THE STORY OF THE NONPARTISAN LEAGUE 



charges on those 100 cars, and as a matter of fact they 

 are not paid to anybody, don't you consider that this 

 man should be entitled to his $1.50 [a car]? 



A. There I said I don't think the committee 

 should consider me competent to furnish the informa- 

 tion desired. It is for the committee to pass upon the 

 propriety or impropriety of any rule we may have. . . . 

 I testified that there is no rule in the Chamber of Com- 

 merce that requires the members to charge $1.50 

 switch. It requires them to charge a switch, not $1.50. 



Q. I ask this question, Can you to-day name us a 

 single instance where you have taken into this private 

 court of yours in the Chamber of Commerce and cen- 

 sured any of your members for charging an illegal 

 switching charge? 



A. I do not know of such a case. Sales are made 

 subject to $1.50 switch. 



At another time there was a sharp colloquy 

 between Mr. Manahan, counsel for the farm- 

 ers, and Mr. Lind and Mr. Mercer, counsel, re- 

 spectively, for the commission men and for the 

 Chamber. Mr. Manahan produced evidence 

 that every year hundreds of shippers' cars 

 were received and switched by the railroad 

 companies free, but nevertheless the charge 

 of $1 .50 was figured in the settlements with 

 the shippers. The origin of the charge was an 

 understanding that when a car was received 

 by a railroad company in Minneapolis and 

 switched to an elevator's side-track, or to 

 another railroad to be shipped out, a charge 

 of $1.50 was imposed by the railroad com- 

 pany. But many railroads had elevators 



66 



