The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1924-03-19
FARGO'S RATE
CONTENTION IS
BEING FOUGHT
North Dakota City Claims II
Is Disseminated Against
For Twin Cities
BIG QUESTION INVOLVED
Fight Between Large Centers
and Growing Small Cen
terS Seen in Case

Washington, March IA stron,
fight IS being made before the In
tcrstate Commerce Commission il
the Fargo rate case in which tn,
question Is, according TO the Farg,
view: Shall railroad rates continu,
to be so based as to favor the loca
ton Of distributing houses in ST
Paul and Minneapolis or shall Farg,
he put on Il level with them which
in effect would give Fargo rat.
advantage over the Twin City house,
in her own territory?
The case is not new, but it ha.
focused attention upon the plair
question of building rate structures
ior the purpose OF building big CT
ties, or arranging them 50 as to dis.
tribute the benefits among various
localities, so that it is being watched
with widespread interest
If Fargo wins she will have an ad
vantage over many other distributing
ccntcrs in North Dakota and Mime
sofa Then they are expected to G,
into the fight on the same basis as
Fargo. The effect of the case may
be fAreaching.
The Twin City interests are making
a strong fight against the Fargo
position.
Lee kucmpcl, representing the
Minneapolis Traffic association, char
Ecd that the complainants in Fargo
were inSincere.
The commission will note that
Fargo alleges it is hindcrcd because
the rates under attack are not ad
Justcd to its liking, Mr.. kurmpcl
said. And these are class rates
only. Commodity rates are not here
to be considered in the development
OF Fargo.
Right here is an indication of in
sincerity. The commission well
knows that commodity rates in this
western territory are not on Il fixed
basis and also that commodity rates
are OF paramount interest to bust
ness communities. Yet it is alleged
that class rates are hndering the
commercial growth of Fargo
Fargo Growth Traced
WA. NucHlpcl SHOWcu tndt Fargo
had an increase in population be
tween 1900 and 1920 from $3.50 to
2l,967 or 1913 per cent in 20 years
He said these figures did not indi-
cate that Fargos growth has been
stunted, when by certain exhibits it
is found that aside from towns IN
the iron ore district not one town in
Minnesota with 5000 population or
over made any such gains.
And one Minnesota straight
traffic, Mr.. kuempel said these
Minnesota towns should have the
benefit of both commodity and class
rates prescribed for Minnesota
Mr.. kuempel said that the tesli-
mony offered showed that there were
100 business houses in Fargo, 80 of
them being branch house concerns
with main offices in larger centers
east of Fargo. He declared that this
aid not convince one that Fargo is
not progressing from a jobbing and
distributing standpoint.
Branch houses he asserted. ARE
established to take advantage of fay.
orable freight rates and to secure
better delivery service on account
of proximity to the consumer
Moorhead Falls Behind
Mr.. kucmpel showed that Moor.
head. just across the Red River from
Fargo. had grown only SO per cent in
the 20 year period as against Farro's
1919 per cent.
Moorhead has about 40 business
houses and only one branch house.
lie stated that freight rates alleged
to be preferential to Moorhcad have
not been reflected in its growth.
Mr.. kuempel said that Fargo wants
Minnesota rates. Fargo is in North
Dakota while Duluth is in Minnesota,
yet Duluth is denied Minnesota state
rates because traffic passed through
an almost infinitesimal portion of
Wisconsin.
Mr.. kucmpel declared that the
Minnesota rates have a great bearing
on the rate structure in this gen
eral territory. They enter into the
international freight structure as
well and give Moves, Mimi, on the
Canadian border, rates that are
slightly less than the twin cities to
winnipeg. The commission knows,
he asserted. that at Winnipeg it is
necessary that the twin cities and
Duluth have the same level of rates
as Port Arthur and Fort William.
To make any radical change in the
Minnesota scale would disrupt the
rate basis affecting many of the re-
mote portions of the country.
Mr.. kuempel then. called the at
tention of the commission to the
probable results of examiner A. c.
wilkins proposal for readjustment
of rates. 1t would increase the first
class rate, figured on the average
distance. to $1.03, "a matter of IA
per cent 1t would advance the
rate from the twin cities or Orion
vile. Mimi, so that would be high
err than to Milbank, S. d. The rate
to Noyes, Minnesota, would be $l.3s
against the rate to Winnipeg of
S1.28.
Herman Mueller of the St. Paul as
ISOLATION declared that if the exam
iner's report is approved Chicago
and eastern competitors of the twin
cities and Duluth will be benefited
greatly.
II Fargo wants to help build up
the central northwest Mr.. Mueller
said, they would do far better to
Join hands with all of their neigh
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