| Show PROTEST AGAINST PACIFIC ROADS ST LOUIS MERCHANTS SAY THAT THE RAILROADS discriminate AGAINST THEM st louis nov 13 the interstate inter state commerce commission began the hearing today of the complaint of the st louis business mens league against the pacific coast railroads and their connections in the matter of discriminating against st louis in the fixing of freight rates of the commission only four members were present chairman M A knapp C T prouty J D youmans and J D clements ex governor joseph W alfer of illinois who was recently appointed a member of the commission Is here but has not been sworn in all the defendant roads were represented by counsel as also a number of cities other than st louis which desired to join with her in the complaint of freight rate discrimination H S christy and hoi W J calhound Cal houna former member of tho commission appeared as counsel for the business mens league A delegation from davenport iowa was present consisting of G S baker D H home E M shearer J S T jackson G W scott A G goldschmidt M L works and lon bryson attorney E S pillsbury read a lengthy petition of intervention on behalf of the coast merchants and manufacturers association who desired to join with the railroads in replying to the complaint on behalf j of the plaintiffs contention writs of intervention were filed by the chicago merchants association the merchants and manufacturers of milwaukee the jobbers and shippers of st paul and minneapolis the kansas transportation bureau of kansas city and the commercial club of st joe mo after attorney christy had read the complaint i air was placed on the stand as the first witness for the plaintiff his testimony was largely technical from existing tariffs he showed how fhe middle west was being practically excluded from pacific territory because of discrimination in rates the points he aimed to show were that unreasonable differences exist between car load and less thac car load class and commodity aratea and that there were such variations in less bian car loads of hardware and other articles that st louis and middle western jobbers could not ship freight to the pacific coast at a profit mr consumed most of the first session |
