
determinations between lOcalide
within the state of Montana, and be
tween persons within the state, AM
such increase in freight rates result
in the imposition OF unjust, unfair an
unreasonable rates and charges TO
the services rendered by the carriers
and works a manifest injustice upol
the producers Of raw materials, an
upon consumers and upon shippers o
freight and the people of the stae a
a whole. and retards the development
of the sources of the state"
RAILROADS ANSWER.
That the railroads are aroused owe
what will be required to be produce
at this hearing can be judged fror
the nature and the length of the an
Practically all of the carriers, hav
admitted that the state railroad con-
MISSION has jurisdiction in a rat
hearing of this nature, the NOrther
Pacific, Great Northern and Chicago
Milwaukee & st. Paul Railway con
panies, having filed joint answer
that effect.
Al different attitude, however, he
been taken by the officials and leg;
representatives of the Oregon Shel
Line road, a part Of the Union Pacit
system, which road in its answer Ia
denied that the railroad commissio
has jurisdiction in such cases. b.
probably VII only be one of the tigh'
shown by the railroads in resistin
the attack made by Attorney Gener:
Rankin upon their rates charged
Montana, and it will be such fight
chat will have a tendency to prolon
the hearing. That Mr.. Rankin Pr
poses to fight the RAILROADS to tnis
in this case is believed. from The emo
nifty of detail he and his force Of a
fo,. tho atari